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      Inside 12-man dressing room split at Bayern Munich after Tuchel is axed – with Harry Kane’s side revealed

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      BAYERN MUNICH are in a 12-man dressing room split as Thomas Tuchel’s time at the Bundesliga giants falls apart.Tuchel has announced he will leave the club at the end of this season after a disastrous run of defeats.
      Thomas Tuchel will leave Bayern Munich in the summerCredit: AP
      The Bavarian side’s season is crumbling after three straight losses has left them eight points behind Bundesliga frontrunners Bayern Leverkusen and facing a potential exit from the Champions League.
      A 3-0 defeat in Leverkusen was followed by a 1-0 loss to Lazio last week, and they then suffered a shock 3-2 defeat away at VFL Bochum on Sunday. 
      Xabi Alonso is now understood to be Bayern’s top candidate to take over in the summer.
      And German outlet BILD has reported the dressing room at the Allianz Arena is divided as six players support the boss while the others are anti-Tuchel.
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      With fans wondering which side Harry Kane falls on after Tuchel revealed he was unhappy with the performances at Bayern, SunSport takes a look inside the divide…
      Anti-Tuchel
      According to BILD, the big name that stands out on this list is Bayern Munich icon Thomas Muller.
      The 34-year-old has spent his entire career at the German giants and in public has been very supportive of Tuchel.
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      But behind closed doors it’s a different story as the vice-captain does not fit Tuchel’s game plan.
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      This term Muller’s playing time has gone down and has been left out of the squad’s starting XI more.
      Harry Kane sets ANOTHER record at Bayern Munich after bagging 24th league goal of the season
      Another star on the list is Joshua Kimmich whose relationship with Tuchel began to fall apart after the manager wanted to bring in a new No6 in the summer.
      The 26-year-old did not start against Leverkusen and was subbed off after 63 minutes against Bochum.
      And his team-mates had to hold him back after being involved in a spat with assistant boss Zsolt Low.
      Other stars falling into the anti-Tuchel box are Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Matthijs De Ligt and Mathys Tel.
      Thomas Muller is one of the players against Tuchel because of reduced game timeCredit: Rex
      Joshua Kimmich is also reported to be against the manager over a transfer talk in the summerCredit: EPA
      Pro-Tuchel
      Luckily for the boss, he still has players who back him.
      And for them, they probably remember that before the three defeats, Bayern Munich had only lost two Bundesliga games this term and were unbeaten in the Champions League.
      Harry Kane is one who stands by the manager after being persuaded to join the German side after Tuchel visited his house last summer.
      While his performance against Leverkusen was labelled as a “catastrophe” by BILD he has had a remarkable term overall.
      Harry Kane supports Tuchel who persuaded him to join Bayern in the summerCredit: EPA
      The England captain has scored 29 goals this term and now holds the record of most goals scored by a Bayern player in their debut season.
      Meanwhile, alongside Kane is captain Manuel Neuer who stands by Tuchel who stood by him during his time on the sidelines over a leg fracture.
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      Newbie Eric Dier is grateful to have been given a spot by Tuchel and has already made more appearances for Bayern (five) than he did all season for Spurs (four). 
      Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Raphael Guerrero complete the list of those in support of the boss.
      Captain Manuel Neuer also backs Tuchel because he stood by him during his injuryCredit: Rex
      Eric Dier is grateful for Tuchel giving him a chance at BayernCredit: Getty More

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      Napoli vs Barcelona – Champions League LIVE SCORE: Italians face Spanish giants in first game after Mazzarri sacking

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      NAPOLI host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.The Italians sacked manager Walter Mazzarri on Monday with Francesco Calzona replacing him.
      Napoli will be hoping to kick off the post-Mazzarri era with a huge win against a Barcelona side that has had an underwhelming season so far.

      Kick off time: 8pm GMT
      TV/Stream: TNT Sports 2

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      Bayern Munich already line up next manager after agreeing to part ways with Thomas Tuchel in summer

