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      FA launch brand new tournament with former England stars fronting star-studded line-up

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      THE FA have launched a brand new tournament with several former England stars fronting a star-studded line-up.All eyes will be on Wembley next month when Manchester City and Crystal Palace battle it out for the FA Cup.Jermain Defoe is one of several ex-England stars heading up a new tournamentCredit: AlamyBen Foster will also be involved in the FA’s new five-aside-tournamentCredit: PABut ahead of the crunch final, the FA and tournament sponsors Emirates have launched a brand new five-a-side football tournament.Featuring four teams, the competition will take place at St George’s Park — the base of the FA and England’s football teams.The teams will be made up of non-league stars, influencers and local community heroes.But there are a slew of former aces involved, with each heading up a side.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFifty-seven cap England striker and Tottenham icon Jermain Defoe will front one side.While another will be led by eight-time England goalie Ben Foster.Chelsea title winner Shaun Wright-Phillips will take charge of the third team.While Newcastle hero Shola Ameobi is the fourth name getting involved.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSEach side will represent an Emirates Flight Hub.These include London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle.Roy Keane delivers verdict on Thomas Tuchel after two games with England and claims he’s been handed ‘easy start’Shaun Wright-Phillips will lead one of the sidesCredit: AlamyEx-Newcastle ace Shola Ameobi is also involvedCredit: GettyEach one is also linked with a destination such as Indonesia, Dubai, Thailand and Cambodia.And the tournament’s top scorer and best player could end up being gifted a flight to their team’s corresponding country as a reward.A date for the competition is yet to be confirmed, but it will be streamed live on YouTube. More

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      Carlo Ancelotti agrees next job as Real Madrid set to ‘part ways nicely’ with former Chelsea boss

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      CARLO ANCELOTTI has already lined up a new job as he prepares to exit Real Madrid.The former Chelsea boss, 65, looks all set to leave the Bernabeu at the end of the season. Carlo Ancelotti has already made plans for his next job after Real MadridCredit: RexThe Italian is reportedly set to join up with Brazil for the World CupCredit: GettyAncelotti is said to have already told senior figures in the dressing room of his decision to depart. The 65-year-old won the Champions League last season but saw his side crash out to Arsenal earlier this month. And now he is preparing to go into international management for the first time.Ancelotti has reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Brazil to become head coach for the 2026 World Cup.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLTransfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims the deal will be “valid from June, NOT after the Club World Cup”.It leads the way for Madrid and Ancelotti to “part ways nicely” after four years. Brazil is the most successful nation ever to play in the World Cup.But they have been knocked out in the quarter-final stage in four of the last five tournaments.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKAnd they haven’t won the trophy since 2002. Ancelotti currently has a contract at the Bernabeu running until the summer of 2026.Carlo Ancelotti shows his disappointment as Real Madrid crashes out of Champions League to Arsenal Real chief Florentino Perez will likely have to appoint an interim boss for this summer’s revamped Club World Cup in the USA.Director of Football Santi Solari is said to be best placed for the role.But other reports suggest Madrid could approach number one target Xabi Alonso before the tournament begins. Ancelotti has enjoyed two spells in the Spanish capital, originally taking charge in 2013.Over the course of his illustrious career, he’s won five Champions League trophies.At the Bernabeu, he has lifted three LaLiga titles and two Copa del Reys, along with Big Ears three times.La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed earlier this month AC Milan had contacted the Italian over a return to the San Siro.Read More on The SunAncelotti won the Serie A and Champions League titles twice with the Rossoneri as manager between 2001 and 2009.While AS Roma were also interested in Ancelotti to replace Premier League title winner Claudio Ranieri. More

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      ‘It won’t save anything’ – Bruno Fernandes gives brutal assessment of Man Utd’s Europa League chances

