ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC could be be banned for Euro 2020 after being investigated by UEFA over an “alleged financial interest” in a betting company.
Meanwhile, Spotify owner Daniel Ek has reportedly stepped up his Arsenal takeover bid by bringing three Gunners legends on board.
Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are said to be ready to join the Swede in his effort to oust unpopular owners the Kroenke family.
And John Stones is in line for a £39m new contract after reviving his Man City career, as exclusively revealed by SunSport.
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TUCH N GO
Thomas Tuchel has urged fans to forget the Super League saga and cheer Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
He said: “We all make mistakes and if you lead a club and own a club you can make decisions that not everybody understands and not everybody likes.
“This is part of life but it does not change the love for the game.
“So put your anger to this decision and the way it was presented to one side.
“Don’t put it on the team and never doubt the love that all the people at the training-ground level have for this game.
“I can just tell everybody that I love this game so much, like everybody in the dressing room — the boys are so happy out on the pitch, so excited about this semi-final.
“We need all support to enable us to overcome this huge step in these two games.”
ROLLING STONES
Exclusive by Dan Cutts: John Stones is in advanced talks with Manchester City over a new five-year contract worth up to £39million.
It was understood he was close to being axed last year, but his return to fitness and form have seen him become a regular Man City starter.
And Stones is set to be rewarded with new £150,000-a-week terms, with his contract having just one year left from the summer.
He will also be handed a number of incentives and bonuses for trophies, appearances and clean sheets.
Guardiola wanted the 26-year-old to re-focus on his football before tying him down to another deal.
HAZARD WARNING
Eden Hazard is poised for an emotional reunion to Chelsea when he hopes to boot his old mates out of the Champions League.
The artful midfielder spent seven years at the club before switching to Real Madrid for £150million in June 2019.
Hazard has been dogged by injuries at the Spanish giants but is fit again from a calf strain — and he is pumped up to play against Chelsea.
Real defender Raphael Varane, 28, said: “He is quite motivated to play a Champions League semi-final.
“He is a motivated footballer and if you play against your former club, that is an extra motivation in the club and the team we are facing.
“We know the quality they have and he wants to prove his on the pitch to help the team.”
LEICESTER 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 1
Kelechi Iheanacho thumped in a stunning solo goal to fire Leicester City another step closer to Champions League qualification.
The in-form Nigerian No14 took his tally to 14 goals in his last 14 games in emphatic fashion ten minutes from time to seal all three points against Crystal Palace.
MAN ALIVE
Manchester City’s supposed away colours for next season have been leaked online.
And the design is strikingly similar to the controversial European Super League’s colour scheme.
£MIRAT£$ RICH LIST
Mesut Ozil is still Arsenal’s second highest player despite leaving in the January transfer window.
The 32-year-old left the Emirates earlier this year and moved to Fenerbahce.
But the Gunners agreed to pay 90 per cent of his £350,000-a-week deal until it ends this summer, reports say.
And that means – incredibly – that Ozil is still Arsenal’s second highest paid player.
VA VA VOOM
Manchester United have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Abdallah Sima, according to reports.
The Slavia Prague ace has impressed for the Czech side in the Europa League this season.
Impressive forward Sima, 19, has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry with his livewire performances.
And he fits in to Man United’s current recruitment policy.
According to the MEN, the Red Devils are ‘monitoring’ Sima’s progress ahead of a potential summer move.
PERFECT TEN
Erik ten Hag has reportedly ‘moved up’ Tottenham’s list of managerial targets, amid the news that Julian Nagelsmann has ‘agreed’ to join Bayern Munich.
Brendan Rodgers remains top choice to replace Jose Mourinho at Spurs, as SunSport told you yesterday.
But with the Leicester boss likely to be very difficult to prise from the King Power, the North Londoners are considering other targets.
And among them, according to The Telegraph, is highly-rated Ajax boss Ten Hag.
BOY OH BOY
Two social media giants are ignoring the planned boycott of their sites by football – and refusing to change their policies on trolls and racists.
Prem players, managers, clubs and officials will join with the FA, EFL and the women’s game in a three-day social media blackout from Friday afternoon.
The game is uniting to urge the social media companies to act against online hate.
But Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it was sticking with its existing rules rather than acting to introduce new safeguards.
