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    Patrick Vieira makes rare appearance in Champions League legends game as he reveals why he repeatedly snubs invites

    PATRICK VIEIRA made a rare appearance in a Champions League legends match – and revealed why he repeatedly snubs invites.The Arsenal icon, 46, has turned down the chance to play in a number of games showcasing the sport’s all-time greats over the years.
    Patrick Vieira takes part in a Champions League legends matchCredit: Getty
    Patrick Vieira was speaking at the launch of Expedia Live
    But ahead of the Champions League final in Istanbul, the tough-tackling ex-Inter Milan and Manchester City star laced up his boots again.
    Vieira, speaking at the launch of Expedia Live, said: “I normally don’t play these kind of games because I’m too competitive.
    “They play a bit more friendly and I don’t know how to.
    “I turned down a few because the game is competitive and you play to win and if you don’t, for me, the game is pointless.
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    “I don’t have that in my locker so it’s not for me.”
    Vieira’s team won a dramatic penalty shootout against the likes of Kaka, Luis Figo and Diego Milito.
    He lined up with ex-Arsenal team-mate Robert Pires, as well as Julio Cesar, Cafu, Marco Materazzi, Esteban Cambiasso, Gaizka Mendieta, Vladimir Smicer and Patrick Kluivert.
    But it is the touchline he would rather return to.
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    Vieira rejected an immediate management comeback after he was sacked by Crystal Palace in March.
    He admits he is now desperate to get back into the dugout.
    Vieira said: “I’ve had time to reflect on what will be my next challenge but I definitely want to go back.
    “I had talks straight away after I left Palace but it wasn’t the right time. I needed time to reflect and digest and now I’m feeling good.
    “I’m passionate about it and I love doing it. I had a really good experience with Palace.
    “If it doesn’t come I have plans about different things that I would like to do, but my priority is football.”
    Expedia Live is an official supplier of the UEFA Champions League and is the destination for fans to book travel and experiences, plus access expert advice on where to explore after the final whistle
    Patrick Vieira and Esteban Cambiasso combine to take down Diego MilitoCredit: Getty
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    Erling Haaland tells Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand he was frustrated by Pep Guardiola’s Man City last season

    ERLING HAALAND has admitted to feeling frustrated while watching Manchester City games last season.The Norwegian joined Pep Guardiola’s side last summer in a £51million deal ahead of this campaign.
    Erling Haaland chatted to BT Sport’s Rio Ferdinand
    Haaland, 22, has been a revelation in England, scoring 36 Premier League goals and helping his side reach the Champions League final.
    Ahead of City’s Istanbul date with Inter Milan this weekend, Haaland chatted to Rio Ferdinand about how he has helped to transform his side’s attack.
    Speaking on BT Sport’s Between The Lines, the former Borussia Dortmund star said: “It’s a good thing to be good at tapping balls in.
    “Last season, I watched so many times when crosses would go through the whole box and no-one was there. I was imagining myself being there and thinking I’d slide that in.
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    “I was thinking of that when I came here. I’m not the one that’s going to create chances but I have my role in the team.
    “And that’s this (tap-ins). My job is to help the team put the ball in the back of the net.”
    When it comes to improving his game, Haaland doesn’t like to watch film.
    He added: “I don’t watch my games back at all, actually.
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    “I try to think of the next game, not too much about how I did and what I did wrong.
    “I try to attack the next game. I did that a bit when I was younger but I was overthinking a lot so I stopped. I don’t watch anyone else’s (game tapes) as well.”
    In addition to banging Prem goals in, Haaland has been in astonishing form in the Champions League.
    He has scored 12 goals in 10 European appearances this season – including a stunning five-goal haul against RB Leipzig in the round of 16.
    Haaland also bagged home and away against former Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
    Haaland, 22, is hoping to fire City to their first ever Champions League triumphCredit: Getty More

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    New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou won Champions League with SOUTHEND on Football Manager… before they sacked him

