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      Chelsea fans demand Frank Lampard plays HIMSELF against Real Madrid after they spot training video

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      CHELSEA fans have been demanding that Frank Lampard picks himself to play against Real Madrid.The calls came after footage of the club icon juggling a ball during training emerged, showing that he has not lost his touch.

      Chelsea boss Lampard impressed with his juggling skillsCredit: AFP
      And fans asked that he picks himself to play against Real Madrid tonightCredit: AFP
      Now the interim coach of the Blues, Lampard is aiming to help his side overturn a two-goal deficit when they face the LaLiga giants at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League tonight.
      Lampard has been leading training since the firing of Graham Potter, but the club has lost each of the three games that he has been in charge.
      However as he entered training today, Lampard showed off his ability to control the ball as he juggled and balanced it on his foot – all while holding a clipboard.
      This has led to fans calling for the former midfielder to play himself against Real Madrid.
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      One fan tweeted: “He should just put on the jersey and play for us today, maybe we can have some hope.”
      A second wrote: “I think they need him out there !… On the pitch! lol.”
      A third commented: “Let him play as their striker tonight.”
      A fourth said: “Get him in line up player-coach Terry back too and Drogba!!!!”
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      While a fifth declared: “Chelsea’s player of the season.”
      A sixth added: “He’d do a better job than 95% of Chelsea’s current midfield.”
      Another joked: “Probs worth getting the kit on can’t be worse than Havertz up top.”
      Chelsea face Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final in a bid to salvage something from this season.
      They are languishing in eleventh place in the league, ten points off seventh-placed Brighton, who beat them at the weekend. More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘best ever XI of team-mates’ including three Man Utd legends

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO’S best XI of team-mates has been revealed including three from Manchester United.The 38-year-old has played alongside some of the most brilliant footballers of his generation.
      Ronaldo has played alongside some of the best in the world during his long careerCredit: EPA
      Gareth Bale combined with Ronaldo to cause chaos for opposition defences at Real MadridCredit: Getty
      Casillas played alongside Ronaldo at MadridCredit: Corbis
      Ronaldo also won countless trophies for United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
      The best ever XI of his team-mates, according to Goal Arabia, is made up of players from those sides, with no one from his current team of Al-Nassr nor his first team of Sporting Lisbon making the cut.
      Instead there are three players from the Red Devils – but the trio all only featured in his first spell at Old Trafford between 2003 to 2009.
      Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand all made it into the team.
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      Along with Ronaldo, those three were among the most important stars in Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant late noughties side who won three Premier League titles in a row and the 2008 Champions League.

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      Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009 and the bulk of the selection comes from his nine years at the Bernabeu.
      Club legends Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Marcelo and Karim Benzema are in with Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale.
      The Portuguese international won four Champions Leagues and two league titles while in Spain.
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      He then left for Juventus and played alongside the final player who makes it into Goal’s line-up.
      The star in question is Juve legend Giorgio Chiellini, who played for the club for 18 years including four alongside Ronaldo.
      The forward won two Serie A titles before heading back to Old Trafford for his ill-fated second spell.
      There is no shortage of legends in the team
      Italian legend Giorgio Chiellini was the only Juventus player to make it inCredit: Getty
      Luka Modric is one of seven Real Madrid players in the XICredit: Getty More

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      Steven Gerrard lined up for shock return to management with club that could be competing in Champions League

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      STEVEN GERRARD has been tipped to take over at Olympiacos in the summer, reports suggest.Gerrard has been out of a job since October when he was dismissed by Aston Villa and replaced by Unai Emery.
      Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has been tipped to take over at OlympiacosCredit: Getty
      According to Greek outlet Protathlitis, the Liverpool legend has been recommended to the reigning Greek champions by agents from abroad.
      The ex-Rangers boss is as a surprise addition to the list of managers the Piraeus outfit are looking at.
      There are currently no concrete developments but the same report claims a deal would still be possible.
      That is because of the good relationship between the 42-year-old tactician and club owner Evangelos Marinakis, who is also in charge of Nottingham Forest.
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      That means Gerrard would probably be returning to the Champions League next season.
      Marinakis’ club are third in the table with six points separating them from the top two places, which guarantee qualification to the summer’s qualifiers for Europe’s top competition.