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      BRUNO FERNANDES believes winning the Europa League will not save Manchester United’s dismal season.Ruben Amorim’s men are 14th in the Prem with four matches to play after scrambling a late point at Bournemouth on Sunday.Bruno Fernandes has had his say on potential Europa League gloryCredit: GettyYet they still have the chance to put a positive spin on the campaign by lifting a European trophy and claiming a place in next season’s Champions League.But ahead of their semi-final first-leg trip to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, skipper Fernandes says it will not overshadow the bigger picture.The Portuguese playmaker said: “I wouldn’t say it’s a reward, I think it will just be successful in terms of the Europa League.”It’s very important to do that, to get the silverware this season. But it won’t save anything.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBilbao are fourth in LaLiga and have an added incentive to reach the final — as it will be held in their city next month.Fernandes said: “They have the final at home if they beat us, so it will be really tough. You have to be prepared.”Man Utd salvaged a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Sunday.The Red Devils fell behind on the South Coast via Antoine Semenyo’s 23rd minute effort.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSRasmus Hojlund bagged a late equaliser at BournemouthCredit: GettyEvanilson was sent off 20 minutes from time, allowing United back into the contest.Goal-shy Rasmus Hojlund netted a rare strike on 96 minute to deliver a blow to Bournemouth’s own European hopes.Ruben Amorim warns Rasmus Hojlund ‘he has to score many more’ goals after dramatic last gasp Man Utd equaliser More

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      Arsenal identify PSG ‘weakness’ who has been constant scourge to England and Premier League sides in Europe

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      ITALIAN star Gianluigi Donnarumma is seen as one of the best keepers in the world — but Arsenal will target him.The Paris Saint-Germain No 1, 26, broke England’s hearts at Euro 2020.Gianluigi Donnarumma was in poor form in PSG’s loss to Arsenal in the group stagesCredit: GettyHe helped dump Liverpool out of the last 16 of this year’s Champions League and then frustrated Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.Donnarumma has now played over 400 senior games but there is concern over his inability to deal with corners and crosses.He can also be suspect with the ball at his feet.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is certain to tell his players to fire crosses into the box and they will look to make the most of their set-pieces.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDonnarumma’s shortcomings were exposed in the 2-0 loss at Arsenal in the group stages in October.The Gunners’ first goal saw a hesitant Donnarumma beaten as Kai Havertz anticipated a cross from Leandro Trossard and nodded in.Donnarumma was beaten again when Bukayo Saka’s low free-kick from the right went straight under him.The Italian’s view of the ball may have been obscured, but there seemed to be no talking between Donnarumma and his defenders.Most read in Champions LeagueCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSLast season in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona, Donnarumma failed to come for a corner and Andreas Christensen  headed a winner.Despite his imposing stature — he is 6ft 5in — he stood rooted to his line and seemed unsure how to judge the ball’s flight.Mikel Arteta targets Champions League glory after Arsenal knock out Real Madrid Earlier in that match, Donnarumma struggled with Lamine Yamal’s cross and Raphinha put Barca ahead.Donnarumma’s hesitancy repeated itself in the semi-final return leg against Dortmund when Mats Hummels rose unchallenged to head in Julian Brandt’s corner from the left.The ex-Milan hero also made blunders trying to pass the ball out from defence in some Ligue 1 games in the last two terms.In the Nations League in March he was too busy arguing with his Italy team-mates to notice that Germany’s Joshua Kimmich had taken a corner and Jamal Musiala was ready to tap into an empty net.By the time Donnarumma had realised what was happening, Germany had scored.He was also blamed for PSG’s defeat by Liverpool in the first leg of the last-16 tie, allowing Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute effort to slip in.Equally, the keeper made amends by saving from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones in the shootout at Anfield.Yet Donnarumma’s greatest moment came at Wembley four years ago when he saved penalties from England’s Jadon Sancho and Saka in the shootout for Italy to be crowned kings of Europe.Earlier this month, a L’Equipe headline read: ‘God save Donnarumma’ in reference to him stopping Aston Villa reaching the Champions League semi-finals.Read More on The SunAfter Friday’s 3-1 defeat to Nice saw PSG lose their unbeaten league record, the same newspaper gave him a mark of 3/10.Donnarumma did not come for high balls on two of the goals and Arsenal will hope for more of the same on Tuesday night.Luis Enrique’s side lost their unbeaten Ligue 1 record last weekCredit: GettyMikel Arteta will be hoping to exploit PSG’s weaknessesCredit: RexBukayo Saka and Co will target Gianluigi DonnarummaCredit: Getty More

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      Man City star Ederson ‘has concrete chances’ to LEAVE Etihad just a year after lucrative transfer collapsed