    NEW Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has claimed that he won the Champions League with Southend on football manager.The Australian, 57, was named the new boss at Spurs after winning back-to-back Scottish championships with Celtic.
    Ange Postecoglou won the Champions League with Southend on Football ManagerCredit: Kenny Ramsay
    Southend currently play in the National LeagueCredit: Getty
    Despite winning 21 major titles at previous clubs, Postecoglou has managed, there have been concerns from supporters that he lacks experience at the top level.
    However, not many managers can say they have taken a club from non-league to the pinnacle of European football.
    But this is exactly what Postecoglou can say as he revealed that he took Southend on an amazing journey in the game, Football Manager.
    In 2020, he told The Sydney Morning Herald: “I had to knock back some big clubs to stay the course.
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    “I used journeymen and loaners to get out of the lower divisions, then bought young unknowns from Italy and South America.
    “I didn’t mess about with tactics – I just wheeled and dealed. Harry Redknapp on steroids.”
    However, despite helping the club rise through the cyber ranks, his journey ended in heartbreak as he was sacked by the Southend board less than a year after winning the Champions League.
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    He added: “I got sacked six months after winning the Champions League.
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    “I’d knocked back Juventus, Real Madrid and the England national team before then.
    “No loyalty after everything I did for them. I was gutted. Hopefully got a statue there.”
    Despite the achievement only being on a computer game, Football Manager is used by real clubs to scout players using its extensive player database.
    Sports Interactive, the game’s developers, have been praised in the past for the level of detail that is in the annual game.
    Postecoglou, however, can not do the same at Spurs next season as the club failed to qualify for any European football. More

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    Play Single Game Survivor alongside Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan – £2,000+ prize pot!

    Manchester City are on the brink of an historic treble.Having edged out Arsenal to win retain their Premier League crown and beaten neighbours Manchester United in the FA Cup final, Pep Guardiola’s formidable side must beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final to complete a three-peat of dominance.
    With all eyes on Istanbul this Saturday, why not enhance your experience of the final further by playing Single Game Survivor alongside the momentous fixture?
    There’s a prize pot of £2,000+ up for grabs and the sharper your instincts for the beautiful game, the more cash you’ll win!

    PLAY SINGLE GAME SURVIVOR NOW! £2,000+ PRIZE POT FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

    Credit: DREAM TEAM
    What is Single Game Survivor?
    Single Game Survivor takes its inspiration from our Classic Survivor Game.
    In Classic Survivor, you pick a Premier League team to win each week. They win, you survive; they don’t, you’re out.
    And it’s exactly the same principle with Single Game Survivor (or SGS as it’s more snappily known), except that in this game you submit predictions relating to specific match events.
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    Get your predictions right as the game goes along and you’ll survive; but get them wrong and you’re out.
    The pleasant twist? You get two lives to play with!
    How do you make picks in SGS?
    Ahead of the Champions League final, we’ll serve up some questions for you to consider. Such as:

    Which team will score first?
    Which of these four players will have a shot on target first?

    And so on.
    Win these mini-battles to keep yourself alive!

    How do I win money in SGS?
    Now for the good bit.
    You get two chances to win in SGS, with the first cash prize coming if you survive until half-time.
    If your sharp football instincts help you survive until full-time, you take a share of the prize pot that remains.
    Why should I play SGS?
    QUICK MONEY With our two chances to make money – half-time and full-time – you might win money in just 45 minutes!
    TWO LIVES You get not one, but two lives as you chase down the cash!
    BEAT THE REST Test your knowledge against our thousands-strong community
    LIVE EXPERIENCE See your rivals eliminated and the prize pool increase during the match
    What’s the best way to follow SGS?
    Follow along live with us!
    Sign-in to your account and track all the key moments via our live tracker to see how they affect you and your rivals.
    You’ll also be able to see how the cash pot rises as other players get knocked out!
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    Good Luck!

