Soccer

PAUL POGBA has insisted he is “not a cheater” after the former Manchester United star broke his silence on his doping ban.Pogba had his FOUR-YEAR suspension reduced to 18-months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier this month after an appeal.Paul Pogba opened up on his ban for dopingCredit: Sky SportsPogba had a four-year ban for using banned substance DHEA reduced to 18-months earlier this monthCredit: GettyThe France international opened up on his experiences in an interview with Sky Sports News.Pogba insisted that he isn’t a cheater as he sat down to explain what happened with his ban.He said: “I accept responsibility of taking the supplement but I didn’t triple check it – even if it came from a professional.”If I have to be punished, then I’m fine with it. But it should never have been four years. I will accept 12 months.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAsked to reassure his fans that he has always played clean and not taken performance enhancing drugs, Pogba replied: “When you see me, you know me. People know me.”So even when everything happened people said: ‘we know Paul, he would never take that. If he did, he wouldn’t have known and it won’t have been on purpose’.”And this it totally the truth. I’m an honest person, I would say it.”He added: “I am not a cheater, I am someone that loves my sport. I love the game and I would never, ever. I like to win fairly and people know that.Most read in FootballThe former Man Utd star has insisted he is not a cheaterCredit: Times Newspapers LtdFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”You see me. I’m a bad loser, but I am not a cheater – that’s for sure.”Pogba was slapped with a four-year ban in February after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA.Paul Pogba ban reducedBut CAS’ decision to reduce his ban to 18-months means he will now be able to return to training with Juventus in January and will be eligible to play from March onwards.Pogba opened up on his plans for when he returns to football, pressing that his main goal is to get back on the pitch – wherever that may be.He said: “I would just love to be [back] on the pitch, on any pitch.”First it’s for sure Juventus and I want to start training with my teammates.”It’s tough to be alone doing passes for yourself on the wall. My main focus right now is to get back training, get fit, be on the pitch and be doing what I love.”But the 31-year-old is convinced that he can still play at the highest level when he makes his return, with hopes to return to the French national team.He added: “That’s what I hope [to play for France]. It’s in my mind for sure but I have to be ready for that.”There’s players there that deserve to be playing and deserve to be in the national team.”I have to win my place back in the team again.”In a separate interview with ESPN, Pogba explained that a return to Juventus is his main goal – admitting he’s even willing to take a salary-cut to make it happen.He said: “I’m ready to cut and to reduce my salary to stay at Juve.”I will talk with Thiago Motta. I want to demonstrate to be a great player again.”Pogba has not played since appearing off the bench against Empoli back in September 2023.He made just two appearances for the Old Lady before his ban came into effect.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe initial suspension had seen him banned from playing until late 2027, by which time he would be 34-years-old.But his new reduced punishment could allow him another shot at playing top level football once more.What is DHEA?PAUL POGBA tested positive for elevated levels of DHEA, a hormone that naturally occurs in the adrenal gland, in August 2023.DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, can be used to naturally boost testosterone production. It does not produce testosterone itself.It is on the world anti-doping banned substances list and carries a maximum of four years if the athlete took it deliberately to enhance their performance.DHEA can legally be sold over-the-counter in the US as a dietary product, known as prasterone.It is also taken as an anti-ageing therapy, and to treat depression and the symptoms of menopause, although there is little evidence to suggest it is effective, and it can cause serious side effects.In 2022, UFC fighter Bobby Green received a six-month ban after testing positive for a DHEA.Green said he had not realised that DHEA was banned after seeing a video on YouTube, and took the supplement after his wife bought it from a supermarket. More

LAURA WOODS is buzzing with England’s appointment of Thomas Tuchel.The former Chelsea boss has been named Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor on an 18-month contract.Laura Woods is ‘buzzing’ with Thomas Tuchel’s appointmentCredit: RexShe labelled Tuchel a ‘winner’ and praised his charmCredit: GettyHe will take charge from January and will oversee England’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign and then the finals if the Three Lions qualify.Woods is delighted by Tuchel’s appointment as she believes he is a winner who will bring passion and charm to the role.She told BetMGM: “I am absolutely buzzing that Tuchel has taken the England job; he is a winner through and through.”I was a massive fan of his when he was at Chelsea and really liked him at Bayern Munich despite it being a bit rocky for him there.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”He gets the fans onside and he works the media pretty well too. In the past when I’ve interviewed him I’ve always thought he was quite charming. He brings a bit of humour to stale environments. He is exciting, slightly unpredictable and eccentric.”I really enjoy big characters as managers and I think he’ll garner respect from that group immediately. “More importantly he knows those players, a few of them personally, and he knows English football. He has international respect. It’s a great appointment.”Tuchel’s arrival has not been universally accepted however with some criticising the appointment of a German – the first to manage England.