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      Wales fans rage at VAR as Latvia ace avoids red for ‘disgusting’ lunge as Aaron Ramsey helps clinch crunch Euro 2024 win

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      WALES fans were left raging after Janis Ikaunieks escaped a “definite red” after a disgusting challenge on Jordan James – even after a VAR check.The Welsh secured a 2-0 win in Latvia in their crunch Euro 2024 qualifier thanks to Aaron Ramsey’s first half penalty and a late David Brooks strike.
      Aaron Ramsey helped fire Wales to a crucial win in LatviaCredit: AP
      Welsh players were fuming over a challenge on Jordan JamesCredit: Reuters
      The referee deemed it only worthy of a yellow card despite a VAR checkCredit: AP
      The main talking point came midway through the second period when the 19-year-old Birmingham City midfielder knocked the ball past his Latvian rival just inside his own half.
      But despite him having no chance of winning possession, Ikaunieks nastily lunged for the ball but instead kicked the Welsh ace directly on the kneecap, leaving him writhing in agony.
      The Wales team were fuming and instantly protested with the referee as he only gave the Latvian a yellow card.
      VAR then ordered the official to check out the pitchside monitor for a possible red card for the cynical hack.
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      However, Ikaunieks ended up unbelievably staying on the field after the referee decided that his original decision would stand – leaving fans and pundits alike in disbelief.
      “One of the most blatant red cards you will ever see,” tweeted one.
      Another asked: “How has the ref not given a red for that?”
      A fellow supported said: “Player gets booted in the knee well after the ball has gone, no red card after looking at the replay for an age. Disgraceful refereeing.”
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      Ex-Wales striker Ian Walsh told BBC Radio Wales: “That is an absolute joke.
      “You talk about standards, and all the intricate rules in football now that you can and you can’t do.
      “Something as obvious as that and you’re not off the pitch. That is a disgrace.”
      And fellow former Welsh frontman Nathan Blake agreed, telling BBC Radio Wales: “I can’t believe it. That is a disgraceful decision.”
      Meanwhile, Ramsey completed a century of career goals to keep Wales’ slim hopes of reaching Euro 2024 alive.
      But the big question is will Rob Page still be in charge when their bid to reach Germany resumes next month?
      Talk of the building pressure following the disastrous back to back defeats in June dominated the build up to this game.
      And a narrow win over the group minnows – thanks to the captain’s first half spot-kick and an injury time second from sub Brooks – may not be enough to save him.
      Croatia’s win in Armenia earlier in the day coupled with three points in Riga means Wales are still fighting – although they have little margin for error in the autumn.
      This was a game they simply had to win – and after just one victory in their last 13 games nothing could be taken for granted.
      Yet they could have been ahead inside the first couple of minutes as Spurs new boy Brennan Johnson was sent clear by Ethan Ampadu but blasted his effort over the angle.
      Ampadu himself nodded a chance over while Ben Davies saw a header tipped over by Roberts Ozols in the Latvia goal.
      The result might still not be enough to save Rob Page’s jobCredit: EPA
      The Dragons were looking confident and they got the goal they deserved when Kaspars Dubra needlessly barged over Harry Wilson.
      It was a clear penalty and skipper Ramsey was cool from the spot as he sent Ozols the wrong way for his 21st international goal.
      Neco Williams and Johnson both fluffed opportunities to extend the lead and Wales were almost punished for their wastefulness at the end of the first half.
      Latvia – ranked 134th in the world – created three good chances with Ikaunieks heading the best one straight at the feet of Danny Ward.
      When Ramsey had to be withdrawn early in the second half it could have affected the visitors but they continued to dominate.
      Tottenham fans will be hoping their new £47.5million signing Johnson is saving his goals for them as he could have had a hat-trick here.
      Ikaunieks can count himself lucky to escape a red card for a wild tackle on James – with the VAR decision taking an age to sort out.
      And it would have been hard for Wales to stomach if the midfielder’s late effort went in – but luckily for them it was just the wrong side of Ward’s post.
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      But deep in stoppage time Wilson played in Brooks who expertly clipped in his first international goal since beating cancer.
      A heart-warming moment and a big three points – whether it is enough to save Page remains to be seen. More

