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    Chelsea ‘freeze out highly-rated academy star, 18, until he agrees new contract’ in unusual move amid standoff

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    CHELSEA have reportedly frozen out a highly-rated academy teenager until he signs a new contract.It is claimed the Blues told defender Josh Acheampong he will not play for the first team or the development squad while he stalls over the fresh terms.Josh Acheampong has been frozen out by Chelsea after reportedly refusing to sign a new contractCredit: GettyAcheampong, 18, is currently tied down at Stamford Bridge until 2026.According to The Athletic, Chelsea are said to have opened talks over an extension to secure his long-term future at the club. But with negotiations stalling, he has been exiled from competitive action. Acheampong established himself as the third-choice right-back during pre-season under Enzo Maresca – after making his senior debut for Mauricio Pochettino in May, three days before his 18th birthday.READ MORE ON CHELSEACaptain Reece James and Malo Gusto are the recognised top two.Although the club showed interest in Pedro Lima from Sport Recife – who eventually joined Wolves – Acheampong looked set to be around the first-team set-up with Maresca in charge.However, his only appearance of the season came as a second-half substitute against Barrow in the Carabao Cup on September 24. Notably, though, he was not included in the matchday squads for the games against Bournemouth and West Ham last month when both James and Gusto were unavailable. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSMaresca, instead, opted for centre-backs Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana to fill in. Even more alarmingly, Acheampong has not played for the Under-21s since September 15.Chelsea Player Ratings vs LiverpoolThat is despite starting four of their first five games of the season.Acheampong was left out of the squad for the Premier League Cup clash at Bournemouth on Monday.But he is not injured – and even featured twice for England U20s during the October international break. The report claims the situation will not be resolved unless he puts pen to paper on a new deal.But Chelsea are hopeful of tying their highly-rated youngster down, especially amid interest from other clubs.The likes of fellow right-backs Tariq Lamptey and Tino Livramento ended up leaving Chelsea to advance their careers.READ MORE SUN STORIESAcademy graduates Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, meanwhile, were allowed to depart after entering the final year of their contracts.Chelsea declined to comment when approached by SunSport.Acheampong came off the bench for his Chelsea debut against Tottenham in MayCredit: GettyThe young defender shone in pre-season for the bluesCredit: GettyChelsea ratings vs LiverpoolBy Ken LawrenceLIVERPOOL held on to beat Chelsea 2-1 in a thriller as they moved to the top of the Premier League table.Mohamed Salah opened the scoring against his former club from the penalty spot after Levi Colwill tripped Curtis Jones in the box.Chelsea went into the break trailing and it was nearly worse, only for VAR to overturn a second Liverpool penalty after Robert Sanchez’s lunge on Jones.The Blues came out from the break flying and Nicolas Jackson equalised.But they failed to hold on with star of the show Jones netting the winner just minutes later.Here is how SunSport rated the Chelsea players at Anfield.ROBERT SANCHEZ – 5Survived a shocker of a challenge on Jones to not give away a pen and never convincing.REECE JAMES – 6Got through 53 minutes in first start since last December and will surely shake off the rust.TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 5  Booked early on for clattering into Diogo Jota and no surprise was hooked for the second half.LEVI COLWILL –  5Got away with one challenge against a diving Salah but a no- challenge penalty after hacked on Jones.MALO GUSTO – 7  Intelligent display and constant threat down the left flank in the first half especially.MOISES CAICEDO – 5At £105m and in Chelsea’s biggest test of the season was found badly wanting.ROMEO LAVIA – 5Got the nod over Enzo Fernandez from the start but failed to show any urgency.NONI MADUEKE – 6Always mobile and was productive playing as a right-sided attacker – giving Robertson a tough afternoon.COLE PALMER – 5  Deployed in central midfield but struggled to show his star quality and blazed over a good chance just before the break.JADON SANCHO  – 4Lacked any real spark and unsurprisingly hooked off at the start of the second half.NICOLAS JACKSON – 7Picked up a typically mouthy booking but the boy definitely has something – as his fine equaliser proved.SUBS:PEDRO NETO (for Sancho 46) – 6Looked a whole lot livelier than the wide man he took over from.BENOIT BADIASHILE (for Adarabioyo 53) – 6Looked a lot steadier than the centre-back he replaced.RENATO VEIGA (for James 53) – 5Got stuck in and was booked.ENZO FERNANDEZ (for Romeo Lavia) – 6Worked diligently to use his passing to make an impact late on.CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (for Noni Madueke 76) – 5Found it difficult to make his presence felt as the Reds dug in to win. More

