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      Next Tottenham manager odds: Glasner and Xavi head betting as Europa League final to determine Postecoglou’s fate

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      OLIVER GLASNER and Xavi top the betting to become the next Tottenham Hotspur manager.Bookmakers talkSPORT BET can’t split the pair as the 4/1 joint-favourites to replace Ange Postecoglou – irrespective of how tonight’s Europa League final pans out.FA Cup winning boss Oliver Glasner is the frontrunner alongside Barca legend, XaxiCredit: EPAXavi has been out of work after being axed by Barcelona last MayCredit: APTottenham’s run to the final has been terrific, though a far cry from the domestic woes.Only the three, poor relegated sides sit below them in the Premier League table ahead of the final day.They’ve lost more Premier League games (21) so far than they have had wins and draws (11, 5) COMBINED.Though it’s also right to point out their injury record has been astonishing at times, with players forced to play out of position in what has been a hectic schedule.Postecoglou has had to fight his corner for much of the second half of this season, though even if winning in Bilbao tonight, it would appear the writing is on the wall that he won’t be here next season.Who are the favourites for the Spurs job?The talkSPORT BET betting markets have Oliver Glasner and Xavi (4/1) at the top of the next Spurs manager market.Glasner’s stock couldn’t be higher after leading Crystal Palace to their first ever major trophy at Wembley this season.Next Tottenham manager oddsLatest odds from talkSPORT BETOliver Glasner – 4/1Xavi Hernandez – 4/1Scott Parker – 5/1Thomas Frank – 6/1Francesco Farioli – 6/1Mauricio Pochettino – 8/1Andoni Iraola – 10/1Kieran McKenna – 10/1Roberto De Zerbi – 10/1Marco Silva – 12/1While Xavi has remained out of work since getting the bullet as Barcelona boss at the tail-end of last season.Scott Parker (5/1) is understood to be highly thought of in the Spurs hierarchy having guided Burnley back to the Premier League for next year and he’s just ahead of Brentford boss Thomas Frank (6/1), who is destined for a really top job soon.Frank is the same price as Francesco Farioli, who recently left Ajax after a complete collapse in the Eredivisie left them as runners-up to PSV despite holding a huge advantage in the closing weeks.Mauricio Pochettino is 8/1 to make his return to Tottenham, just ahead of Andoni Iraola, Kieran McKenna and Roberto De Zerbi all at 10/1.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – gamcare.org.ukGambleAware – GambleAware.orgRead our guide on responsible gambling practices.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. More

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      Kevin De Bruyne reveals best XI from his time at Man City with major snub to legendary star

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      MANCHESTER CITY legend Kevin De Bruyne shared his all-time favourite XI of former team-mates at the Etihad.And De Bruyne, 33, made some bold choices by omitting a few massive names.Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne revealed his all-time favourite team-mate XIDe Bruyne left Man City legend Sergio Aguero outThe playmaker is leaving City in June when his contract runs out after 10 stunning years in Manchester where he amassed a staggering total of 108 goals and 177 assists in 421 appearances.The Belgium international has done it all at Man City as he won six Premier League titles, two FA Cup trophies, five League Cup honours and the 2023 Champions League.De Bruyne played his last ever home game with the Citizens on Tuesday and helped Pep Guardiola’s side win 3-1 against Bournemouth.And the attacking midfielder commemorated the occasion by sharing a dream XI of all his favourite City team-mates before the match.Read More on FootballAnd there were some glaring omissions, one of the main ones being himself!The Belgian went with Ederson in goal and Kyle Walker at right-back along with Josko Gvardiol on the other side.Man City’s legendary captain Vincent Kompany was paired up with John Stones at centre-back.De Bruyne went with an exciting midfield trio consisted of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and David Silva – leaving club legends Yaya Toure and Fernandinho out.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAnd the No10 finalised his dream team with Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland up front, with the great Sergio Aguero posing as the biggest omission.De Bruyne opted against including himself in that esteemed group but will be joining another major pantheon.Roy Keane cracks joke live on Sky Sports as he tells De Bruyne to join Man UtdThe ex-Chelsea star will become the seventh all-time great after Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee, Colin Bell, Kompany, Aguero and David to have his own statue at the stadium. More

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      Ange Postecoglou HAS lost to Man Utd before as forgotten match comes to light before Tottenham’s Europa League final