    PLAY SINGLE GAME SURVIVOR NOW! £2,000+ PRIZE POT FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL More

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    I played with Mario Balotelli at Inter.. he was as good as Messi & Ronaldo but his big mouth and tiny heart let him down

    WESLEY SNEIJDER believes Mario Balotelli could have been as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo if he fixed his attitude.The pair played together at Inter Milan between 2009-10 before Balotelli was sold after falling out with then-manager Jose Mourinho.
    Mario Balotelli and Wesley Sneijder were team-mates at Inter Milan and NiceCredit: AFP
    Sneijder claims Balotelli could have reached the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
    Balotelli, 32, had a role in Inter’s Champions League win in 2010 and although Sneijder admits he was an “amazing” player, the Dutchman feels he never lived up to his potential.
    Sneijder, a FedEx ambassador for the Uefa Champions League, told SunSport: “Balotelli was a player with a really big mouth and a tiny heart.
    “He was an amazing player. He could have been one of the best strikers in the world if he was normal.
    “His mentality was not always correct but he was a nice guy. For me he was like a little child when he was with us.
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    “We tried to manage that with him but it was really hard. Mourinho tried it but Mourinho was also a coach if you go against him, he will punish you even harder.
    “That’s what he did in the [Champions League] final – he made him warm up for 45 minutes but didn’t put him on.
    “Definitely, definitely [up there with Messi and Ronaldo]. In training he was amazing, he had everything that a striker needs. But if your mentality is not correct you won’t make it.”
    Controversy has followed Balotelli throughout his career – from setting off fireworks inside his house while at Manchester City to punching an Adana Demirspor team-mate during a match.
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    Sneijder and Balotelli linked up once more at Nice and the striker now plays for FC Sion, who were relegated from the Swiss Premier League this season – his 10th club since leaving Inter.
    Last month he was branded a “zombie” after being subbed off at half-time in a 5-0 defeat to Servette.
    The former Italy international also flopped at Liverpool and AC Milan and was forced out of City by Roberto Mancini.
    But he did win the Premier League and helped Inter to the treble in 2010.
    Balotelli has three Serie A titles to his name and one FA Cup, but he failed to deliver on the big expectations placed on him after he won the Golden Boy award in 2010. More

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    Mateo Kovacic ‘agrees terms’ with Man City with transfer fee for Chelsea star to be settled after Champions League final

    MATEO KOVACIC is tipped to join Manchester City next week after the Chelsea midfielder reportedly agreed terms.Transfer guro Fabrizio Romano reckons a transfer fee will be decided after City’s Champions League final against Inter Milan on Saturday.
    Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic should complete a move to the Etihad following their showpiece clash against Inter in IstanbulCredit: AP
    The Premier League champions are already said to have held advanced talks over signing the Croatia star.
    And the 29-year-old admits he’s open to a move after Chelsea’s “very bad” season.
    City have just sat out one major transfer battle as Real Madrid landed Jude Bellingham.
    And so far the Treble seekers are not seen as in the running for West Ham skipper Declan Rice.
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    So recruiting a cheaper, more experienced player with Champions League-winning pedigree makes sense.
    Kovacic, who is on international duty, stirred exit talk with frank comments over the past 24 hours.
    He told Nacional, via the Evening Standard: “I have one more year with Chelsea, this season was very bad.
    “Everything is going towards the fact that after five good years I will change, but in football anything can happen.”
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    The former Inter and Real ace even added: “Manchester City is a top team and deserves to be in the Champions League final.
    “That’s what I have to say. The summer is long, we’ll see what happens.”
    He softened those remarks only slightly by describing Chelsea as “phenomenal” and revealing he “loved” London as well as Blues’ fans.  More

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    Erling Haaland reveals inspiration behind Saturday’s Champions League dream and Man City fans will not like it at all