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSInside FA’s thrilling chase for TuchelTHE FA’s path to securing Thomas Tuchel’s signature was not a straightforward one.They tried to lure Pep Guardiola from Manchester City over the summer.They even made contact with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after deciding to target trophy-laden foreign gaffers.The FA’s determination to go international was summed up by their decision NOT to interview Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.Initial talks with Tuchel saw him express a slight interest in replacing Gareth Southgate.But he was waiting to see what would happen at Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag’s future under the spotlight.Man Utd owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe eventually decided to stick with Ten Hag – and that opened the door to the FA getting their man.Read the full story on England’s thrilling pursuit of Thomas Tuchel.He was asked about becoming the third foreign boss to be hired England manager after Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello.Tuchel said: “I am sorry I have a German passport!Inside Adam Collard and Laura Woods’ romantic engagement as Love Island star gets down on one knee at five star hotel in Cornwall”But I can tell the supporters I have felt my passion for the Premier League and my passion for the country and how I love to live here and work here.”Hopefully I can convince them and show them and prove to them I am proud to be the English manager.”ANDY DILLON: Thomas Tuchel has all the ingredients to become a classic England manager – tactical nous, drive and a tangled love lifeBy Andy DillonTHOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience – a tangled love life.English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.Read more on why Tuchel REALLY IS the best man for the England job More

ANTHONY BARRY once studied every throw-in taken in the 2018-19 Prem season for his Pro-Licence dissertation.That is a staggering total of 16,380… so no wonder it took him 60 HOURS!Thomas Tuchel will be joined in the Wembley dugout by assistant manager Anthony BarryCredit: GettyBut it shows his incredible depth of analysis that helped propel him from lower-league journeyman to Thomas Tuchel’s No 2 with England.Barry’s study – titled The Undervalued Set-Piece – was part of the 2020 course that also included Prem legends Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick and Kolo Toure.The Liverpudlian was the youngest participant in the group at just 33 but he left his mark on the household names.So much so that Lampard took Barry, now 38, from Wigan to Chelsea as one of his backroom team in 2020.READ MORE ON ENGLANDBarry was then inherited by Tuchel when he replaced Lampard in January 2021.Tuchel is clearly a huge fan, taking him to Bayern Munich last year – when they paid Chelsea £1million in compensation.Now they have made it the hat-trick with England, who were today proclaiming his appointment as the Englishman at the right hand of the German Tuchel.Barry hails Tuchel as a ‘genius’ and in interviews has referenced how his mentor focuses on behaviour as much as patterns of play and use of space.Most read in FootballBarry worked with Tuchel at ChelseaCredit: AlamyThe German took the coach to Bayern Munich with himCredit: AlamyFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSLast season was not their finest with Bayern failing to win the Bundesliga but now they are back.This is Tuchel’s first job in international football but not Barry’s – he has also worked for both Belgium and Portugal under Roberto Martinez.Reporter apologises to Thomas Tuchel for ‘flippant’ comment in first England press conference The Spaniard spent much of his playing career in the English lower leagues and perhaps that is where his admiration of Barry stems from.His CV certainly screams ‘journeyman’. After being released by Everton as a teenager and then failing to make the grade at Coventry, midfielder Barry had stints at Accrington Stanley, Yeovil, Chester, Wrexham, Fleetwood and Forest Green Rovers.Barry can at least claim to have played in a major Wembley match – Yeovil’s 2-0 defeat by Blackpool in the 2007 League One play-off final.He began his senior career at Stanley and played a big part in the climb out of the Conference and back into the Football League in 2006.Barry later returned at Accrington for another stint and left his mark on owner Andy Holt.He told SunSport: “It’s fantastic to think that one of our old players is going to be helping England’s bid for the 2026 World Cup.“True enough, the new head coach is German but his assistant cut his teeth as a player up here in Lancashire, English through and through.“It would be wonderful to think that Barry could help the Three Lions to glory.“Everything I knew about him when he was with us, and everything I’ve learned about him since as a coach says he really deserves to have this opportunity.Anthony Barry previously worked with the Portuguese national teamCredit: GettyHe also had a spell as coach for the Belgian national sideCredit: SportsfileANDY DILLON: Thomas Tuchel has all the ingredients to become a classic England manager – tactical nous, drive and a tangled love lifeBy Andy DillonTHOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience – a tangled love life.English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.Read more on why Tuchel REALLY IS the best man for the England job“Anthony came back to us from his travels on loan at first in 2015 just as I was talking over and he was a big influence.“He was always a deep thinker about the game but he was always a hard worker too.“Anthony’s come from the wrong side of the tracks, if you like, but having to graft the way all players did back in our Conference days or when we got back into League Two has stood him in good stead.“Some people are complaining that the FA haven’t brought in an Englishman. But here we are, little old Stanley, having helped Anthony to reach these heights.“This proves that the English pyramid does work and it’s a fantastic compliment to us that Anthony started out here.“I followed his career as a coach, especially, and nobody I speak to tells me that he hasn’t deserved what he’s achieved so far.“It’s brilliant that someone who helped Stanley to history when we came back up into the Football League might now help England to new history and another World Cup triumph.READ MORE SUN STORIES“It’s a really proud day for us up here, thinking of someone who started out in our little corner of England and has risen so far.“For those who don’t know I can tell them this – there isn’t a harder worker or a more committed, intelligent coach than our Anthony.”Accrington Stanley owner Andy Holt has gushed about BarryCredit: RexEngland’s new assistant is used to handing out instructions to Three Lions captain Harry KaneCredit: Getty More