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      MANY thought Ange Postecoglou was undefeated against Manchester United going into the Europa League final.But a forgotten game has since come to light hours before his Tottenham side take on the Red Devils in Bilbao.It turns out Ange Postecoglou HAS lost to Man Utd before as forgotten match comes to lightPostecoglou lost 2-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit just over 25 years agoIndeed, since joining Tottenham in the summer of 2023, Ange has remained unbeaten against Man Utd.In fact, the Aussie has overseen FOUR wins in five matches, with the other being a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in January 2024.And much of the pre-match final talk has centred around the fact that Ange has three straight wins over them this season alone.But it turns out the Spurs manager, 59, has previously suffered defeat to the football powerhouse that is Man Utd.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSA then 34-year-old Postecoglou lost 2-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit just over 25 years ago, in his first managerial job.His semi-final professional side South Melbourne lost at the Maracana at the Fifa Club World Championship in 2000.This was a Red Devils side that had just won a famous treble and notably withdrew from the FA Cup to compete at the tournament instead.A brace from Quinton Fortune after just 20 minutes decided the match. But this time, Ange isn’t necessarily the underdog.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSPostecoglou will be hoping to turn the tables as he looks to face off against Ruben Amorim’s sorry outfit on Wednesday. Both teams have endured their worst Premier League seasons in recent memory, suffering 39 league defeats between them.Ange Postecoglou fumes after being labelled a ‘clown’ and refuses to answer question during press conferenceSouth Melbourne lost 2-0 at the Fifa Club World Championship in 2000Postecoglou opened up about his first run-in with United before Spurs travelled to little-out Tamworth in the FA Cup this season.He said: “We ended up playing Man United and we were a semi-pro team, playing against the great Manchester United.“Qualifying for that tournament probably destroyed our domestic season because from the moment we qualified our players just didn’t want to risk getting injured and were just not interested in our league season.“We had a disaster that season, they just didn’t want to miss out on playing.“Some of my players, who were semi-pro but good footballers, probably played the games of their lives that day.”But the former Celtic manager fumed on Tuesday and hit back at a report calling him “a clown”.He will have the chance to win Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years on Wednesday night.MAN UTD VS TOTTENHAM – EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL LIVELatest betting odds, offers and predictions More

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      Man Utd & Spurs fans guzzle pints & party on streets of Bilbao in fevered run up to season-saving Europa League final

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      MANCHESTER United and Tottenham Spurs fans are guzzling pints and partying on the streets of Bilbao in the run up to the season-saving Europa League final.Up to 70,000 footie fans have flocked from the UK to sunny Bilbao where spirits are at an all-time high – despite some taking a 32-hour ferry ride to get there.Fans gather ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final football matchCredit: GettySpurs and and Manchester Utd fans in Bilbao ahead of tonight’s matchCredit: Darren FletcherA Manchester United fan waves a flare in Plaza Nueva squareCredit: PATottenham Hotspur fan Jangwon Son plays the trumpet ahead of the UEFA Europa League FinalCredit: GettyBilbao bars have been flooded with Brit fans chanting and drinking ahead of the anticipated final tonight.Both sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streets, chanting songs with drinks in hand as they gear up for the Europa League final.Images show one Spurs fan playing the trumpet for gargantuan crowds, while Man United supporters hold up their beers to cheers. Footage taken by The Sun showed fans filling the streets, with around 70,000 fans thought to have flocked to Spain – despite the stadium being at 53,000-capacity.read more on the finalSome have braved an epic 32-hour-plus ferry ride which set sail at 10pm on Sunday evening and didn’t arrive until this morning.With flights to Spain rocketing over £1,000 after the Prem teams sealed their final spots, many took advantage of the cheaper sea-route option, which set them back £260 for a cabin.The sky-high air prices are due to just six direct flights from Britain to the Basque region’s industrial port city each day.And with only 65 hotels in Spain’s tenth largest city, accommodation has been fully-booked for weeks.Most read in FootballEach club has millions of fans across the globe, but since there are just 14,000 tickets allocated to each team, bagging a seat to the showpiece event has been a tricky task.On Sunday night, precious tickets to the big game were selling on the black market for up to £10,000.Tottenham Hotspur fans standing on top of traffic lightsCredit: GettySpurs fans holding up their pintsCredit: ReutersManchester United gather in BilbaoCredit: ReutersBoth sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streetsCredit: GettyEasyJet was charging £1,823 to fly from Gatwick to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and return on Thursday morning, while the cheapest hotels for Wednesday night cost around £1,200.But for those fans who managed to snap up the golden tickets, footage has shown them enjoying themselves.Despite dismal Premier League seasons – United finishing 16th in the table and Spurs in 17th, perilously close to the relegation zone – die-hard supporters were emptying their bank accounts and flocking to Bilbao.Aside from European glory, the victorious team qualifies for next season’s cash-riddled Champions League, worth a cool £100m to the club lifting the prized trophy.The travel chaos endured by thousands of footie fans has mirrored the 1987 American road trip comedy movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy.Spurs fan John Affleck of Enfield, Herts., was today enjoying local delicacy pintxos – snacks on a slice of bread resembling an open sandwich – washed down with Sangria.He told The Sun: “I flew to Madrid then got the train down. There are no hotel rooms so I’m bunking up with a pal on his hotel floor.”The trip will cost me more than £5,000. I’m broke, but I really don’t care. We just need to win.”Manchester United fans in high spirits ahead of tonightCredit: PAFans drinking beer before the UEFA Europa League FinalCredit: AlamyFans of Tottenham Hotspur gather to show their support to their teamFans have filled the streetsCredit: GettyFrank Johns, a Red Devils season ticket holder, jetted out yesterday from Heathrow via Schiphol in Amsterdam.He said: “It has been a pitiful season but none of that will matter if we lift the trophy.”Under-fire Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou face the chop if they don’t prevail in the final – cruelly dubbed “El Crapico” by rival fans and pundits.Amorim masterminded Manchester United’s 7-1 semi-final demolition of ten-man Athletic Bilbao.And Postecoglou guided his Tottenham team to a 5-1 triumph over Norwegians Bodo/Glimt in the other to set up the all-English final.Tottenham were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final, while Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in the Europa League final in the same year.United beat Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final and Spurs KO’d Wolves to win the 1972 Uefa Cup.Tottenham have already beaten the Manchester outfit on three occasions this season – twice in the league and once in the Carabao Cup.Read More on The SunThey are looking to end a trophy drought that dates back to 2008 and has hung over the club – to the delight of opposing fans.United meanwhile have continued to be dire in the Prem with Amorim claiming his side are “not ready” to be competitive domestically and in the Champions League.Footie fanatics get the party started earlyBy Sun man in Bilbao, Dave CourtnadgeIT’S barely midday in Bilbao on the day before the Europa League final between Manchester United and Spurs – but it’s already getting lively.I arrived in the city at about 9am after a 32-HOUR ferry ride from Portsmouth.And the first thing a lot of fellow fans planned to do was find a pub for a well-earned drink.Walking around the area around the San Mames stadium this morning, a fair few others had the same idea.Many have had long journeys, stopping off overnight in another city to keep down the soaring cost of getting here, with some direct flights over £1,000.So it’s no surprise many are already getiing the party started, or the Bilbao leg of the party anyway.Spurs fan Gary, who flew out from London before an overnight stay in a Madrid hotel resembling a “prison cell”, joked as he supped a pint in the sun: “I’m just getting some practice in for tomorrow.”The atmosphere has been brilliant so far, and hopefully that will continue.There had been claims that Spurs fans are set to outnumber United fans by 5 to 1, with an estimated 50,000 supporters of the two English sides expected to arrive.One Tottenham follower I spoke to joked that they had bought all the flights out of London to keep the Reds out.Based on the number of Spurs shirts I’ve already seen, he might be right. 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      Tottenham and Postecoglou will have had better season than Arsenal & Arteta if they lift the Europa League, claims icon

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      MICKY HAZARD claims Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou will have enjoyed a better season than Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal with a win tonight.The former White Hart Lane favourite, 65, knows a thing or two about claiming silverware in Europe having been part of the legendary 1984 Uefa Cup-winning side.Tottenham legend Micky Hazard helped Tottenham to lift the 1984 Uefa CupCredit: GettyHe issed a passionate rallying cry to the current Spurs stars heading to BilbaoCredit: Jamie McPhilimeyAnge Postecoglou vowed he ‘always wins a trophy in his second season’Credit: ReutersMan Utd’s Ruben Amorim goes head-to-head with the Spurs boss for the Europa LeagueCredit: ReutersThe club has only lifted silverware three times since but the 17-year wait for a trophy could be over.And if Postecoglou delivers his promise of “always winning things in my second year” then he will emerge from this campaign with more credit Arteta down the road at the Emirates.At least that is according to Hazard, who has no doubts when it was put to him, replying: “Ange. Not a question of doubt.“It’s staggering that someone can actually predict that — ‘In my second season I always win a trophy’ — and then pull it off. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL“I didn’t like what Arteta said after the PSG defeat. You’d lost over two legs and as a manager, you have to be magnanimous in defeat and congratulate the team going into the next round. He sort of left himself open a little bit.