      Olympiacos, though, are also looking at other candidates with former AC Milan boss Gennaro Gatusso leading the race.
      The Greek giants have made an offer to Gattuso and the Italian has said he will respond within two weeks.
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      There have also been reports suggesting the Milan legend, who has been out of a job since January when he left Valencia, is interested in taking over.
      However, a number of fans have expressed strong opposition to the potential appointment on social media.
      Olympiacos have also been linked with club hero Esteban Cambiasso and Al-Ain manager Serhiy Rebrov.
      Maccabi Haifa boss Barak Bakhar has also been added to the hat but he is reportedly closing in on Red Star Belgrade.
      Marcelino has also been eyed but the former Sevilla, Villarreal and Valencia boss has reportedly turned the job down.
      Olympiacos have seen three managers go this season as Pedro Martins and Carlos Corberan were sacked while Michel reportedly resigned before director of football Jose Anigo took over on an interim basis. More

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      Gary Neville fears Man City will match Man Utd’s historic treble as Arsenal’s title race hits the rocks

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Gary Neville has revealed his fears that neighbours Man City could pull-off the Treble.The former England defender was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary side that lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999.
      Man Utd pulled off an incredible Treble in 1999 with title, FA Cup and Champions League successCredit: Getty
      Gary Neville fears that Man City will repeat that success this seasonCredit: Getty
      No English club has been able to repeat that feat since, but the now Sky Sports pundit believes Pep Guardiola’s team are “far too close for comfort” to pulling off the same this term.
      And Neville also insisted that it “is definitely on” as the Cityzens head to Bayern Munich with a 3-0 lead for the Champions League quarter final second-leg on Wednesday.
      Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast on Sky Sports, he said: “They’re purring, they’re playing well, they’re in great form, they’re serious now about it.”
      City beat Leicester 3-1 on Saturday and have closed the gap to just four points on top-flight leaders Arsenal, who they still have to play at home, to four points and have a game in hand.
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      Neville hailed the recent displays of trio of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne and called them the “best midfield in the league” as well as praising the performances of attackers Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez.  
      He added: “They’re settled now – they’re hitting the home straight.
      “The treble was mentioned in the studio […] it’s definitely on. They can do the treble.
      “They can win the European Cup, they can win the FA Cup, they can win the Premier League.
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      “There’s a long way to go [and] they could come up against a team that does them on the way. But they’re very, very close to it. Far too close for comfort!”
      Should City see off Bayern then they will face the winners of Chelsea and Real Madrid, who hold a 2-0 first-leg lead over the Blues, in the Champions League semi-finals.
      And they will be at Wembley this Saturday to face Championship promotion contenders Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final, with United and BRighton contesting the other one the following day. More

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      Chelsea made ‘most expensive substitution in history’ in single change worth MORE than Brighton’s entire matchday squad