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      MANCHESTER CITY star Ederson reportedly has “concrete chances” to leave this summer — just a year after seeing a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia collapse.Ederson, 31, came close to leaving City after winning his sixth Premier League title in 2024 following concrete interest from the Middle East.Ederson has ‘concrete chances’ to leave Man City this summerCredit: GettyHe was offered £900,000-a-week to quit the Etihad and refused to play down links before remaining in the north west.But Fabrizio Romano claims Saudi clubs have reignited their interest in the Brazil international.And Ederson could now finally leave City for new riches, with Pep Guardiola ready to part ways.The 2023 Treble winner has made just 22 Premier League appearances this term — his lowest-ever figure.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLEderson has missed City’s last three matches, including Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, after limping off against Crystal Palace with a mystery injury 16 days ago.His City contract, worth £180k-a-week, runs until 2026.But with No2 Stefan Ortega proving his worth on multiple occasions, Ederson could become the latest big name to leave City.Kyle Walker packed his bags for AC Milan in January.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSWhile legend Kevin De Bruyne will depart on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.There are also questions marks over the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones and Nathan Ake.Ederson’s wife stuns in see-through dress as she steals show at Fifa The Best awards to cheer on Man City starCity have already embarked on a squad rebuild, spending £180m on stars including Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez in January.The likes of Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee have also enjoyed decent minutes.And after boss Guardiola ended talk over his future by penning a deal until 2027, a new phase of City’s history is well underway. More

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      Chelsea given green light to stage home games at Twickenham while they redevelop Stamford Bridge

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      RFU boss Bill Sweeney wants to stage Chelsea games at Twickenham whilst the Premier League outfit redevelop Stamford Bridge.Sweeney is desperate to maximise revenue from the 82,000 capacity home of English rugby and would be open to the Blues moving in temporarily.Todd Boehly wants to redevelop Stamford BridgeCredit: GettyThe Blues could temporarily play home matches at TwickenhamCredit: GettyCole Palmer and Co could move to a temporary homeCredit: GettyChelsea want to upgrade the Bridge to take 60,000 instead of the current 42,000 but would need a temporary home when the builders move in.Spurs played at Wembley from 2017 to 2019 while they built the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and hosting Chelsea for a couple of seasons would give the RFU a massive cash windfall.Sweeney insists the ground is licensed to play Premier League but fears local council Richmond could kibosh the move.Sweeney said: “It would be a big financial number. The licence would allow it to happen and there have been conversations previously about possible Premier League clubs coming here.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“Richmond council is more concerned in terms of impact on local residents, numbers of fans and so on they’re a little bit more sensitive.”It may depend on which club it is. I know they would definitely have a conversation about that though.”Sweeney recently threatened to move England’s base from Twickenham to the Midlands , with Milton Keynes an option, because of a row over Beyonce concerts.Twickenham could not offer the American superstar the six gigs she is playing at Spurs this summer because of restrictions on the number of non-sports events it can hold.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSCurrently they are limited to three per year but Sweeney is confident that will be raised, boosting the RFU coffers, and they will stay put.He added: “We’re making really progress with Richmond. The conversations with them have been positive, it’s a cooperative process.Todd Boehly gives major Chelsea stadium update and vows to leave Stamford Bridge“They see the value that we bring to the area and they understand why we need to have more non-rugby events when you compare it to Tottenham, to Wembley, the O2, they can see why we need those non-rugby events to make the thing viable.“We’ve just completed the survey of local residents and we had the split between five minutes from the stadium and 15 minutes from the stadium.”I think the figure was, and it was much bigger than we were expecting, 75 per cent support in terms of do you support the stadium hosting more or a lot of non-rugby events.”I’m confident it’s going in the right direction.”Shifting England away from Twickenham would have been a bombshell move and plans are in place for it to have a £600m facelift.“We’ve always said our preference was to remain here,” Sweeney said.Read More on The Sun”Not just for cultural reasons and the history.”Hospitality and ticketing are 50 per cent of our revenue and from a geographical point of view this is a really important part of the country to be in.”Bill Sweeney has discussed Twickenham’s futureCredit: PATottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts several non-football events yearCredit: PA More

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      Jamie Vardy ‘plotting shock Premier League transfer’ as ex-England star, 38, confirms Leicester exit

