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      Gundogan reveals incredible lengths John Stones went to in bid to become Man City captain – including hilarious slogan

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      MANCHESTER CITY star John Stones was so desperate to become captain last season that he even came up with a hilarious slogan.That is according to ex-City skipper Ilkay Gundogan, who ultimately beat Stones to the armband and lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophy.
      John Stones tried to become Manchester City captain last seasonCredit: AFP
      The Citizens held a team vote last term with the main candidates being the now Barcelona star and Kevin De Bruyne as the two most experienced players in Pep Guardiola’s roster.
      But Stones threw his name in the hat and went all in with a rather creative campaign to win over his team-mates.
      The England international even distributed posters with a comical election slogan which read: “John Stones – Man of the People”.
      Gundogan told Bild: “John promoted himself, yes, but more for fun.
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      “When I was elected captain, I was relatively sure that I would be in the top three.
      “It was about whether it would be Kev [De Bruyne] or me. I think it was relatively close.”
      Gundogan left City as a free agent after their stunning Treble-winning campaign came to a close.
      The Germany international revealed the Manchester giants left it too late with their contract offer in the summer.
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      The 32-year-old eventually turned down a new deal at the Etihad in favour of a move to Barcelona.
      And the German has admitted he could have been persuaded to extend his seven-year stay if they had come to him earlier.
      Gundogan said: “I’m honest and many people don’t know this but in the end, it wasn’t about a year or two.
      “City waited a relatively long time until the talks really intensified. If this had happened a little earlier, the situation would have been different.
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      Stones put together a hilarious campaign with a funny slogan but lost to Ilkay GundoganCredit: Getty
      “I don’t want to go into the minute details, but it was quite late in the season.”
      Gundogan said by the time City raised the prospect of him staying, he needed to focus fully on the challenges ahead.
      He added: “When it comes to a Champions League quarter-final or semi-final, players want to concentrate purely on sport. I didn’t know what would happen next. I couldn’t plan anything.
      “Pep Guardiola’s appreciation was always there, but officially there was no movement from the club for a long time.
      “So in the end it was the perfect ending at City, it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was also my childhood dream to play for FC Barcelona.”
      Guardiola did everything to persuade his skipper to stay at the Etihad – and Gundogan said it was a tough phone call to make.
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      He said: “Unfortunately, I didn’t say goodbye in person because I only made the decision after the Champions League final – two days before the Germany game against Colombia.
      “So it was probably the hardest phone call I’ve ever had in my life. The conversation was emotional, but Pep was also happy for me – joining his boyhood club Barcelona.” More

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      Bukayo Saka named on Ballon d’Or shortlist as Premier League stars dominate but Onana is only Man Utd star to get a nod