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      Man Utd fans moan ‘this is so sad’ after finding out which pair they sent scouts to watch in Serie A clash

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      MANCHESTER UNITED allegedly sent a representative to watch two Serie A stars in action at the weekend – but fans are not satisfied.The scout flew to Italy on Sunday for Napoli’s clash with Empoli.Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was being watched by a Man Utd scoutCredit: ReutersAlessandro Buongiorno is also a target for the Red DevilsCredit: GettyAntonio Conte’s side clinched a 1-0 win thanks to a penalty from Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.The 23-year-old was one of two players on United’s radar during the match, Italian outlet Tutto Mercato claims.Centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno was also being watched by the scout.However, several Man Utd fans are not excited by the prospect of potentially signing both stars – especially Kvaratskhelia.READ MORE ON MAN UTDOne person took to social media to write: “Watching the wrong players.”Another commented: “Stop this! United don’t need another LW!”A third said: “We already have Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for the LW. Go for proper RW and a ST.”While a fourth wrote: “This is so sad. You are sending representatives to watch Kvaratskhelia. Send representatives to watch Harry Kane, Messi, Ronaldo ffs the guy is in top 5 wingers in Europe just buy him.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSDespite some claims that signing Kvaratskhelia would be unnecessary, other fans believe he would strengthen the squad.One person said: “Khvicha is one of the main ingredients to turn us to a serious consistent team again.”Erik ten Hag slams reports he’s set to be sacked as ‘fairytales’ but admits Man Utd ‘have a mountain to climb’ While another suggested: “Would be a fantastic signing heir to the #7.”Man Utd have endured one of their worst starts to a Premier League season.The Red Devils currently sit 12th in the table with 11 points from eight games. More

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      Champions League LIVE SCORES: Arsenal take on Shakhtar, Real Madrid vs Dortmund, Aston Villa in action – latest updates

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      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football is BACK this week and there are some cracking clashes on offer around Europe. The action begins tonight as Premier League giants Arsenal take on Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. Jude Bellingham faces his old side as Real Madrid come up against Borussia Dortmund in a rematch from last season’s final.And Aston Villa hope to make it three wins from three as they host Serie A outfit Bologna. Stream/TV: Discovery+/TNT SportsKick-off times: 5.45pm BST/8pm BSTUnder the lightsSettle in and cue the music – the Champions League is back.This madcap new format has thrown up goals galore in the early weeks of the season.Nobody appears quite sure what is going on and why, but it’s all good fun as we head into Gameweek 3.There are 9 games on the slate tonight, including two early kick-offs from Italy and France.AC Milan welcome Club Brugge, looking to get their first point of the tournament, while Red Star Belgrade visit a Monaco team unbeaten since early August.Arsenal and Aston Villa both continue their own European adventures later on, with home ties under the lights.The Gunners face Shakhtar at the Emirates for the first time since 2010, when they put 5 past the Ukrainians.While Villa hope to continue their fairytale return to the biggest stage, hosting Bologna and targeting a third-straight win.Let’s get this show on the road.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopied More

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      ‘I knew I was in trouble,’ says Zinchenko as he reveals what he said to Pep Guardiola to get training cancelled