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      Gary Lineker reveals he snubbed Premier League manager job offer – and gives three brutally honest reasons why

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      GARY LINEKER revealed he turned down the opportunity to work as a manager in the Premier League.Lineker is arguably the most famous UK media personality thanks mostly to his work as presenter of Match of the Day ever since he took over from Des Lynam in 1999.
      Gary Lineker revealed Match of the Day could have looked very differentCredit: BBC
      However, the popular football show could have looked very different if the ex-England star decided to follow in the footsteps of fellow legends and try his luck in management.
      The 62-year-old was offered the top job at Aston Villa and his beloved Leicester in the 1990s.
      In fact, the late Doug Ellis – who was Villa chairman from 1982 until 2006 – called the Tottenham legend personally and offered him the position.
      But the Barcelona hero turned down the opportunity, just like he did with the Foxes, because that career path never “appealed” to him.
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      The ex-Everton star was certain that wouldn’t work and is adamant he wouldn’t “have been very good at it”
      The popular presenter also remembered how much he disliked training as a player.
      Finally, the former striker wouldn’t be able to handle a dressing room as he couldn’t even be able to leave someone out of the team.
      Lineker told The Rest Is Football: “It never appealed, for a variety of reasons.
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      “I don’t think I’d have been very good at it. I don’t think I could have coped with leaving someone out of the team.
      “I never really loved training, I found it quite boring most of the time. So if I didn’t like training, I’m not going to really like watching training. It just never, ever, ever crossed my mind.
      “I got a couple of job offers, I think Villa, Doug Ellis asked me to be Villa manager, and Leicester did at one point.
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      Lineker was offered the opportunity to manage Aston Villa and LeicesterCredit: BBC
      “I got a phone call from Doug Ellis, it was shortly after, I can’t remember the era apart from the fact that it was relatively soon after I’d finished playing.
      “And he said, ‘Would you be interested in the Aston Villa job?’ And I just said, ‘Management is not for me, sorry Doug’.” More

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      Micah Richards reveals ‘angriest I’ve ever been in my life’ after manager decision as he’s mocked by Lineker and Shearer

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      MICAH RICHARDS left Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer in stitches as he revealed why one of Manchester City’s greatest days left him “the angriest” he has ever been.The trio all enjoyed great success on the football pitch and now regularly work alongside each other on BBC.
      Micah Richards had Gary Lineker in stitches as he revealed the ‘angriest I’ve ever been in my life’Credit: BBC
      He was also mocked by Alan Shearer as he recalled his agony from 2012Credit: BBC
      They have also recently embarked on a brand new football podcast named “The Rest Is Football”.
      And it was during an episode of their latest venture that Richards was mocked by his colleagues as he recounted Man City’s iconic last-ditch Premier League title victory in 2012.
      Trailing QPR on the final day of the season 2-1 going into additional time, Edin Dzecko came off the bench to equalise.
      And then Sergio Aguero earned himself legendary status as he fired in a dramatic winner to earn Roberto Mancini’s side the title.
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      However, despite being part of that dramatic afternoon as an unused sub, former City defender Richards still counts the day as a painful one after being dropped in favour of Pablo Zabaleta at right-back.
      And the 35-year-old had his former England striking colleagues crying with laughter as he recalled the agony of not only being dropped for the Argentina ace – but then having to sit there and watch him open the scoring.
      Richards said: “We’re going to the room where he is writing the team and I’m always a second player if I’m going to get picked because when you write on the board it’s always the goalkeeper and then you start with the right-back.
      “He [Mancini] has wrote in Joe Hart and I’ve never watched someone so closely to see what letter he is going to write… If he starts on the left then it means that he is going to write ‘Z’ and go straight across.
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      “If he starts in the middle or at the end and goes down first then he is going to write an ‘R’ for Richards. And what does he do? He goes across like that… Za… Zabaleta.
      “I just thought f*** this! I didn’t do the warm-up properly. But Mancini, the thing is, he wouldn’t even make eye contact with me because he knew what he’d done.”
      As Shearer and Lineker struggled to hold back their laughter, Richards continued: “And what happens in the game? Zabaleta scored the first goal.”
      The chuckling Lineker then asks: “Did you cheer and jump up off the bench?”
      To which Richards bluntly replied: “Did I cheer? I’ve never been so angry in all my life.”
      However, despite his personal anguish, Richards said all of that washed away as he willed his team on from the dug-out during the closing stages.
      Although he still had time to get mocked one more time by Shearer and Lineker as they burst into laughter as he added: “I was in paradise. It was like everything was in slow motion. It was jubilation, it was disappointment.
      “But you know what p***es me off more than anything… ‘Oh, what was it like to play in that QPR game?’ I’ve never got over it.”
      Pablo Zabaleta opened the scoring for Man City as Richards watched onCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd More