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      ENGLAND ace Bukayo Saka leads the string of Premier League stars nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or.The 22-year-old was a shining light for Arsenal last season, bagging 15 goals and 11 assists in their ill-fated Premier League title tilt.
      Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham have both been nominated for the Ballon d’OrCredit: Getty
      Saka was a shining light for Arsenal last seasonCredit: GETTY
      Jude Bellingham’s exploits for Borussia Dortmund earned him a mega move to Real MadridCredit: MEGA
      A staggering SEVEN Manchester City players have been nominated for the gongCredit: GETTY
      And he’s been joined on the nominations list by countryman Jude Bellingham, who bagged a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid this summer thanks to 14 goals and seven assists in his final season for the Germans.
      The Three Lions stars have been nominated for the coveted trophy along with some of the biggest names in world football – including their national team skipper Harry Kane.
      Karim Benzema and Mohamed Salah have, unsurprisingly, been nominated for the gong.
      The prolific duo were joined by a staggering SEVEN Manchester City stars, with Kevin de Bruyne, Josko Gvardiol, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Julian Alvarez, Rodri and of course Erling Haaland all being nominated.
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      Manchester United newboy Andre Onana, Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard completed the 12-strong line-up of Prem stars up for the trophy.
      Jamal Musiala’s displays for Bayern Munich saw him rewarded with a nomination alongside new team-mate and Red Devils summer transfer target Kim Min-jae.
      Paris Saint-Germain duo Randal Kolo Muani and Kylian Mbappe also made the cut.
      Georgian sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been nominated following an impressive season with Napoli along with team-mate Victor Osimhen.
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      Inter Milan duo Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez round out the Italian-based contingent up for the trophy.
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      Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid will be represented at the ceremony thanks to Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan and Vinicius Jr.
      Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann is also up for the coveted trophy.
      The shock nomination for the trophy comes in the form of Al-Hilal’s Yassine Bounou.
      The most predictable nomination, unsurprisingly, came in the form of Inter Miami new boy Lionel Messi.
      The seven-time trophy winner is the favourite to claim it again following his heroics at the 2022 World Cup.
      Messi, 35, ended Argentina’s 36-year wait to lift the most famous trophy in football last December at Qatar 2022, a tournament in which he scored seven goals and provided three assists.
      Meanwhile Cristiano Ronaldo suffered and brutal blow as he missed out on a nomination for the first time since 2003.
      The winner of the prestigious award – which is decided by France football – will be announced on October 30.
      Lionel Messi is the favourite to win his EIGHTH Ballon d’Or trophyCredit: Getty
      The nominees for the Women’s Ballon d’Or and Kopa Trophy were also revealed, with FOUR Lionesses stars included in the star-studded line-up.
      Millie Bright, Rachel Daly, Mary Earps and Georgia Stanway – who played huge parts in England reaching last month’s World Cup final – are all up for the gong.
      Read More on The SunBallon d’Or Nominees

      Josko Gvardiol (Croatia and Man City)
      Andre Onana (Cameroon and Man Utd)
      Karim Benzema (France and Al-Ittihad)
      Jamal Musiala (Germany and Bayern Munich)
      Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
      Bukayo Saka (England and Arsenal)
      Jude Bellingham (England and Bayern Munich)
      Randal Kolo Muani (France and PSG)
      Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium and Man City)
      Bernardo Silva (Portugal and Man City)
      Emi Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)
      Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and Napoli)
      Ruben Dias (Portugal and Man City)
      Nicolo Barella (Italy and Inter Milan)
      Erling Haaland (Norway and Man City)
      Martin Odegaard (Norway and Arsenal)
      Ilkay Gundogan (Germany and Barcelona)
      Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al-Hilal)
      Julian Alvarez (Argentina and Man City)
      Vinicius Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid)
      Lionel Messi (Argentina and Inter Miami)
      Rodri (Spain and Man City)
      Lautaro Martinez (Argentina and Inter Milan)
      Antoine Griezmann (France and Atletico Madrid)
      Robert Lewandowski (Poland and Barcelona)
      Kylian Mbappe (France and PSG)
      Kim Min-jae (South Korea and Bayern Munich)
      Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and Napoli)
      Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)
      Luka Modric (Croatia and Real Madrid)

      Women’s Ballon d’Or Nominees
      Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona)
      Millie Bright (England and Chelsea)
      Linda Caicedo (Colombia and Real Madrid)
      Olga Carmona (Spain and Real Madrid)
      Rachel Daly (England and Aston Villa)
      Debinha (Brazil and North Carolina Courage/Kansas City)
      Kadidiatou Diani (France and Lyon)
      Mary Earps (England and Manchester United)
      Patricia Guijarro (Spain and Barcelona)
      Yui Hasegawa (Japan and Manchester City)
      Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden and Paris St-Germain/Arsenal)
      Sam Kerr (Australia and Chelsea)
      Mapi Leon (Spain and Barcelona)
      Katie McCabe (Republic of Ireland and Arsenal)
      Hinata Miyazawa (Japan and MyNavi Sendai/Manchester United)
      Lena Oberdorf (Germany and Wolfsburg)
      Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and Barcelona)
      Ewa Pajor (Poland and Wolfsburg)
      Salma Paralluelo (Spain and Barcelona)
      Alexandra Popp (Germany and Wolsburg)
      Hayley Raso (Australia and Man City/Real Madrid)
      Alba Redondo (Spain and Levante)
      Guro Reiten (Norway and Chelsea)
      Wendie Renard (France and Lyon)
      Fridolina Rolfo (Sweden and Barcelona)
      Jill Roord (Netherlands and Wolfsburg/Manchester City)
      Khadija Shaw (Jamaica and Manchester City)
      Sophia Smith (United States and Portland Thorns)
      Georgia Stanway (England and Bayern Munich)
      Daphne van Domselaar (Netherlands and Twente/Aston Villa)