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      CHELSEA made the ‘most expensive substitution in history’ in a switch which cost more than Brighton’s entire matchday squad. The Blues lost to the Seagulls on Saturday in what was their fourth defeat in five.
      Frank Lampard turned to his very expensive bench in an unsuccessful attempt to turn the tide against BrightonCredit: Alamy
      The struggling Londoners are have slumped into the bottom half of the table and have only the Champions League left to play for.
      In complete contrast, Brighton are upwardly mobile despite Chelsea taking their manager earlier this season – and having sacked him since.
      The contrasts between the two clubs could not have been more evident when caretaker boss Frank Lampard turned to his bench with the game at 1-1.
      In a quadruple change, Hakim Ziyech, Joao Felix, Reece James and Mateo Kovacic were all introduced while Enzo Fernandez, Christian Pulisic, Raheem Sterling and Wesley Fofana made way.
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      As first reported by football finance boffin Kieran Maguire, the substitution may well work its way into the Premier League record books.
      The 57th minute change saw £83.2m worth of talent coming on the pitch and a combined £281.5m walking off.
      The swap saw a total of £374.7m of players either being subbed on or subbed off in the space of a minute
      While that figure alone is staggering, it becomes even more extraordinary when Chelsea’s subs alone are compared to Brighton’s team.
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      The south coast club’s entire matchday squad amounted to just £83.1m, which is less than Fernandez’s transfer fee alone.
      While the Argentine midfielder cost £107m and Wesley Fofana’s transfer came to £70m, Brighton’s biggest expenditure was the £20m fee for Adam Webster and the £15m it cost to acquire Pervis Estupinan.
      Meanwhile, eight of Brighton’s matchday squad cost nothing or came through the youth academy, including Lewis Dunk and Solly March.
      In contrast only James, Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah emerged from Chelsea’s academy from their matchday squad.
      Fans were stunned as the cost of the Blues’ subs emerged.
      One supporter wrote: “I don’t know whether that makes me want to laugh or cry.”
      While another simply said: “Unbelievable.”
      Despite the quadruple swap, it was Brighton who went on to win the game thanks to a rocket from Julio Enciso. More

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      Real Madrid fuming as ‘disaster’ ref Luka Modric called ‘one of worst ever’ will be in charge of crunch Chelsea showdown

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      A REFEREE Luka Modric has labelled a “disaster” has been put in charge of Real Madrid’s second-leg clash against Chelsea. Daniele Orsato will be the official at Stamford Bridge tomorrow for the huge Champions League quarter-final game.
      Daniele Orsato has refereed many high-profile matches at club and international levelCredit: Rex
      Luca Modric has been outspoken on his views on Orsato previouslyCredit: Rex
      Madrid hold a two goal lead after beating Chelsea at the Bernabeu and will be looking to get the job done.
      But the Mail report there is “panic” from Madrid at the decision to appoint Orsato to the role given club grievances with him before.
      Modric has been the most critical of the Italian ref after taking issue with his officiating in last year’s World Cup semi-final between Croatia and Argentina.
      The Croatian midfielder felt that his country should have been given a corner shortly before Argentina went up the other end and won a penalty which Modric also thought was unjust.
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      The Real Madrid star, 37, said: “It’s a key moment in the game, he doesn’t give us a corner and he whistles a penalty, which wasn’t for me, because he shoots and collides with our goalkeeper.
      “I can’t believe he whistled that penalty. That changes the game.

      “I never talk about referees, but today it’s impossible not to talk. He’s one of the worst I know.
      “Not only because of today’s game. He’s whistled me many times and I never have a good memory of him. He’s a disaster.”
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      Orsato also wound up Real Madrid when he officiated their first-leg last 16 Champions League defeat in 2020.
      Sergio Ramos was sent off late on for dragging back Gabriel Jesus and City won a penalty when Dani Carvajal took down Sergio Ramos.
      But Orsato was also in charge of Real Madrid’s dramatic extra-time win over Manchester City in last year’s Champions League’s semi-finals and awarded them a penalty.
      In total the ref has officiated seven Madrid games with Los Blancos winning three and losing four.
      The Spanish club will be favourites for the game regardless of the referee with struggling Chelsea without a win in six. More

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      Frank Lampard puts Chelsea flops to work in training after cheeky dig at Graham Potter ahead of biggest game of season