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      Alex Scott wows fans as BBC football presenter joins no bra club in bold outfit on NTAs red carpet

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      ALEX SCOTT dazzled in a bold outfit at the National Television Awards.The ex-Lioness was dressed to impress on the red carpet with a cream gown and big gold-coloured ear-rings.
      Alex Scott looked elegant at the National Television AwardsCredit: PA
      The former England defender wowed on the red carpetCredit: Splash
      The pundit stunned at the O2 Arena in LondonCredit: PA
      The BBC presenter went without a bra as she posed confidently for photos on the red carpet at the O2 Arena in London.
      Comedian Joel Dommett hosted the NTAs, where Ant & Dec took the award for Best TV Presenters for the 22nd time.
      Scott herself is developing a winning tradition too – for daring dresses.
      She shone in a black dress presenting last week’s Europa League draw.
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      One fan described her as a “national treasure” for that appearance, with another adding: “Alex Scott on, TV on.”
      And days earlier the 38-year-old was also deluged with admiring comments for her outfit at the PFA Awards.
      Her leggy display was called “unreal”.
      The former Arsenal defender won 140 caps before retiring in 2018.
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      But despite her less active role behind the camera she’s kept in shape.
      And Scott is happy sharing bikini shots from her summer holiday in Ibiza with her 1.8million Instagram followers.
      Scott looks just at home on the red carpet as on the pitchCredit: Getty More

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      Gary Lineker reveals how Match of the Day chooses running order after fan complaints

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      GARY LINEKER has revealed how the Match of the Day running order is decided after receiving accusations of bias from fans. The 62-year-old faced backlash when his former club Tottenham were played first on Saturday’s show after their 5-2 win at Burnley.
      Gary Lineker has responded to fans’ complaints of the MOTD running orderCredit: Alamy
      Lineker fired back insisting the most exciting Premier League games are always on first on Saturday’s MOTD.
      However other factors are taken into consideration, particularly during the second half of the season, he explained.
      Lineker has hosted the BBC flagship football highlights show for more than two decades.
      But fans still question how the running order is decided.
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      Seeing which games get picked to be shown first is one of the show’s unique selling points and hints which Premier League fixtures have been more entertaining.
      The England legend revealed the show’s editor is responsible for the running order but admits it’s a team effort involving himself and the pundits for the weekend.
      He made the revelation during the latest episode of The Rest Is Football – his podcast with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer.
      Lineker said: “It is a combined effort but it is ultimately the editor’s decision.
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      “Generally you get the best match on first, it is Match of the Day.
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      “Obviously when you cover a sporting event, the main focus is on the leaders.
      “You don’t watch a horse race and focus on the back six… Towards the second half of the season.
      “Whoever is top of the league has to come into your thinking when deciding.”
      Lineker also said winning results are preferred to draws when it comes to deciding the line-up.
      He added: “We put Forest beating Chelsea 1-0 on second on Saturday night, ahead of Manchester City scoring five against Fulham because it is a big story… You take all those things into account.”
      The BBC has broadcast highlights of the Premier League for most of the division’s existence.
      The only exception was between 2001 and 2004 when ITV obtained the rights. 
      Since regaining coverage Lineker admits he’s worked hard to ensure every team is given a good show.
      He continued: “I had a discussion with BBC bosses when we got the TV rights back from ITV over whether we could show every game.
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      “Back then it was highlights from a few matches, a couple of clips from another and then just goals.
      “They worked it out and I thought ‘at last we won’t get complaints from fans that teams aren’t being shown’. Now it is just them complaining that their team is on last!” More