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      JAMIE VARDY believes that he can still play in the Premier League and does not want to drop down to the Championship. Vardy, 38, confirmed that he would be leaving Leicester City after 13 years, with the Foxes relegated from the top flight with a whimper. Vardy will blow the whistle on his 13-year stay at LeicesterCredit: GettyVardy was powerless to stop the Foxes falling to another defeat at WolvesCredit: AlamyThe striker brandished the campaign a “s***show” before announcing he was leaving in an emotional farewell message. The Foxes’ fate was sealed when they failed to beat champions Liverpool at home. His spell at the King Power Stadium included winning the Premier League title in 2015-16, to go along with his Player of the Season and place in the PFA Team of the Year. He won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019-20 on 23 goals, one ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Read more FootballVardy has scored seven goals in 32 games this term for Leicester. He had previously been tipped to make “the most obvious transfer of all time” to Wrexham. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSHowever, Sky Sports reported that Vardy does not want to drop down to the second tier, instead fancying himself to keep doing the business in the top flight.He had previously been linked with a move to Major League Soccer, while former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp believes that should Vardy join Wrexham, owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the striker could fire the Welsh side into the Premier League. Most read in FootballWrexham were promoted to the Championship last weekend after they beat Charlton Athletic 3-0 at the Racecourse Ground. Jamie Vardy reveals best XI he’s played with at Leicester with huge snub to England stars and entire current squadHe has also been touted for a fairytale return to his boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday. Vardy, who won 26 caps for England, scoring seven times, is reported to begin his hunt for a new club after the end of the league season.  More

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      I tried Harry Kane’s knobbly sticks as England star takes on Gary Lineker with his own snack brand – here’s my verdict

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      SHOULD you put Harry Kane’s knobbly stick in your mouth?SunSport’s Dan King, who knows even more about savoury treats than football, put Kane’s late surge into the crisp market to the taste test.The Kane-backed sorghum and corn snacks, which also contain the probiotic Bacillus Coagulans, are special editions of the brand Insane Grain.SunSport’s Dan King tried Harry Kane’s snack brandKane is looking to surpass fellow England legend Gary Lineker off the pitchKane has already surpassed Lineker on England goals, now he’s targeting his crisp empireAnd although the England captain has surpassed Gary Lineker’s goal tally for the Three Lions, he won’t be beating the crisp-munching Match of the Day presenter in the supermarket aisles.If you’re looking for a taste experience as potent as Kane is in front of goal, you will be disappointed.But the Bayern Munich striker’s line of “healthy” snacks, is perfectly pleasant and won’t scare the kids, much like the man himself.Read More on FootballA PITCH OF SALTThe pale yellow colour is neither enticing nor repellent, and the same can be said of the flavour. It does what it says on the packet: a little bit of salt, not too much (although the nutritional information shows this is the most salty of the three varieties). It’s fine. I would probably want to dunk it in a dip of some kind, but that would defeat the object of choosing something that is allegedly good for you – or at least less bad than other snacks.Rating: 4/10Kane has released three flavours, starting with A Pitch of SaltSALT & VINEGOAALAnother pun that even Lineker might turn down, but my favourite of the lot. You have to be prepared to overlook their appearance. They are horribly beige, but without the promise of the pure filth that comes with a similarly-coloured pork scratching. Most read in FootballI know my salt’n’vinegar. Although this doesn’t deliver the punch of the king of all versions – McCoys, ridged for your pleasure – there is a decent tang of malt vinegar.Rating: 7/10Kane also released Salt & VinegoaalCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSSTRIKIN’ HOTLet’s be honest here: baked knobbly sticks are basically Nik Naks by another name. So you are immediately putting them up against the supreme NN variety, Nice ’N’ Spicy. And much like Kane’s old club Tottenham, these really are a distant second best. Again, the flavour is fine, but there’s just not enough of it. If you tell me something is going to be hot, I want to really feel that heat. A bit of spice lingers in the after-taste, but not enough to excite me.Rating 5/10And finally, Kane has put together Strikin’ HotHarry Kane leaves fans stunned by his German and fans are convinced it is a major hint over transfer future OVERALL VERDICTIf you’re a parent looking for something to keep your kids quiet, without stuffing them full of salt and fat, then this could work (as long as you watch the portion size). Children often don’t like strong flavours anyway and the football link might persuade them to overlook any disappointment in that aspect.But if you’re planning a Bank Holiday weekend spread in the sunshine, there are tastier and cheaper ways to hit the back of the net.Despite what Kane says on the back of the packets, they are not “insanely delicious”. Paying £2 per bag? I won’t be Bayern them again. More