That was despite another weekend of unacceptable social media postings, which saw Manchester City and England full-back Kyle Walker targeted for racial abuse.
JUR FURIOUS
Ilkay Gundogan revealed a raging Jurgen Klopp once shouted ‘do whatever the f*** you want’ at him in an explosive Borussia Dortmund training ground row.
Writing for The Players’ Tribune, Gundogan said: “I once managed to make Jurgen Klopp angry. Like, really angry. It was in my second season at Dortmund. We were trailing in the Bundesliga, but we had a shot at the Champions League.
“An hour before training, just to be sure, I asked the doctor to take a look at my hamstring.
“Jurgen came in and he was not happy. I was trying to find a way out of it, even though I knew I was wrong. Jurgen kept saying that we couldn’t take any risks. I kept saying that I could train.
“And then he snapped. You know when he gets these intense eyes and grits his teeth?
“He gave me that look and shouted, ‘DO WHATEVER THE F*** YOU WANT TO DO!’ Then he slammed the door behind him.”
ZLAT FEAR
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been put under investigation by Uefa – and it could cost him his place at Euro 2020.
Uefa disciplinary chiefs announced the former inquiry into the Swedish superstar’s links with a betting company.
Ibrahimovic is part-owner of Malta-based Bethard, seemingly in direct contravention of both Uefa and Fifa regulations.
It leaves the AC Milan and Sweden star facing a massive fine and potential ban – which may spell the end of his chances of appearing at this summer’s Euro.
Fifa’s ethics code, which is shared by Uefa, prevents players or others in football from having “any interests, either directly or indirectly” in companies that “promote, arrange or conduct betting”.
The maximum penalty is a three YEAR ban and fine of £85,000.
OUT OF TUCH
Hakim Ziyech has been urged to quit Chelsea by Dutch legend Marco van Basten.
Van Basten, 58, told Ziggo Sport: “Ziyech was on the bench yet again against West Ham. When he does come on they use him as a striker. He can operate in that role too, as he is a good player.
“But I find it sad to see. The system that Thomas Tuchel employs is simply not good for Ziyech.
“If I was Hakim I would say to myself: ‘You know what, I’m going to leave.’
“I’d say: ‘Listen, I’ve got no rapport with the guy [Tuchel] – I’ve got to get out of here.’ There is no sense in him staying put.”
MAKE EMILE OF IT
Arsenal have reportedly opened contract talks with Emile Smith Rowe amid plans to bolster their midfield.
Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard are both set to leave when their loans from Real Madrid end in the summer.
And it has been reported that the club want to secure Smith Rowe’s future as well as sign a new central playmaker.
According to The Athletic, the 20-year-old is being lined up to follow in Folarin Balogun’s footsteps and commit his long-term future to Arsenal.
DEVILS CURSE
Manchester United will have a lot of problems next season unless they spend big, according to Paul Ince.
He told Sky Sports: “They are not as far off as we thought two years ago. They are progressing gradually.
“But on that Leeds performance they are a long way off, they have been so inconsistent this season it is hard to judge.
“They need money, they need a striker. It looks like Cavani is going to Boca Juniors. They are going have a lot of issues next season.”
MO MANE MO PROBLEMS
Michael Owen thinks Liverpool’s star forwards Mo Salah and Sadio Mane are NOT natural finishers.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw with Newcastle, he told BT Sport: “That’s the problem: Mane, brilliant player, scores lots of goals. Salah, unbelievable player as well, scores lots of goals.
“But they’re not natural finishers, they’re not someone that you can hang your hat on.
“They’ve scored goals consistently because Liverpool have, like today, created so many chances.
“But they’ve been wanting, or the team have been found wanting a lot of the season with missed chances.”
SPOT OF BOTHER
Arsenal fans are excited at the prospect of Spotify founder Daniel Ek buying the club from unpopular owner Stan Kroenke.
And some went wild at the news that the music subscription service has hiked its prices… on the same day that Ek launched his £1.8bn takeover bid.
Spotify’s Premium Family monthly price will rise from £14.99 to £16.99 after April 30.
And fans online have been quick to put two and two together.
One wrote: “Seems like he wants us to help buy the club for him… as I’m not an Arsenal fan instead I’ll be cancelling my subscription & going to Apple Music!”