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      Glamorous BBC presenter Emma Louise Jones looks ‘awkward’ in zip-up bodysuit on red carpet

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      EMMA LOUISE JONES has joked that she looked awkward whilst getting her picture taken in a zip-up bodysuit on the red carpet. The BBC presenter shared a hilarious video of her looking awkward when faced with cameras at the premiere for Ricky Hattons’s new documentary.
      Emma Louise Jones has joked that she looked awkward whilst having her photo takenCredit: Instagram – @ELJONESUK
      She was sporting a grey zip-up bodysuitCredit: Instagram – @ELJONESUK
      Emma is a well known TV presenterCredit: Instagram / @eljonesuk
      She is a regular on BBC’s MOTDxCredit: Twitter / @eljonesuk
      Emma shared the clip with the caption: “Could I be any more awkward having my picture taken? 😭😂”
      She was sporting a grey zip-up bodysuit as she posed for the flashing cameras at the premiere.
      The 33-year-old has made a huge name for herself in the industry and is known for her presenting.
      She can be seen on BBC as a host on MOTDx and has been working with the broadcaster since 2021.
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      Emma is also a regular on the Official Leeds United United Podcast which she hosts with a crew of big names.
      Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis joins Emma alongside Jermaine Beckford and Patrick Bamford.
      Emma is also hugely popular on social media and has amassed an impressive 401,000 followers on Instagram.
      Although she has had issues with her Instagram account before with fans leaving creepy comments below photos she posts.
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      One incident occurred recently when Emma was showing off the new Leeds United away kit online and a fan needed to be shut down by the presenter.
      She has also previously revealed the horror story of a man trying to “repeatedly take photos of her” whilst she was out taking her dog for a walk.
      Emma hosts the Official Leeds United PodcastCredit: Instagram
      She is a huge Leeds fanCredit: Instagram
      She has made an impressive name for herself in the industry and onlineCredit: Instagram / @eljonesuk More

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      BBC ‘production error’ baffles fans as Premier League legend accidentally shown during Rubiales kiss storm coverage