      Only one Premier League star will vie to win the Kopa Trophy, which was scooped by Barcelona’s Gavi last season.
      Manchester United new boy Rasmus Hojland is the sole Prem star to be in line to win the award, although he’s only been nominated for it because of his displays for Atalanta last season.
      Kopa Trophy Nominees
      Jude Bellingham (England and Real Madrid)Alejandro Balde (Spain and Barcelona)Eduardo Camavinga (France and Real Madrid)Gavi (Spain and Barcelona)Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark and Man Utd)Jamal Musiala (Germany and Bayern Munich)Pedri (Spain and Barcelona)Xavi Simons (Netherlands and RB Leipzig)Antonio Silva (Portugal and Benfica)Elye Wahi (France and Lens)

      THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY…The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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      Classy Angel Di Maria refused to know what his own salary would be in desperate bid to land Champions League transfer

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      ANGEL DI MARIA was so desperate to move to Benfica he was not bothered about his salary, according to the club’s president. Benfica’s chief Rui Costa confirmed the 35-year-old would play for “any euro you’ll give me” for the Champions League contenders.
      Angel Di Maria refused to know his salary before joining BenficaCredit: AFP
      Benfica president Rui Costa confirmed Di Maria was desperate to play for the clubCredit: Getty
      Fabrizio Romano revealed on Twitter Costa’s comments about how Di Maria was eager to play for the Primeira Liga side and was not concerned about his wage.
      He tweeted: “Rui Costa: ‘Di María’s salary doesn’t go over the salary cap, he came without any signing bonus’.
      “He didn’t want to know what his salary would be, he didn’t even ask for another euro.
      “He told me: ‘I really want to play for Benfica for any euro you’ll give me’.”
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      The midfielder signed with Benfica from Juventus and has so far scored four goals in five appearances.
      This is the Argentine ace’s second debut for the club and he received an incredible welcome after re-signing for Benfica 13 years after leaving for Real Madrid.
      Di Maria quit Juventus after just 12 months in Serie A last month.
      He moved to Juve last summer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain following seven years in the French capital.
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      In 2014 he joined Manchester United but he would spend just one year at Old Trafford, later complaining about the bad weather and calling Louis van Gaal the “worst coach” he has ever had.
      Now the 2022 World Cup winner is back at the club where it all began for him in Europe on a one-year deal.
      Benfica won the Primeira Liga title for the first time since 2019 last term and reached the Champions League quarter-finals. 
      Fans took to Twitter to react to the news with excitement about the Argentine star.
      One fan tweeted: “Great news! Di Maria is a great player and I’m sure he will be a huge asset to Benfica. He’s also down to earth.”
      Another added: “That is one of the player i respect the most. Always hard working and giving everything on the field on every match.”
      A third wrote: “That’s the kind of dedication and love for the game that truly sets players like Di María apart.”
      While other fans seemed to dig at stars who have made a move to Saudi Arabia including Cristiano Ronaldo.
      One fan said: “Unlike Ronaldo & them Saudi Arabia hustlers.” More

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      Fans refuse to believe Cristiano Ronaldo’s lie detector test as he gives very surprising answer