A Gooner tweeted Ek directly, pleading: “I just bought spotify premium, take my money and buy arsenal.”
EURO HAAL
Erling Haaland will most likely leave Dortmund this summer if they miss out on Champions League football, reports say.
Chelsea and Manchester United are among the European giants trailing his signature this summer.
Haaland has a £65m release clause next summer if he stays put for another campaign.
But Bild report that Haaland will definitely be on the move this year if his club miss out on the Champions League.
Dortmund are fifth in the Bundesliga, a point behind Frankfurt with three games to play.
JUVE THREATS
Andrea Pirlo’s son Niccolo has hit back at the death threats he receives due to Juventus’ poor form.
The Serie A giants are out of this year’s title race and could miss out on a top-four finish.
On Monday, Niccolo, 17, posted a picture of himself and dad Andrea, 41, on to Instagram with a statement against the threats.
He wrote: “I’m not a person who judges, I don’t like doing it.
“Everyone has the right to be able to say what they want, I’m the first to do it and I would never want someone to take away my freedom of speech.
“My parents taught me to have thoughts and above all to listen to those of others.
“But I believe that there is a limit to everything and this limit has been exceeded for some time.
“I am 17 years old and every day I receive messages of this kind (here I show you the last one, received a little while ago).”
An attached screenshot showed a direct message from one account that declared: “You must die together with your father.”
TORR BLIMEY
Villarreal star Pau Torres admits he’s ‘proud’ to be linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.
He told Sport: “It’s a pride to see that your work is reflected in these kind of things that are talked about.
“But I face it with a lot of calm, I’m in a great club like Villarreal, and from the tranquility, I work every day.
“I’m not thinking about (leaving) either, there’s still a long way to go and my short-term objectives are the European semi-final and then to be available for the national team.”
ED IN THE GAME
Eden Hazard is fit and ready for Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final first-leg against old club Chelsea on Tuesday.
The Belgian has had a torrid time with form and fitness since fulfilling his ambition of moving to the Bernabeu in a £130million deal in 2019.
But he came off the bench in the 77th minute of Madrid’s 0-0 draw against Real Betis on Saturday.
And boss Zinedine Zidane says the forward came through unscathed and is in contention to play when the Blues visit the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
The Frenchman said: “He played 20 minutes the other day and he felt quite good.
“The most important thing is that he doesn’t feel anything about his problem.
“He’s quite well, he’s with us, he’s happy to be with us and contribute to the team a lot.”
FINAL PUSH
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a chance to banish his semi-final hoodoo when Utd face Roma in the Europa League last-four on Thursday.
SAMBULANCES
Samuel Eto’o has proved just what the doctor ordered for his fellow countrymen… by donating 10 AMBULANCES to Cameroon’s health service.
The former Chelsea and Everton striker has been dismayed by the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on his home country.
Big-hearted Eto’o, 40, has now paid 400 million West African francs – £530,000 – to fund the fleet of emergency vehicles.
The ex-Barcelona and Inter Milan star presented them to Cameroon’s public health ministry last week.
He wrote on social media: “Donating 10 ambulances to the Ministry of Health in Cameroon.
“Was such an honour to be able to do this for my country, so more people can be helped in emergency situations.”
COAST IS CLEAR
Premier League Covid testers have recorded their first clear week this season.
And League bosses believe they are proving the game is close to winning the battle against the virus.
Over the past week, two rounds of testing, comprising 2,787 samples of players and staff across the 20 clubs, found no positives.
Just over half of those – 1,472 – took place between Monday and Thursday, with a further 1,315 samples taken between Friday and Sunday.
DEVIL MAY CARE
Eric Bailly has shared his delight at signing a new deal at Manchester United.
The Ivorian told the club’s media: “I’m very happy. This decision is something I didn’t have to think about, I love this club and I love playing for Manchester United.
“I’m happy and so are my family, everything is good. Now the moment with my injury has passed and I’m fit and feel good, and that’s it. A new contract is like a new challenge and I’m ready for this.
“That’s why I say the new contract shows the group has confidence in me – the coach, the staff and the players and, for me, that is very important.
“And that’s why I made this decision to stay at the club.”
CASE FOR DEFENCE
Eric Bailly has signed a new deal at Manchester United until 2024 with the option of a further year.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