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      OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO has recalled the time that questioning Pep Guardiola saw Manchester City training cancelled on the spot.The Ukrainian full-back spent six years playing under Guardiola at the Etihad before making the switch to Arsenal in 2022.Oleksandr Zinchenko’s backchat saw Man City training cancelled on the spot by Pep GuardiolaCredit: GettyZinchenko, 27, had signed from Russian side Ufa and had a huge shock in trying to adapt to Guardiola’s intense tactical training sessions.The Spanish manager is known for his information-loaded sessions and his incredible management style – which has reaped six Premier League titles and one Champions League since his arrival in Manchester.But Zinchenko struggled to adapt to Guardiola’s intense methods when he first arrived and one day let the mental exhaustion get the better of him, instantly realising he “was in trouble”.Writing in his new book, Believe, Zinchenko recalled snapping back at Guardiola who had taken issue with one of his misplaced passes.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHe wrote: “Out loud I said: ‘Mister! Like, I just did one wrong pass, you know?’ And his reaction was incredible.“‘Oh, okay, sorry, sorry, Mr Zinchenko. Sorry,’ said Pep. ‘Okay, guys, thank you, everyone inside.’”And he went in, walked to the changing room. Training over, all because I talked back. I knew I was in trouble.”The punishment didn’t stop there either as Zinchenko was benched for the next game.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIn a recent interview with The Guardian, Zinchenko recalled how he wanted to apologise straight away after realising what he had done wrong.He said: “Listen, first of all, I was not right. I understood straight away, but it would have been silly if I went right to his office and apologised.Arsenal pair have to be physically forced apart at full-time of Forest clash as tempers boil over in furious row”It was game day minus one and I knew his head was totally on the game plan. But I did apologise after the game.”The pair certainly made up and Zinchenko even revealed that Guardiola called him to thank him for his help after City’s 2023 treble-winning season – despite the defender leaving the season before.Zinchenko has since settled in at Arsenal where boss Mikel Arteta adopts a similar managerial style.Guardiola and Zinchenko made up after the incidentCredit: Getty More

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      Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis spat on floor in ‘disgusting display of contempt’ – but gives outrageous excuse for it

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      NOTTINGHAM FOREST owner Evangelos Marinakis was handed his five-match stadium ban after spitting on the floor in a “disgusting display of contempt”.But he produced an outrageous excuse for his behaviour.Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was banned after spitting on the floor near the refereesCredit: PAMarinakis was charged following the 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham in September as Raul Jimenez grabbed the only goal from a controversial penalty. The FA confirmed the lengthy stadium ban last week – ensuring he would not take his seats in the stands until the home clash with Ipswich on November 30. But now the incredible written reasons for the verdicts have been released. And it is claimed Marinakis spat on the ground in the tunnel when the referees approached following the full-time whistle. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe disciplinary panel concluded: “The only reasonable inference we can draw from our rejection of EM’s explanation for the spit is that EM deliberately spat in a disrespectful and disgusting display of contempt towards the match officials. “In our view, there is no other credible explanation for his conduct.”We consider that such a ban will have a real impact on [him] and will act as a deterrent to others from behaving in a similar manner.”But Marinkas’ defence left many baffled – suggesting he had simply coughed. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIn his witness statement, the Greek businessman – who paid for the club’s multi-million-pound training ground renovation and also owns Olympiacos – claimed his cigar smoking sparked his antics. The report says: “a. He smokes two or three cigars a day. He often needs to expectorate and/or coughs. His coughs contain phlegm.FA hit Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis with STADIUM BAN after furious tunnel blast at officials”b. If he has to spit, he spits in a tissue if one is available or on the floor if he does not have one available. Sometimes when he coughs spit or phlegm can go to the floor.”c. On the day of the incident he was suffering from a hacking cough. He was taking lozenges.”d. As the officials approached he felt a cough coming and he coughed on the floor, down and to his right which was away from the path the officials were taking. He did not speak to the officials.”e. He cannot now remember if any spittle left his mouth but if it did (and he does not challenge that some might well have done) it certainly was not aimed at the referee’s feet and did not hit anybody.TV fixtures in DecemberHere are all the games that will be televised in December…Tuesday 3 December19:30 Ipswich v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Leicester v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)Wednesday 4 December19:30 Everton v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Man City v Nott’m Forest (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Newcastle v Liverpool (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Southampton v Chelsea (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Aston Villa v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)Thursday 5 December19:30 Fulham v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 AFC Bournemouth v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)Saturday 7 December12:30 Everton v Liverpool (TNT Sports)17:30 Man Utd v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)Sunday 8 December14:00 Fulham v Arsenal (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Chelsea (Sky Sports)Monday 9 December20:00 West Ham v Wolves (Sky Sports)Saturday 14 December17:30 Nott’m Forest v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)Sunday 15 December14:00 AFC Bournemouth v West Ham (Sky Sports)16:30 Man City v Man Utd (Sky Sports)19:00 Southampton v Spurs (TNT Sports)Monday 16 December20:00 Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)Saturday 21 December12:30 Aston Villa v Man City (TNT Sports)17:30 Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Sky Sports)Sunday 22 December14:00 Fulham v Southampton (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Thursday 26 December12:30 Man City v Everton (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Chelsea v Fulham (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Newcastle v Aston Villa (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Nott’m Forest v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Southampton v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)17:30 Wolves v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:00 Liverpool v Leicester (Amazon Prime Video)Friday 27 December19:30 Brighton v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Ipswich (Amazon Prime Video)Sunday 29 December14:30 Leicester v Man City (Sky Sports)17:15 West Ham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Monday 30 December20:00 Man Utd v Newcastle (Sky Sports)”f. He fails to see how coughing (where spit or phlegm can come out from any person) towards the floor in a relatively crowded tunnel is misconduct.”But the reasoning prompted various responses from fans.One said: “Gross. Wild defense. Maybe he should learn to cover his mouth when he coughs like the rest of us learned when we were three.”Another wrote: “Disgusting bloke.”Elsewhere, Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo got a three-game touchline ban following his red card at Brighton.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe vented his anger at the officials as Morgan Gibbs-White got sent off. The ex-Wolves and Spurs boss was ordered to stump up a fine of £55,000 while Gibbs-White got a one-match suspension and £20,000 fine. More