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      XABI ALONSO is being lined up to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich.Tuchel will leave the German giants at the end of the season after a disastrous run of fixtures.
      Thomas Tuchel is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of seasonCredit: Reuters
      Alonso is the top managerial target for a host of top clubsCredit: Reuters
      Xabi Alonso and Thomas Tuchel embraced before their 3-0 title showdownCredit: EPA
      The German’s long-term position became untenable following three consecutive defeats – a first for Bayern since the Pep Guardiola days of 2015.
      His side was dismantled 3-0 by Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen last week, which threatened to end their 11-year reign as Bundesliga champions.
      They were then beaten 1-0 by Lazio in the Champions League last-16 first leg in Rome.
      The pressure increased on Tuchel after Sunday’s 3-2 loss at bottom-half Bochum left his side eight points behind Alonso’s Bundesliga leaders.
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      Alonso is now understood to be Bayern’s top candidate to take over in the summer.
      Facing a first trophyless season in 12 years, Bayern’s primary plan was to reach the end of the campaign with Tuchel and assess the situation.
      But it was confirmed on Wednesday that Tuchel will in fact leave at the end of this campaign.
      The former Chelsea boss said: “We have agreed that we will end our working relationship at the end of this season.”
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      In 44 matches as manager so far, he has won 28, drawn five and lost 11.
      Leon Goretzka has compared Bayern’s recent downturn “a horror movie that doesn’t stop.”
      Alonso,42,is in cruise control at the top of the league and is unbeaten in all competitions.
      The German giants will have to fight off some serious competition from Liverpool in order to employ his services.
      The Spaniard was tipped to replace Jurgen Klopp after the Reds manager dropped the bombshell that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. 
      Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes claims he is “sure” Alonso will stay with the club despite interest from both sides.
      If they fail to nab Alonso, Bayern will consider three-time Champions League winner Zinedine Zidane.
      Meanwhile, rumours swirled that former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could come in as interim boss. More

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      Porto vs Arsenal: Get £20 free bets and £10 casino bonus with BoyleSports plus huge Saka price boost

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      Lionel Messi’s Barcelona replacement hits back after being named one of Premier League’s worst ever forwards

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      LUUK DE DONG has hit back at his critics after being named as one of the Premier League’s worst ever strikers. Back in the second half of the 2013/14 season, De Jong had a brief 12-game loan spell with Newcastle where he failed to score.
      Luuk de Jong has hit back at his critics after he was told he was named among the worst strikers in Premier League historyCredit: Getty
      De Jong had a goalless 12-game loan spell at Newcastle in 2014Credit: Getty
      De Jong has been on fire in the Champions League this season
      A decade on from then and he was told about him being ranked at No75 in a 2017 list of “the biggest flops”.
      In an interview with The Guardian, De Jong could not help but laugh at his ranking.
      Biting back, he said: “Really? When I only played 12 matches and not all of them from the start?
      “And not in my position, either? Oh well, that’s the football world, you know. I was young.
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      “I think I am better armed now to take on Premier League defenders.
      “It’s about your response to adversity – that makes the difference.”
      De Jong, 33, has come a long way since then, scoring for PSV in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund for starters.
      His pedigree in European competitions speak for itself, with 12 goals in 38 Champions League games and 17 in 48 Europa League games.
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      Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart also names him as the best header of the ball in Europe.
      Opta stats backing up that claim, with 77 goals being scored with the 6′ 2″ forward’s head including 13 of the 27 strikes the PSV captain has this season.
      I’m an ex-Premier League star who plays with Lionel Messi – but I’m richer than him at just 23 despite his $650m fortune
      De Jong puts this down to his upbringing – by Dutch international volleyball player parents who played with him in the garden or at the beach – which helped with his sense of timing.
      The Dutchman has also featured for Barcelona for one season, scoring seven goals in 29 games.
      But he admitted his time there was “strange” due to him being labelled as Lionel Messi’s replacement following the Argentine’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.
      He said: “That was very strange. Of course I was not brought in as his direct replacement.
      “No one can replace that man. I came there as a target man. But I was actually sitting at his place in the dressing room. That was nice.”
      One of the crowning moments of his career came after he was told he could leave the Camp Nou by Xavi, who had replaced Ronald Koeman after he signed De Jong.
      De Jong said: “After that I scored some important goals, mostly headers. At one point they sang my name at Camp Nou at every corner or free-kick.
      “You wouldn’t think it gets better than that. I am very proud of that.”
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      Good times come with the tough however, and De Jong has credited his mental strength as part of the reason he is now the “best version of himself”.
      He said: “I never gave up. I always kept working hard and I think I am the best version of myself now.”
      De Jong arrived at Barcelona and was labelled as Lionel Messi’s replacementCredit: Getty
      De Jong scored seven times in his sole season with Barcelona and revealed he sat in Messi’s old seatCredit: Getty More

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      Kanye West and wife Bianca Censori in stands for Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid days after Ultras star in his new track