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      FRANK LAMPARD put his Chelsea players through their paces ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday.The Blues face the mammoth task of overturning a 2-0 quarter-final first-leg deficit at Stamford Bridge.
      Frank Lampard was out on the training pitch with Ashley Cole on MondayCredit: Reuters
      He is preparing for Chelsea’s clash with Real Madrid on TuesdayCredit: Reuters
      Cole has been appointed by Lampard as interim first-team coachCredit: PA
      Chelsea are looking to overturn a two-goal deficit against Real MadridCredit: PA
      And they come into the game off the back of a 2-1 home loss to Brighton on Saturday.
      Lampard has suffered three successive defeats since returning to West London as interim boss.
      But he was out on the training pitch on Monday morning as he bids to formulate a plan to defeat the 14-time European champions.
      It comes after a sly dig at former manager Graham Potter as he slammed the squad’s fitness.
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      Chelsea are looking to end a run of three defeats in a rowCredit: Reuters
      The Blues have not won any of their last six games in all competitionsCredit: PA
      Lampard is still searching for his first win since returning to ChelseaCredit: Reuters
      The Champions League is all Chelsea have left to play for this seasonCredit: PA
      Following the Brighton defeat, he said: “At the minute, it has been mostly conversations and meetings than training pitch stuff.
      “Training pitch stuff was all pretty walkthrough and low level because of the [tiredness] in the legs.

      “It is more about speaking to the players individually. When we do get the chance to work, I think the team needs some physical work.
      “I think that’s important for us because at this level you have to be right on the limit and we are not on the limit right now.
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      “I think that can be a capacity thing with the players for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter how we got there but it needs to be addressed now.”
      Ben Chilwell will be unavailable for the game following his red card at the Bernabeu last week.
      It means Marc Cucurella is expected to return at left-back, but Kalidou Koulibaly is unavailable with a hamstring problem.
      Armando Broja is still sidelined, with Kai Havertz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Carney Chukwuemeka all facing late fitness tests.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke are all ineligible.
      Meanwhile, Real Madrid will still be without Ferland Mendy for the trip to Chelsea.
      But Vinicius Junior and Toni Kroos will be available despite missing Saturday’s 2-0 win over Cadiz due to minor knocks.
      Chelsea were eliminated by Real Madrid in last season’s Champions LeagueCredit: PA More

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      How Man Utd can drop SIX points from their remaining Premier League games and still qualify for the Champions League

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      MANCHESTER UNITED can drop six points from their remaining eight games and still qualify for the Champions League.Erik ten Hag’s side are plagued by injuries at the moment, and are still fighting on multiple fronts.

      Man United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on SundayCredit: Getty
      The Dutchman’s squad is set to be stretched to the limit in the coming weeks, with the Europa League and FA Cup still to fight for.
      Defenders Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are among the absentees, as well as star forward Marcus Rashford.
      Even if United lose twice in the run in, however, they are still guaranteed to clinch a place in the Champions League by winning the other six.
      Six wins and two defeats would take the Red Devils on to 77 points.
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      The maximum tally Tottenham can reach by winning all of their remaining matches is 74 points.
      While Brighton, who have played fewer games, could reach 76 points if they were to win their final nine.
      In-form Aston Villa can reach 71 points by winning all of their remaining fixtures – the same figure as inconsistent Liverpool.
      Man United still have to play a number of the teams below them.
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      Aston Villa are surging up the tableCredit: Alamy
      Brighton won at Chelsea on SaturdayCredit: Rex
      Their next Premier League match is against Tottenham in North London on April 26.
      They then host Villa four days later, before a tricky trip to Brighton on May 4.
      That’s followed by an away fixture at West Ham and a home assignment with Wolves.
      United then finish their Prem season with a trip to Bournemouth and a final day rematch with FA Cup quarter-final opponents Fulham.
      Having beaten the Cottagers at Old Trafford, United face Brighton in the Wembley semi-finals this weekend.
      Before that they travel to Spain for Thursday night’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Sevilla.
      United’s top four rivals Tottenham have a difficult run of fixtures coming up.
      Spurs travel to Newcastle this weekend ahead of their showdown with the Red Devils next Thursday.
      Just three days after taking on Ten Hag’s men they will then have to play Liverpool at Anfield.
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      They then finish their campaign with matches against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford and Leeds.
      Among Brighton’s run-in are trips to Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Brentford – while they finish with a final-day home clash with top four-hunting Newcastle.
      Tottenham slipped up to Bournemouth on SaturdayCredit: Getty More