“So did Ange – he left himself very open. If he had got knocked out in the semis it would have been ‘Where’s your cup?’ But here we are in the final and getting a chance of fulfilling his prediction.If he achieves that then wow. Has there ever been a manager, at the start of a season, who said what he did and then did it? I don’t think it’s ever happened.”Both the North London rivals suffered early FA Cup exits and Carabao Cup semi-final losses.Most read in Europa LeagueBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThe Gunners also went out of the Champions League at the same stage to extend their wait for a cup to five years.However, Arteta has led the Gunners to a top two finish for a third-straight year in the Premier League and they are 33 points better off than Spurs in the table.Tottenham fan passport nightmare travelling to Bilbao for Europa League finalHazard, speaking exclusively to SunSport on behalf of Freebets.com, said: “Are we a better team than Arsenal? No. Not at this moment in time. If we win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League — have we had a better season than Arsenal? Yes. It’s not a question of doubt in my mind.“The game is about glory. Would you rather celebrate finishing second and losing the semi-finals, or walking away with a trophy that’ll also get you the Champions League? I know which I’d prefer.”Tottenham’s nightmare campaign suffered a new low on Friday as the 2-0 loss at Aston Villa confirmed they will end the season on their lowest points tally in the Premier League’s history.However, Hazard urged those left fighting fit in Postecoglou’s depleted squad to forget all of that and become “immortal” by claiming victory over Manchester United.“It’s an opportunity to become a legend and immortal. You’ll be in the history books of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The fans will revere you, want your autograph and a picture with you forevermore. And they’ll talk about the special occasion that they all celebrated together when you lifted the cup. They remember magical moments that retain immortality.“That’s what these boys have to recognise. That’s what these boys have to understand — the game is about glory and there’s none bigger than winning a cup final, especially a European one.“Our motto is ‘To dare is to do.’ Let’s go out there and dare. Let’s dare to dream. Let’s dream that we can win this. We are good enough to win this. Let’s go do it.”Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash More

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      Man Utd v Spurs Europa League final is the worst but most intriguing showpiece match European football has ever known

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      YOU can label it with whichever mocking moniker you wish.Hell Clasico? The Donkey Derby? The clash of the Sh**e ’uns?Manchester United and Spurs have endured a miserable season – but find themselves in the Europa finalCredit: GettyRuben Amorim is expected to remain in post next season at Old TraffordCredit: AlamyBut Ange Postecoglou might not be so lucky, even if he ends Spurs’ trophy droughtCredit: GettyOr, as one genius headline writer on this newspaper put it, ‘Bilbao Bobbins’.But tonight will bring us a cup final like no other.The worst, the most illogical and yet the most intriguing, showpiece match European football has ever known.Even if Ange Postecoglou wins the Europa League, he is still set to be sacked. If Ruben Amorim loses, he will probably survive.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAnd yet when the ‘glory, glory’ boys of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur face off here in the Basque Country tonight, the stakes will be skyscraping.Champions League football for the winners, oblivion for the losers.Because, here are two of the five worst sides in the Premier League, two finalists who have FORTY-FOUR defeats between them in all competitions this season, vying for one of football’s great prizes.While the magic 40-point barrier used to be a guarantee of Premier League survival, either Spurs or United will secure a place in the European elite tonight without having even reached it.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKBut rather than try to belittle this match by claiming that the winners do not deserve Champions League qualification — as Arsene Wenger and plenty of others have done — we should be celebrating it.Unpredictability is what makes knockout football special. The best team in the land always wins the title. But underdogs can win cups.Man Utd & Spurs fans get Europa League final party started in Basque city Bilbao after mad dash on planes & 35hr ferriesAnd even though these are two filthy-rich ‘Big Six’ underdogs, they have been playing like lowdown mongrels all season long.United wouldn’t even have qualified for the Europa League had it not been for the toenail VAR offside call which denied Coventry City a ridiculous 4-3 comeback victory in last season’s FA Cup semi-final.But so what? Cup football can be gloriously silly. That’s kind of the point.It certainly hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of fans travelling on trains, in-direct planes, automobiles and ferries — invading Bilbao by air, land and sea to be at Estadio de San Mames tonight.The logistics make getting here seem like a mix between the BBC’s Race Across the World and Hanna-Barbera’s Wacky Races.But trophies make memories.