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      Jose Mourinho reveals the four reasons he loves living in a hotel as ex-Man Utd manager dubbed ‘Alan Partridge’

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      JOSE MOURINHO has many reasons why he prefers to stay in a hotel rather than find a new home when he takes over at football clubs.Which might explain why he’s checked-in to a new hotel since moving to Istanbul.Fans think that Jose Mourinho is just like Alan Partidge after learning that he has been living in hotels for yearsMourinho spent over two years living in a hotel during his time at Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyThe Special One spent the entirety of his two-and-a-half year stint as Manchester United manager living in a Salford hotel – leading to fans dubbing him “Alan Partridge”.Mourinho, 61, spent his time with the Red Devils staying in the Lowry Hotel, a five-star establishment with a high-end restaurant and a luxury spa.Naturally, you can understand why the gaffer would have enjoyed spending his time in the hotel.And he previously explained the four reasons that the fancy establishment kept him from wanting to find a more permanent residence elsewhere.READ MORE ON MAN UTDNo cooking, no ironing, no cleaning and the ability to order a latte whenever he wants were his primary benefits. He said: “I would be unhappy if I was in a house on my own. I would have to clean, I don’t want [that]. “I would have to iron, I don’t know how to. I have to cook; I would cook fried eggs and sausages [because] that’s the only thing I can do.”I lived in an amazing apartment. It was not a room. It was mine all the time. It was not like after one week I had to leave. No, it was mine.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”I left everything there; my television, my books, my computer. It was a flat with ‘bring me a coffee latte, please’, or ‘I don’t want to go down for dinner, bring my dinner up’.”If I was watching football or doing work with one of my assistants I would ask; ‘bring us food’. I had everything. If I was in an apartment alone it would be much more difficult. I was fine – more than fine.”José Mourinho describes ‘The Mourinho Effect’ he has at Fenerbahce Mourinho hasn’t stopped with his love affair with hotels either, with the Portuguese manager currently staying in a £1,000-per-night Istanbul hotel while in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahce. Mourinho declined Fenerbahce’s offer to find him and rent out the best house in Istanbul when he took over as boss in June.Instead, he opted to set up residence at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel so he can focus solely on business.The five-star former palace sits on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait and boasts stunning views from the European side over to the Asian side of the historic city, where Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium home is located.Mourinho’s hotel exploits have reminded lots of fans of TV character Alan Partridge, who famously spent the first season of “I’m Alan Partidge” staying in the Linton Travel Tavern hotel.One fan on social media joked: “I like to think Mourinho held a small party with the staff of the Lowry when United sacked him. Just like Partridge in the Linton Travel Tavern.”While another added: “Is Jose staying in a Travel Tavern?”A third teased: “I imagine Mourinho’s goodbye to the staff at The Lowry was akin to Alan Partridge leaving the Linton Travel Tavern.”And a fourth commented: “Jose Mourinho has gone full Alan Partridge”.READ MORE SUN STORIESMourinho will come face-to-face with his old team again this week when Fenerbahce take on Man Utd in the Europa League on Thursday.The Red Devils are still winless in Europe this season but will feel that an out-of-form Fenerbahce side could represent an opportunity to get their first win.Mourinho is now living at the Four Seasons HotelSuites start from a whopping £1,000 per nightCredit: Four SeasonsThe hotel has a stunning indoor poolMourinho can eat at the fancy restaurant on siteMourinho faces his old team this Thursday as Fenerbahce take on Man UtdCredit: Getty More