BAYERN MUNICH reportedly made a desperate attempt to convince Thomas Tuchel to stay in Bavaria last season.Tuchel was today announced as the new England manager but things could have been very different had Bayern got their way in the summer.Thomas Tuchel has been announced as the new England managerCredit: GettyBayern Munich reportedly tried to unsack Tuchel last season after struggling to find the right replacementCredit: GettyTuchel was sacked by Bayern last term after steering the club to their first trophyless campaign in 12 years.But after informing Tuchel that he would need to clear his desk at the end of the season, the German superclub were left scrambling to find the right replacement.Tuchel had come to a “mutual agreement” with the club in February – three months before the end of the season – to leave in the summer.But those three months didn’t quite go as expected for the execs at Bayern, who were being rejected left, right and centre by potential replacements.READ MORE ON ENGLANDWhile Tuchel seemed to turn things around on the pitch, pushing the Bavarians into a Champions League semi-final – which they narrowly lost 4-3 to eventual winners Real Madrid.Reports from multiple outlets, including Bild and Sky Sports, were claiming that the lack of a suitable replacement and a turnaround in form left execs at Bayern scrambling to effectively UNSACK Tuchel.It was said that sporting directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund began negotiations with Tuchel to try and reverse their joint decision.ESPN claimed at the time that Tuchel would have needed convincing that he wasn’t going to be used as a stop-gap for a future replacement and was keen to sign an extension on his deal to return to the dugout.Most read in FootballANDY DILLON: Thomas Tuchel has all the ingredients to become a classic England manager – tactical nous, drive and a tangled love lifeBy Andy DillonTHOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience – a tangled love life.English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.Read more on why Tuchel REALLY IS the best man for the England jobFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThose demands clearly couldn’t be agreed and ultimately Tuchel wasn’t convinced to remain at the Allianz.It wasn’t just staff who were pining for Tuchel to stay put though, groups of fans even signed petitions to try and keep their man in pace.Watch smiling Thomas Tuchel ‘drop huge hint’ over England job in interview NINE MONTHS ago while still Bayern boss Ultimately, the 51-year-old walked and it was relegated Burnley boss Vincent Kompany who was snapped up by the Bundesliga side to become the new manager.Among the names who reportedly turned their nose up at taking the Bayern job was Ralf Rangnick, Julian Nagelsmann, Unai Emery, Oliver Glasner and Julen Lopetegui.Reports also emerged that Bayern Munich players were pushing for Tuchel to stay on at the club, with Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer both speaking in his favour.While England captain Harry Kane was also said to be one of the stars who would have welcomed him staying, alongside Eric Dier.Now Kane will get to play under Tuchel with three lions on his chest instead, labelling the manager as a “fantastic coach and fantastic person” earlier in the week.Kane actually had his best ever goalscoring season under Tuchel, netting an astonishing 44 times in 45 games last term and winning the Bundesliga Golden Boot.In fact, Kane boasts his best ever minutes-per-goal ratio under Tuchel compared to any of his other managers – netting once every 89 minutes under his former boss.The sliding doors moment appears to have worked in England’s favour with Tuchel now primed and ready to lead the nation into the 2026 World Cup.Speaking in his announcement press conference, he brushed off the pressure from the fans.He said: “This is always the last thing I think about because I’m up for the pressure on the sporting side. “I’m up for the big challenge, I’m up for the task. I’m up for these 18 months to work with the group and be part of this amazing federation. These are all the reasons to jump in.READ MORE SUN STORIES”The pressure that could arise if things don’t go so well is never part of the decision making and I don’t feel it so much. “It’s always a privilege and my love and passion for the game is always more than the downside of it.”Harry Kane was said to be one of the Bayern players pushing for Tuchel to stayCredit: GettyKane had an exceptional record under Tuchel at Bayern Munich last seasonInside FA’s thrilling chase for TuchelTHE FA’s path to securing Thomas Tuchel’s signature was not a straightforward one.They tried to lure Pep Guardiola from Manchester City over the summer.They even made contact with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after deciding to target trophy-laden foreign gaffers.The FA’s determination to go international was summed up by their decision NOT to interview Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.Initial talks with Tuchel saw him express a slight interest in replacing Gareth Southgate.But he was waiting to see what would happen at Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag’s future under the spotlight.Man Utd owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe eventually decided to stick with Ten Hag – and that opened the door to the FA getting their man.Read the full story on England’s thrilling pursuit of Thomas Tuchel. More