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clashNewcastle fans will remember this season for winning the  Carabao Cup for far longer than they will recall finishing third or fourth in the league.Supporters of United, and especially those of Spurs, would cherish this night if their team wins.You can make a strong case for either side to prevail. Spurs seem to have United’s number – winning all three of their previous meetings this season.And if you believe in omens, that this is a year for drought-busting — after Crystal Palace won their first-ever major silverware and Newcastle ended a 70-year wait — then why not a first trophy in 17 years for Spurs?Yet United, for all their Muppetry in the league, boast the recent trophy-winning experience.They lifted last season’s FA Cup, as well as the Carabao Cup the previous year, under former boss Erik ten Hag — a man whose stock seems to rise after every match Amorim takes charge of.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clashIn Bruno Fernandes, United have the final’s best player, while Spurs’ chief creative influences – James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski – miss out through injury.And if we’re going with omens again, then Jose Mourinho won his first European trophy on this day, May 21, 2003, at the age of 40 years, three months and 24 days.His fellow Portuguese, Amorim, is just one day younger.But frankly, who knows, when the form book reads like this: United two points from their last eight Premier League games; Tottenham five points from their last 11.Tottenham have not even reached the magic 40-point barrier in the Premier LeagueCredit: GettyFor months now, both teams have been turning it on for Thursday nights and tossing it off on Sunday afternoons.United’s route to Bilbao has been tougher, their semi-final thrashing of the final’s hosts Athletic Club, was particularly impressive, while their quarter-final comeback victory over Lyon was surely the most astonishing game of football played this season.Tottenham’s defeat of 2022 champs Eintracht Frankfurt was their one genuinely remarkable scalp.It might be argued that this match is proof of the Premier League’s depth, when its 16th and 17th-placed clubs are contesting a European final.But there has been no English winner of the Europa League since Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea defeated Unai Emery’s Arsenal in 2019 — when two managers enduring brief reigns in London met in Azerbaijan for another final billed as a scrap between two average teams.Yet Chelsea and Arsenal finished third and fifth respectively that season.That final had nothing on this one.The Europa League has become more logical, more pure, this  season, now that clubs from the Champions League no longer parachute into its knockout phase.It has also become easier to win — under the old format, Manchester City, Juventus, Monaco and Sporting Lisbon would have plunged into this competition.But nobody will remember any of that in years to come.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clashThis is win-or-bust, death-or-glory, with Champions League qualification swelling coffers and making either club an instantly more desirable summer destination for new players.Big Ange says he ‘always wins a trophy’ in his second season but, then again, none of his previous second seasons were at Spurs.Amorim says this could be ‘the worst United team in history’ and yet their Europa League run, like last season’s FA Cup progression, has conjured up some impossible victories, as if, no matter how bad they are, there is still a strange kind of magic deep within the club.Read More on The SunSo for what it’s worth, here’s a prediction of sorts: United to equalise in the final minute of extra-time through makeshift centre-forward Harry Maguire.And then the longest penalty shootout in the history of European football, in which at least 40 consecutive spot-kicks are missed… More

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      Pep Guardiola in tears as Man City say goodbye to Kevin De Bruyne with emotional tributes after big win over Bournemouth

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      KEVIN DE BRUYNE’S Etihad farewell ended with cheers, tears… and an eternal place in Manchester City history.Minutes after the end of KDB’s final home game, City revealed he will become the latest legend honoured with a statue at the stadium.Kevin De Bruyne waved goodbye to the Man City fans at Etihad StadiumCredit: PAFans honoured the Belgian with a huge bannerCredit: GettyPep Guardiola was in tears as De Bruyne said goodbye to the clubCredit: Sky SportsDe Bruyne was lifted into the air by his teammatesCredit: Shutterstock EditorialWife Michele Lacroix joined the Belgian on the fieldCredit: ReutersHe was embraced by Bernardo Silva at full-timeCredit: PADe Bruyne bid farewell with a lap of the EtihadCredit: PAHe was joined by his family and soaked up the applauseCredit: GettyDe Bruyne was given a guard of honour by his palsCredit: GettyCity unveiled a mosaic in his honourCredit: GettyIt was an emotional night for all involvedCredit: ReutersDe Bruyne leaves as one of City’s best-ever playersCredit: ReutersGuardiola shed tears as tributes were paid to De BruyneCredit: Sky SportsThe ace will now search for a new club as a free agentCredit: GettyHis legacy will never be forgotten by CityCredit: GettyAn emotional De Bruyne, 33, said: “It means I will always be here.”De Bruyne will become the seventh all-time great after Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee, Colin Bell, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero and David Silva.Chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak also unveiled a giant mosaic of KDB before the game and revealed he will also have a street named after him which links the academy to the first-team centre.But the midfield magician could not mark his goodbye with a goal against Bournemouth — and missed a sitter that he admitted son Mason will never let him forget.