    ERLING HAALAND admits Manchester United inspired him to want to be a Champions League winner.The Manchester City goal machine, who faces Inter Milan in Saturday’s final, has dreamt of lifting the European Cup ever since he was seven and watched his club’s big rivals defeat Chelsea in the 2008 final when Alex Ferguson was boss.
    Erling Haaland admits Manchester United inspired him to want to be a Champions League winnerCredit: PA
    Man Utd’s 2008 triumph had a big impression on a young Haaland
    Haaland said: “I’ve been dreaming and thinking of winning the Champions League my whole life — it’s been my dream as long as I can remember.
    “In 2008, it was Chelsea-United. When I saw the celebrations, I wanted to do that as well and now we’re getting closer.”
    Haaland has netted 52 times in a phenomenal debut season with his City side a single win away from securing the Treble.
    He was even videoed playing the Champions League anthem in his car when he was a teenager at Red Bull Salzburg.
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    And Haaland told BBC radio: “I love this competition and I enjoy it, so that’s why I listened to it. It’s also a really nice song!”
    Haaland, 22, is under no illusions that City bought him from Borussia Dortmund in order to conquer Europe for the first time.
    He said: “The Premier League, they won it two times in a row before I came here so they know how to win the Premier League.
    “The only thing they miss now is the Champions League so you can read between the lines — I’ve been coming here for a reason.”
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    City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne says he is no longer the “mane man” in his household following 22-year-old Haaland’s arrival.
    The Belgian has been the club’s biggest star since arriving in 2015.
    But Haaland’s incredible first season has turned the heads of everyone — including KDB’s kids.
    The 31-year-old said: “All three children have long hair and Erling is a superstar. I see that with the kids at their school, too. They all have hair like that. It’s funny.”
    De Bruyne has won five Prems, two FA Cups and five League Cups but international team-mate Romelu Lukaku and his Inter pals stand in his way of completing the set by adding the Champions League.
    He added: “He’s one of my best friends in football. I’ve known him since 13, 14 years old.
    “In the end it’s football for 90 minutes, we try to win against each other and after that we will see each other with the national team.”
    Romelu Lukaku and Belgium team-mate Kevin de Bruyne go way backCredit: AFP More

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    Man City stars look relaxed as they touch down in Istanbul but Inter Milan ace ramps up pressure with cheeky claim

    INER MILAN STAR Andre Onana believes the pressure is all on Manchester City in Saturday’s Champions League final – but you wouldn’t think it looking at them.Guardiola’s outfit showed no signs of being daunted as they touched down in Istanbul.
    Pep Guardiola led Manchester City off their planeCredit: Getty
    Upon landing he was handed a bouquet of flowersCredit: Getty
    The City boss had a beaming smile as he headed to their HQCredit: Getty
    Erling Haaland will be hoping to fire Man City into the history booksCredit: Getty
    Key stars including Mahrez,De Bruyne, Ake, Stones and Phillips looked calm after landing in IstanbulCredit: Getty
    Pictured stepping down off of the plane, Guardiola cast a beaming smile after being handed a bouquet of flowers.
    His stars, who followed an all-white polo shirt and blue jeans dress code, followed closely behind.
    For them it is a chance to complete history and win the Treble after winning the Premier League and beating Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
    They can also correct the record by going one better than the 2021 final, when they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
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    Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana has no fear of facing Erling Haaland & Co — or a penalty shootout in Istanbul and says history is on the Italian’s side.
    The three-time winners are the underdogs in most people’s eyes and those within Simone Inzaghi’s squad know they are facing an incredible side.
    But Onana feels that could work in their favour, saying: “Why would I not be relaxed? I am calm.
    “I’ve no pressure, we have no pressure at all.
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    Inter Milan goalkeeper believes the pressure is all on CityCredit: AFP
    They have the chance to land an historic TrebleCredit: Getty
    The players donned an all-white top and blue jeans dress codeCredit: Getty
    Before they were whisked off by Man City-branded coachesCredit: Getty
    “We know it is not going to be easy but we will be there. They have more pressure than us, I am calm.
    “We are a big club so there is a lot of expectation. When Inter arrive in a final they have to win.
    “When you look that way, we are not the underdogs because the history speaks for us.”
    Asked how he feels about the prospect of facing 52-goal Haaland, Onana added: “Very good. It is football.
    “In this life I am only afraid of God and I don’t see him on the pitch. Men are men.
    “They are probably the best team in the world but they have to show this on Saturday.
    “We’ll be there to defend and represent Inter, to make history. It is not going to be easy but they have to show they are the best on Saturday.”
    Inzaghi’s side are robust at the back and will look to cause City problems on the break.
    If they can keep them out and take the game to extra time and penalties, Onana insists he’is ready to face spot-kicks.
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    He added: “Penalties? Very good. I am very good. For me I am not afraid to face anyone, not only City.
    “We are all big players and know how to play finals. We will be there, it will be tough for us but also for them as well.” More