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      Women’s team go invincible and don’t even concede a goal all season – but don’t win the league

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      A WOMEN’s team in Sweden have enjoyed an invincible season – but aren’t walking away with the league title.Angelholms FF went through the entire campaign in Division 4 Skane Northwest without conceding a single goal. Angelholms FF didn’t concede a single goal across 18 gamesCredit: Angelholms FFThe team racked up an impressive 15 wins from a possible 18. But despite keeping 18 clean sheets, they were pipped to the title by Ljungbyheds IF. The remarkable final standings see the eventual champions winning the league by a solitary point. Angelholms were undone by three 0-0 draws, including one to Ljungbyheds.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThey were also the only team to prevent the eventual champions from finding the net all season.Free-scoring Ljungbyheds netted an eye-watering 121 goals in just 18 games on their way to first place.Proud Angelholms coach Ulf Johansson was happy to reveal the reasons behind their defensive success. Johansson said in June: “[It is achieved] through a high defensive game [and] the right attitude.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”A direct recapture and a good goalkeeper is the melody of being able to keep a clean sheet in so many games.”Reacting to the incredible run, one football fan wrote on X: “I wouldn’t think it possible but here we are. 78 goals scored, 0 conceded, and finishing 2nd with a GD 29 less than 1st.”My cousin is Man Utd FA Cup hero – now he’s helping me through my injury hell so I can shine for women’s teamAnother said: “This is actually insane. Craziest stat I’ve ever seen.”While a third added: “This is truly amazing I doubt we’ll see anything like this.”The last men’s team to go invincible in England were Arsenal during the 2003/04 season.Before that, you had to go all the way back to 1888 and Preston North End to find another English club unbeaten for an entire campaign.In the Women’s Super League, Chelsea were the last team to achieve the feat in 2019/20.READ MORE SUN STORIESAcross Europe’s elite leagues, Bayer Leverkusen in Germany was the most recent team to go invincible.The Bundesliga side won the league without losing a single game last term. More

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      European giants in freefall with ‘world’s greatest stadium’ left abandoned and owner told to go home and never return

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      THEY were in the Champions League final two seasons running just two decades ago.But now one of Europe’s biggest clubs are in freefall.Furious fans protested after defeat left the club bottom of the leagueCredit: x @sanchis14No work has been done on their new stadium since 2009Credit: GettyThe ghostly shell of a ground sits in the middle of a major European cityCredit: GettyA skip was set on fire as fans protested against the ownershipCredit: X @pacopolitThey currently sit bottom of the league on just six points and staring down the barrel at relegation.And following their latest humiliating defeat, fans blockaded the stadium in the hope of trapping the hated owners inside.Meanwhile, construction of a new ground which was meant to be the ‘world’s greatest stadium’ has ground to a complete halt with nothing done since 2009.As a result of the Nou Mestalla being left an empty shell with no plan for work to restart, it was scrapped as a World Cup 2030 host venue.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd all of this has left the club’s fans furious with owner Peter Lim, who also owns Salford City, alongside Gary Neville and a group of Man Utd legends.Valencia were Champions League finalists in 2000 and 2001, losing to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.But a 3-2 home defeat to Las Palmas on left the club staring down the barrel at relegation.They now sit rock bottom of La Liga, two points off 17th-placed Leganes.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAhead of the Las Palmas game, manager and club legend Ruben Baraja commented that the club would not be able to aim any higher than simply avoiding the drop this season.He said: “When we talked about our objectives, what we wanted was to stop the suffering, to improve in that sense. Huge title-deciding match suspended with stadium evacuated and second half played the following day with no fans“But the league campaign has brought us to this scenario. It is what it is.”Footage from the streets in Valencia showed a skip set on fire as the police attempted to disperse the post-match protest.Valencia now sit bottom of La LigaCredit: GettyThey were beaten 3-2 at home by Las PalmasCredit: GettyThe club hold long term plans to move away from their current stadiumCredit: Getty More