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDe Bruyne, also watched by wife Michele, youngest son Rome and daughter Suri, joked: “It was a terrible miss! There are no excuses. My son is going to be very hard on me.”City’s 3-1 win was incidental alongside De Bruyne’s send-off.His own personal post-match light show came after a guard of honour from the City team and was followed by video messages from former team-mates like Aguero, Kompany and one from his family that had even Pep Guardiola in tears.There were also gifts from the club presented by Dr John Bell, son of City superstar Colin, and his widow Marie.Most read in FootballDe Bruyne hit the crossbar inside the six-yard box to miss a golden opportunity for the perfect goodbyeCredit: GettyOmar Marmoush opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effortCredit: GettyCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSDe Bruyne, who has won 19 major honours, admitted: “I want to bring joy to people, play offensive football, be creative and have fun.“We had a lot of fun in these ten years and created something incredible to take this club better than where it was.How Crystal Palace outsmarted Man City in FA Cup final“It all feels a bit weird. It’s been an unbelievable ride, an absolute pleasure.“Who can have 50,00 people waiting to say goodbye? It’s indescribable and thank you very much.”Boss Guardiola added: “It’s a sad day, he will be missed.“A lovely day for him and delighted we achieved the victory which is of massive importance for the last step.“I’m pretty sure when Kevin arrived here he was not a Manchester City fan — but also now he will be for ever because of the connection between all the people and him.”But, while KDB fluffed his lines on his big night – but still ended up taking the plaudits.The Belgian maestro missed a first half sitter as he bowed out of his beloved Etihad by helping his team to one more vital win.It all feels a bit weird. It’s been an unbelievable ride, an absolute pleasure.Kevin de BruyneOmar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez got the goals which put City on the brink of a 15th straight season in the Champions League.But it was all about KDB on what was a night of red hair, red faces and two red cards.It was always going to be an emotional night as the City faithful said goodbye to one of their all-time favourites – yet amid it all there was an important game to win.Their dismal draw at Southampton 10 days ago left them needing four points from their last two matches to be sure of Champions League football next season.A home game with Bournemouth is normally a guaranteed win for Guardiola’s men – it was seven in a row against the Cherries before this.But these are not normal times for City as Saturday’s FA Cup final showed.So there was plenty riding on KDB’s 142nd and final home league appearance on what has become his playground over the last decade.Guardiola had said he hoped his players could use the emotion of the occasion to their advantage and in the early stages they did.Marmoush scored from distance to open the scoringCredit: APMateo Kovacic had already gone close when they took the lead in sensational fashion in the 14th minute.Omar Marmoush takes a pass from Gvardiol – advances from near his own half before unleashing a 30 yard stunner into the top corner.Kepa Arrizabalaga was on his line but had no chance as it kissed the top of the post on its way in.That was some way to make up the penalty miss at Wembley on Saturday – his eighth goal for the club was the best by some margin.Nobody can argue the Egyptian has perked up City since he arrived in January and his emergence will make the departure of KDB easier to swallow.De Bruyne almost provided one last assist for his old partner in crime Erling Haaland but for once the Norwegian could not apply the finishing touch.A lovely move down the left saw Marmoush slide the ball across goal but De Bruyne somehow failed to convert – hitting the bar from six yards out with the goal at his mercy.Guardiola had his head in his hands – so did De Bruyne’s family up in their box. Nobody could quite believe it.And for a while the party inside the stadium went a little flat – with the crowd stunned into silence.Bournemouth – who began the night still with an outside chance of claiming European football – almost took advantage.A cross from the left from Marcus Tavernier fell into the path of Evanilson but his shot beat his fellow Brazilian Ederson but thumped against the post.They got away with one and made the most of their reprieve.A cross from Mathens Nunes was only half cleared and Ilkay Gundogan turned the ball into the path of Bernardo Silva who turned in from close range.Bernardo Silva doubled City’s leadCredit: AFPIt was not dissimilar to his strike against Real Madrid here two years ago – and had City fans dreaming of more Champions League nights