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO had a very surprising answer for fans during a recent lie detector test.The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was asked a series of questions during a video with cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
      Cristiano Ronaldo’s lie detector test surprised fansCredit: Getty
      However, one of his answers caught the eye, with some fans even refusing to believe the validity of the test.
      As part of the video, Ronaldo was asked: “Would you trade all of your Champions League winning medals for the World Cup trophy?”
      In response, the Al-Nassr forward answered “no”, with the lie detector confirming he was telling the truth.
      Some fans were unconvinced, though, with one commenting: “We don’t believe it though.”
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      Another tweeted: “That lie detector is fake.”
      A third also added: “All he does is lie.”
      Meanwhile, one more wrote: “I think the lie detector is lying.”
      Ronaldo has won the Champions League on five occasions during his career, including three times in a row between 2016 and 2018.
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      However, he has never won the World Cup despite playing in the tournament five times.
      Portugal’s best performance with Ronaldo in the team was fourth place in 2006, his first World Cup.
      Following his nation’s quarter-final exit in Qatar last year, it is unclear whether the 38-year-old will have another shot at glory on the world stage.
      By the time the 2026 edition begins, Ronaldo will have already turned 41.
      He does remain in Portugal’s plans for the 2024 Euros, though, and is still captain of Roberto Martinez’s side.
      Ronaldo is in their squad for the qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg having been in fine form for Al-Nassr this season.
      Ronaldo said he would not swap his five Champions Leagues for the World CupCredit: Getty More

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      Premier League closes in on FIFTH Champions League spot next season… thanks to shock result in Belgium

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      THE PREMIER LEAGUE is closing in on a FIFTH Champions League spot for next season thanks to a shock result in Belgium.Uefa’s top competition is being extended to 36 teams from 32 for the 2024/25 campaign.
      Haaland lifts the trophy as City are crowned champions in JuneCredit: Getty
      England has received a huge boost ahead of next season’s expanded Champion LeagueCredit: Getty
      Two of the new four extra places are going to be awarded to the nations who are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season.
      That table is based on results of a nation’s teams in all three European competitions – the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
      The total points that are earned by every country’s clubs – with bonus points for reaching certain stages plus match-related points – are then divided by the number of sides in European competitions.
      And in six of the past seven seasons that would have meant an extra Champions League spot for England’s top-flight.
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      The Premier League was facing competition from a host of other European leagues for the additional place in the big time.
      However, Spain’s chances have now taken a huge hit, with the Premier League likely to be battling it out with Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga.

      That is due to the fact that LaLiga club Osasuna were dumped out of the Europa Conference League last week in the play-off stage by Belgian side Club Brugge. 
      Journalist Leonardo Bertozzi explained: “With the elimination of Osasuna, Spain’s chance to win one of the two extra places for the next Champions League is not much greater than that of Belgium or Turkey.”
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      He then went on to add that it “should now be between Italy and Germany” to rival favourites England, who were boosted by Manchester City and West Ham’s respective European successes last season.
      The current system of eight groups of four clubs in the initial phase is being changed to a more simple “league” format.
      Each team will play eight matches in the opening phase that will be against seeded opposition.
      It is a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.
      Then the top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last-16 of the knock-out stage.
      They will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.
      And, despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will also be spread over ten midweek slots.
      Meanwhile, the Europa League and Conference League will each have a week when matches can be played across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as the standalone competition being played. More

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      Champions League giants ‘still in talks with Man Utd over Donny van de Beek transfer after failing in deadline day move’