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      Hansi Flick has dived into Catalan culture to take Barcelona back to good old days but faces toughest week of his reign

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      HANSI FLICK’S start to life at Barcelona has been better than anyone could have expected.After another summer of financial acrobatics within the walls of the club in Catalonia, a pre-season with most of the star names absent and some key injuries it was hardly a settled start.Hansi Flick has dived into Catalan culture to take Barcelona back to the topCredit: GettyBarcelona boss Flick is facing two major clashes against Bayern Munich and Real MadridBut the German’s eagerness to embrace the culture of the club and its surrounding areas has seen the Spanish giants flourish.They are top of LaLiga, three points clear of Real Madrid, and have won all but one of their ten league games so far.But Flick’s flying start is about to face its litmus test. They host his former club Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday before visiting Real on Saturday evening.Weeks do not come much more taxing than that.Read More on FootballFlick returns to Bayern finally feeling at the top of his game once more following the brutal and bruising experience of becoming the first manager to ever be sacked in the history of the German national team.He took his time in choosing a next step, there were trips to watch Premier League games and a brief flirtation with the West Ham job in the summer. Things have worked out rather better, for both him and Barcelona.After the chaos of last season’s dance around the future of club legend Xavi, in Flick the club now have a manager in whom everyone appears completely invested.From players benefiting from a clear plan and strict fitness regime to a board blown away by his investment in the culture.Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSFlick has dived head first into Barcelona and Catalonia, touring the area in the early weeks, attending an event on National Day of Catalonia and, first and foremost, embracing La Masia.Ten graduates from the club’s famed academy were involved in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Sevilla, with seven of them starting.Andres Iniesta breaks down in tears as Barcelona legend confirms retirement after one of finest careers everClub president, Joan Laporta, said: “Flick understood perfectly what our value is, our jewel: La Masia.”He travelled to meet Xavi at his home and involved former midfielder Thiago Alcantara in his staff for a short period early on.Flick even earned the seal of approval from Pep Guardiola during a pre-season game against Manchester City, drawn 2-2.Guardiola said: “They have done a lot of things well. The positional play of his team is extraordinary, I wish them all the best.”Lamine Yamal, now at the grand old age of 17 following his Euro 2024 heroics, continues to shine while Ansu Fati, following a dispiriting season on loan with Brighton, is back in the picture.Pedri is thriving and Gavi has now returned from his long injury lay-off.Improving Robert LewandowskiBut it is not just the youngsters Flick is getting the best out of. Robert Lewandowski, with whom Flick won the treble at Bayern in 2020, is playing a more advanced role and reaping the rewards once again.The Pole, 36, is LaLiga’s top scorer with 12 already – double that of Kylian Mbappe, Real’s marquee arrival.Having not had a number of his senior players during the summer, Flick had to work hard to blend what was a positive pre-season with the more senior players as they returned.It was another challenge which meant he did not foresee such a fine start.He said: “I always think positive but at the end it’s a project we started with the players from La Masia, because a lot of players were with the national teams at the Euros, it feels really good.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Because also the young players are doing great.”The players came back, it was the same and I think this is an important thing… That you have a good feeling and, step by step, the players get the confidence to play how we want to play, to do it on the pitch and at the end we have the quality.” More