here.De Bruyne wasn’t involved but was probably the most relieved man in the stadium – as it felt like a proper send off again.The visitors had a lot to do in the second half if they were going to be party poopers but this City team give you chances.Antoine Semenyo weaved his way along the edge of the box before firing his shot narrowly over the bar.And their hopes of getting back into it were lifted when a terrible pass from Josko Gvardiol put Evanilson in on goal.Gvardiol’s fellow Croatian Kovacic pulled back the Brazilian and could have no complaints when Thomas Bramall pulled out the red card.It left Guardiola kicking his seat in the dug-out in frustration – and also ended KDB’s special night abruptly.He was replaced by defensive midfielder Nico as City had no option but to shore things up.The end had come a few minutes earlier than expected but needless to say he left the field to a huge – and richly deserved standing ovation.For years to come, he will be remembered as the club’s most successful player ever, having picked up 19 pieces of silverware in his glittering 10 year stay.The Cherries’ man advantage only lasted a couple of minutes as Lewis Cook jumped in wildly on the City sub near the half way line – and he followed Kovacic down the tunnel.De Bruyne’s send off was loud but the cheer which greeted the return of Rodri ran it close.The Ballon D’Or winner returned as a sub for Haaland with seven minutes to go – after eight months out with a cruciate ligament injury.They have missed him enormously while he has been rehabilitating – what a huge lift it will be to have him back.Read More on The SunYet it was one of the men bought to replace him – Nico – who capped things off, taking a pass from Nunes in his stride and curling home a beauty.A loose back pass from Nunes wrong-footed Ruben Dias and sub Daniel Jebbison’s effort just had enough on it to beat Ederson – but it was little more than a consolation.Mateo Kovacic was sent off for a pull-back on EvanilsonCredit: GettyLewis Cook saw red for a dangerous tackle on Nico GonzalezCredit: ReutersRodri made his return to action following his ACL injuryCredit: PANico Gonzalez scored Man City’s third goalCredit: GettyDaniel Jebbison bagged a consolation goal for BournemouthCredit: Getty More

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      Chelsea files: Why Cole Palmer will get SMALLER bonus than Blues team-mates for Conference League win

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      MONEY TALKS and Chelsea is no different to any other Premier League club.The players will receive a bonus if they beat Real Betis next Wednesday and win the Conference League for the first time.Enzo Maresca leads his men into the Conference League final next weekCredit: ReutersCole Palmer will be available after sitting out the first portion of the tournamentCredit: PAThe payments have been set out on a sliding scale depending on appearances which means some of the top stars won’t be paid as much although they’ll hardly go hungry as a result.And as if we needed reminding of Chelsea’s priorities, if Champions League qualification is achieved at Nottingham Forest this Sunday then the players’ pay packets will be considerably more full.Cole Palmer was deliberately kept out of Chelsea’s Conference League squad for the first half of the campaign and so has made just five appearances in the competition this season.Keeper Filip Jorgensen, who has been confirmed as a starter in the final next week, has played 13 times in the tournament.DESPITE harbouring bigger ambitions than the Conference League, Chelsea fans are flocking to Poland in their thousands to lap up the final.The club’s official allocation of 12,300 tickets has been gobbled up.Blues supporters were understandably confident that their billion quid squad would reach the June 28 date in Wroclaw, so many booked hotels and flights weeks, sometimes months in advance.BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKIt’s common practice in the travel industry and can mean saving a decent whack of money by getting in early.But as is the case in this horrible old world, some of those loyal punters who took a punt on Chelsea going all the way, are now coming unstuck. Chelsea star Cole Palmer admits he threw up in the pool on holiday and got his hand stuck in a Pringles tubeWe have heard numerous worrying reports that a number of fans are receiving emails from hotels in the city, claiming there has been a ‘technical’ or ‘admin’ error with their initial reservation.And yes, you guessed it, those issues mean the prices of their accommodation has increased – sometimes tripling the original room rate.Fans are reluctant to name the hotels but some are fighting back. One supporter, who booked eight rooms in a 3* hotel has been told the cost is now three times what it was.But the person involved has since found a 5* place that is cheaper! He is keeping the first hotel hanging on and will cancel last minute in the hope they end up losing out altogether.Unfortunately, there is little the club can do to help frustrated fans.Todd Boehly is a director on ticket resale site Vivid SeatsCredit: AlamyAND right on time, Uefa has chosen this week to publish its latest call for fans to avoid ‘unofficial’ ticket agencies as next week’s final draws closer.The directive reads: “UEFA warns fans not to purchase tickets on the secondary market, from unauthorised third parties, websites, agencies or from touts. “Such tickets may be