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      GALATASARAY are reportedly still in talks with Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek after failing to agree a £1million loan deal on deadline day. The Red Devils outcast is set to leave Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag aims to trim his squad.
      Galasataray are continuing talks with Manchester United for Donny Van de BeekCredit: Getty
      Turkey’s transfer window does not close until September 15th with clubs able to continue making offers past the European deadline.
      Van de Beek arrived at the Red Devils in 2020 from Ajax for £40million with high expectations.
      The hefty fee came off the back of him playing a starring role in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.
      But the midfielder has faced injuries, an unsuccessful loan move to Everton and failure to secure first-team opportunities at United.
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      He played just seven games for the Toffees during his loan spell, scoring one goal.
      This has left the 26-year-old eager to revamp his career.
      The Dutchman has played just 34 league games since arriving in England and is yet to be named in any of Ten Hags fixtures this season.
      He has started just two Premier League games since the start of last season, despite having starred under Ten Hag during their time together at Ajax.
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      French giants Lorient and former club Ajax have both shown interest in the forgotten star.
      But with the European window now closed Champions League contenders Galatasaray are the front runners.
      The Super Lig side remain keen on Van de Beek and are hopeful of finalising a deal with United in the coming days.
      Galatasaray have already signed Premier League star Wilfred Zaha this summer.
      The former Crystal Palace ace joined as a free agent in July and made his debut in a 0-0 draw against Kayserispor.
      Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez are also set to be flying to the Turkish capital to finalise a deal. More

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      Premier League announce rearranged matches for September and October with Arsenal clash moved on just TWO WEEKS notice

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      ARSENAL’S match with Everton has been moved on just two weeks’ notice by the Premier League.The Gunners were initially scheduled to face Everton on Saturday September 16.
      Arsenal’s clash with Everton has been pushed forward a dayCredit: AP
      Aston Villa have had three games moved by the Premier LeagueCredit: PA
      But Newcastle’s clash against Brentford has been moved forward a day due to their Champions League game against AC Milan, which takes place on Tuesday September 19.
      Toon were due to play the televised game on Sunday 17 at 4:30pm.
      But Arsenal will now play in that slot, with Eddie Howe’s side taking the Gunners tea-time Saturday kick-off.
      Six matches in total have been moved by the Premier League, with more to follow in the coming months due to Aston Villa’s involvement in the Europa Conference League.
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      Villa’s visit to Chelsea has been moved to a day later on September 24 because they take on Legia Warsaw three days earlier.
      Their involvement in Europe means Villa’s clash with Wolves has also been rescheduled to take place on Sunday – October 8.
      Aston Villa vs Luton has also been switched to a Sunday and been allocated a 2pm kickoff.
      Manchester United’s Champions League commitments also means they have had a change to their fixture list.
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      Sky Sports have picked their game against Sheffield United to be shown live on TV, but it can no longer take place on Sunday as the Red Devils face Copenhagen the following Tuesday.
      United will now face the Blades on Saturday October 21 at 8pm. More

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      I scored Chelsea’s winner vs Arsenal’s Invincibles in Champions League… I was found by nightclub cleaner the next day

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      WAYNE BRIDGE once fell asleep in a nightclub and was woken by cleaners after scoring Chelsea’s winner against Arsenal in the 2003-04 Champions League.The Gunners famously remained unbeaten in the Premier League that season but were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by the Blues.
      Wayne Bridge scored the winning goal to knock Arsenal’s Invincibles out of the Champions League in 2004Credit: Reuters
      Wayne Bridge fell asleep in a nightclub and was woken up by cleanersCredit: Getty
      A 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge set up an exciting clash at Highbury, with Chelsea coming from behind to win 2-1 thanks to Bridge netting the winner.
      The left-back revealed he could not stop smiling for 48 hours after the match, though admitted he got a little carried away celebrating the victory that evening.
      Bridge, 43, failed to make it home from Chinawhite nightclub in Soho and was instead found asleep by cleaners.
      He told That Peter Crouch Podcast: “I couldn’t stop smiling it was unbelievable. I went from hero to zero that night because we went out and loads of people kept buying me drinks and shots.
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      “It went downhill real quick… I didn’t make it home. I almost got thrown out as I was in a bit of a state.
      “So the lads covered me in pillows but then they forgot about me. So everyone’s kicked out of the club and I got found by the cleaners cleaning the club.”
      Bridge revealed his drinking got him into trouble more than once throughout his career.
      While at Southampton Bridge once commandeered a milk float to get to training in time after an all-night boozy bash.
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      His antics led to a stern telling-off from then-Saints boss Glenn Hoddle.
      But he impressed on the pitch and joined Chelsea from Southampton in 2003, while also earning 36 England caps. More