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      A BBC News “production error” saw the channel use footage of Manchester City legend Pablo Zabaleta rather than Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales when covering his controversial World Cup kiss.Rubiales has been suspended by all football activity by FIFA after he kissed Spain striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup.
      Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s World Cup win this monthCredit: BBC
      After showing footage of the incident, the BBC mistakenly showed footage of Manchester City legend Pablo ZabaletaCredit: BBC
      The FA President refused to resign from his role last week and insists that his kiss with Hermoso was “consensual”.
      Hermoso denies this and said in an Instagram post last week that she had felt: “vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part”.
      When discussing the incident yesterday, BBC News reporter Lewis Vaughan Jones spoke of how the Spain Football Federation (RFEF) had called an urgent meeting to discuss the future of Rubiales.
      With Vaughn Jones talking through the situation, footage of the kiss between Rubiales and Hermoso was shown before cutting to footage of Zabaleta at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
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      Fans on social media were baffled by the mistake with one writing: “Oh no! Zaba is such a wholesome person.”
      Another commented: “Lol they might as well have put [actor] Mark Strong in the clip.”
      A third wrote: “Poor Zabaleta lmao.”
      A BBC spokesperson said: “A production error meant we showed the wrong image in an earlier broadcast. This has now been rectified.”
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      Pablo Zabaleta spent nine years at Manchester CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The TV error comes amid the latest twist in the Rubiales saga – which has seen his mother, Angeles Bejar, lock herself in a church and begin a hunger strike until her son’s name is cleared.
      The retired hairdresser is carrying out her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalucia coastal resort of Motril east of Malaga where the suspended Spanish FA president grew up.
      She says she will continue her strike until father-of-three son Luis receives “justice” and Hermoso “tells the truth”.
      She told Spanish press: “They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve.”
      Repeating the version of events outlined by her son in his public defence of his actions, she added: “There’s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties.
      “My son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.”
      Spanish prosecutors have now opened an investigation into whether Rubiales sexually assaulted Hermoso.
      A statement from Spain’s highest court said: “Prosecutors from the National Court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault.”
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      Rubiales’ mother has locked herself in an Andalucian church and is on hunger strikeCredit: EPA
      They will also contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a suit within 15 days.
      The team’s playing squad is now in open revolt against the RFEF, with Hermoso one of 81 players now refusing to play for Spain’s national team until “the federation leadership is removed”. More

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      BBC pundit and ex-England cricketer’s retirement party backfires after prank leaves her with huge bruises on her face

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      ALEX HARTLEY was out legs before wicket at her retirement party – when a prank involving an octopus backfired bruisingly.The BBC pundit and ex-England cricketer, 29, blames herself for “two massive bruises on my forehead” as she celebrated on a night out.
      Popular presenter Alex Hartley thought nothing could go wrong from a cuddly jape with an octopus as she celebrated retiring from playingCredit: Twitter @@bbctms
      Alex reveals her unexpected injuries following her partyCredit: Twitter @@bbctms
      The ex-spinner played ODI and T20 cricket for England from 2016-2019Credit: Getty
      Alex was suckered by her own stunt as she was pictured grinning with her eyes shut in the back of a bus – while a fluffy octopus sat round her neck.
      The former spinner – a hero of England’s 2017 women’s World Cup glory – explained how she made a right tentacle out of herself.
      The one-day star told BBC Sport: “I stuck two octopuses to my head. Pretending it was my hair, I was flicking it around.
      “They were on there for about 20 minutes..
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      And as another photo showed two purple bumps on her head, Alex added: “Then I looked like that. I’ve got two massive bruises on my forehead.”
      But although Alex’s octopus antics cost her a double dent on her head, they left her squids in with fans.
      One posted: “Bet she’s a right laugh on a night out.”
      Another urged: “Please don’t change. You have such a great vibe.”
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      “Love this,” said a third, and “You made me smile so it was worth it,” claimed a fourth.
      Her jape also proved to be a potential hit for sea-life sales as one observer revealed: “I want to buy an octopus now.”
      But another fan warned: “Always be mindful of a sticky wicket, when the octopus is in play.”
      Hartley had earlier announced she was quitting playing on the BBC’s No Balls Podcast, which she hosts with England fast bowler Kate Cross.
      Having already decided to focus on her mental health, she said of her retirement “I can’t believe it – I feel so good.
      “I’m going to really miss it, I’m going to be really sad but it’s so right.
      “I’ve loved it, I’ve hated it, but I am really proud of what I’ve achieved. It’s everything that I’ve ever wanted to do.”
      The pundit says she ‘covered it well’ as she hid her bruising following her unorthodox octopus encounterCredit: Twitter @@bbctms
      The spinner was a star of England’s 2017 World Cup final win vs IndiaCredit: PA
      Hartley quit playing cricket this month after featuring for Welsh Fire in The Hundred, including here at Headingley vs Northern SuperchargersCredit: Getty More