cancelled by UEFA at any time and fans are likely to be refused entry or be ejected from the stadium. In addition, fans may not receive the tickets which they have purchased from these unauthorised third parties.”UEFA reminds fans that ticket sales to the general public and fans of the teams who have reached the UEFA club competition finals are carried out exclusively via UEFA.com.”All well and good but as we know, Chelsea’s own chairman Todd Boehly has his fingers buried deep in this pie with his stake in US ticket resale site Vivid Seats.Supporters are already on the club’s case over how so many fans of Swedish side Djurgarden were able to buy seats in the home end of Stamford Bridge for the Conference League semi-final second leg. Awkward.REECE James’ position at Chelsea was called into question last week, with Romeo Lavia back fit, Chelsea’s abundance of midfield options, and Moises Caicedo seeming to take up his spot in Enzo Maresca’s favourite starting XI.But the Blues’ captain showed that he’s not going anywhere vs Man Utd, back in the side at right-back and stealing the show with an incredible spin and cross to set up fellow full-back Marc Cucurella.Enzo Maresca said previously that he sees Reece as a midfielder, as he was used on loan at Wigan Athletic, rather than a marauding right-back as he has always been at Chelsea.Questions over James have never been over his ability, but his fitness, and against Manchester United he completed 90 minutes in the Premier League for only the second time since November 2024.What’s more, this season he’s played a part in 21 games since January, a consistent run for his side and is proving that he has a key part to play in this side.If he can keep this up, he can surely establish himself as one of the best in the world in his position once more and work his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s England setup.His versatility in Maresca’s system could make him a key cog in this Chelsea machine, with his ability to be a danger out wide and in the middle allowing the Italian gaffer to remain unpredictable and adapt to different game states at different times.Reece is deserving of a start away to Nottingham Forest, a fixture in which he got the match-winning assist on the final day of last season.Chelsea ratings v Man UtdMOISES CAICEDO was named Chelsea’s player of the season last week, and wonderkid Kendry Paez is touted to be a star player for the Blues in seasons to come. Ecuadorian greatness could become a common theme at Stamford Bridge.Caicedo and Paez were both academy graduates of Independiente Del Valle in Ecuador, and this could be somewhere BlueCo continues to shop in the coming transfer windows.Independiente have also produced PSG star defender Willian Pacho, and invincible Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, both of whom have previously been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.Moises Caicedo bagged the Blues’ player of the season awardCredit: PAEcuador was perhaps for too long a nation with heaps of untapped potential, with Brighton reaping the rewards of building a link with the South American nation, signing talents such as Pervis Estupinian, Caicedo and Jeremy Sarmiento.With Chelsea appointing Brighton’s transfer guru Sam Jewell last year, don’t be surprised to see The Blues do more summer shopping in Sangolquí in the upcoming window.WITH two games to go in Ligue 1, and having just beaten Paris St. Germain, BlueCo-owned Strasbourg looked destined for European football, with a dream of playing in the Champions League very much alive.However, Chelsea’s sister club went and bottled it.After the PSG match, they took on Angers and Le Havre, the teams who finished just outside of the relegation zone in 14th and 15th place, and lost both…That means the French side finished 7th place in Ligue 1, outside of any European spot, including the Conference League, which Chelsea may be about to win.And it hasn’t gone unnoticed by sceptical Blues fans amid all sorts of conspiracy theories.Were Strasbourg to end up in the same competition as Chelsea then it could massively affect this summer’s transfer market with trading between the two BlueCo stablemates banned.Strasbourg’s Liam Rosenior was left stunned as his side lost crucial back-to-back gamesCredit: AFPGiven Chelsea could virtually fill Stamford Bridge with the amount of young players they have sent to Strasbourg on loan that would be a bit of an issue.Of course, it’s all just cynical, light-hearted and nobody really thinks it’s an intra-club carve up.And Liam Rosenior’s men DO still have a chance to play in Europe next campaign.If PSG can get the better of Reims in the Coupe De France final on Saturday, then Lyon (who finished in 6th will be upgraded from a Conference League play-off spot and into the Europa League, meaning Strasbourg will take their place in the play-offs.Last time the two sides met, they shared a point each, but with PSG on the cusp of a potential treble they will surely not take this game lightly.REAL BETIS against Chelsea is a reunion of sorts.The two clubs met in the last eight of the now-defunct Cup Winners Cup in 1998.Chelsea won 3-1 with Blues legend Gianfranco Zola having the last word. The team sheet is a historian’s dream: Ed de Goey in goal, Dennis Wise in midfield along with Roberto di Matteo – he would later achieve the ultimate and win Chelsea’s first Champions League trophy as manager in 2012 – and was sacked the following November. More