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      KANYE WEST roared on Inter Milan in their Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid – but fans are unsure he saw any of the action.The controversial rapper, 46, was joined by his wife Bianca Censori as they took their seats in the VIP section of the famous San Siro stadium in Italy.
      Kanye West, right, and Bianca Censori were at the San Siro to watch the Champions League actionCredit: Getty
      The rapper wore all black – including a mask over his entire faceCredit: Getty
      Fellow artists Playboi Carti and Rich The Kid – with whom Kanye has worked for his vile new album Vultures 1 – joined the couple in the stands for the last-16 first-leg clash.
      Bianca opted for a black coat to match her slicked black hair.
      However, supporters were distracted by Kanye’s bizarre outfit as he wore a black jacket with the hood up, black gloves and a black mask covering his whole face.
      And that prompted a mixture of witty comments on social media.
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      Specsavers said: “Can he see?”
      Another added: “Looks like he’ll miss most of the match.”
      A third replied: “How does he breathe or watch the game?”
      A fourth wrote: “I doubt he’ll catch very much of the match to be honest.”
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      One wasn’t even convinced it was him, asking: “How do you know that’s Kanye West?”
      The strange costume is nothing new for Ye, though, who regularly heads out in the covered-up outfit – including wearing a similar mask at the 2022 Super Bowl.
      Taylor Swift ‘removed Kanye West from Super Bowl seat after rapper bought tickets in front of pop stars suite’
      West has formed an unusual bond with Inter Milan.
      He brought a group of the club’s Ultras into a studio as they were recorded to provide a raucous backing atmosphere for some tracks on his new album including Carnival.
      And the passionate supporters were even added to the credits for the album.
      Kanye is putting on a listening party for the latest launch in Milan on Thursday before a similar event in Bologna at the weekend.
      But before that, he made the most of his visit to the city to watch Inter take on Atletico Madrid.
      West may well have seen Lautauro Martinez fluff his lines with a glorious chance before half-time.
      Marko Arnautovic then missed two absolute sitters after the break before eventually finding the net to give Simone Inzaghi’s side a slender 1-0 lead to take back to Madrid on March 13.
      Fans joked Kanye could not see any of the footballCredit: AFP
      The married couple were joined by artists Playboi Carti and Rich The KidCredit: Getty
      Marko Arnautovic squeezed in the only goal of the last-16 first leg against Atletico MadridCredit: Reuters More

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      World Cup icon and former Champions League finalist, 38, comes out of retirement to join South American non-league side

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      DIEGO GODIN has come out of retirement to join a non-league side.The former Atletico Madrid defender has linked up with Uruguayan outfit Centro Recreativo Porongos FC.
      Diego Godin has come out of retirementCredit: AFP or licensors
      He last played for Velez Sarsfield in ArgentinaCredit: Getty
      Godin, 38, will be a part of the squad for the 2024 season in the Flores Capital Soccer League.
      A club statement on social media read: “Welcome to Porongos, Diego!
      “Diego Godin will be part of the First Division squad in the 2024 season.”
      The club also uploaded a video which showcased some of Godin’s most memorable moments when playing for Uruguay.
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      The Uruguayan initially hung up his boots last July after leaving Argentine outfit Velez Sarsfield.
      He enjoyed a successful career spanning 20 years and eight different clubs before joining Porongos.

      In 2010, he joined Atletico Madrid, where he became one of Europe’s top defenders.
      Godin won the LaLiga title in 2014 and the Copa del Ray in 2013 as well as the Europa League twice.
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      He was a part of the team that reached the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016.
      However, he suffered defeat on both occasions, each time to cross-city rivals Real Madrid.
      Footballers you didn’t know were related from Premier League icons to Lionel Messi
      Godin left the club in 2019 as he moved to Italy and had spells at Inter Milan and Cagliari.
      On an international level, he earned 161 caps for Uruguay, with his first coming back in 2005.
      He featured in four World Cup tournaments for the nation and won the Copa America in 2011. More

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      PSV vs Borussia Dortmund LIVE SCORE: Latest Champions League updates as BVB look to take lead back to Germany

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      BORUSSIA DORTMUND travel to PSV for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.Edin Terzic’s side finished above PSG, Newcastle and AC Milan to be crowned Group F champions.
      PSV finished runners-up to Arsenal in Group B to reach the last-16 of the Champions League for the first time since the 2015/16 season.

      Kick off time: 8pm GMT
      TV/Stream: TNT Sports 2

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