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      I won the Champions League, featured in Messi’s debut and refused to play for Spain – now I’m known more for politics

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      OLEGUER PRESAS may have had a glimmering football career but he is now more known for his politics.The former Barcelona defender won the Champions League and also played in a certain Lionel Messi’s debut.
      Oleguer Presas was a regular for Barcelona when he playedCredit: Getty
      He ended his career at Ajax in 2011Credit: Getty
      Oleguer played 175 times for the Catalan giants during a five-year spell between 2003 and 2008.
      He was part of the squad that beat Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League Final, alongside club legends such as Carles Puyol and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
      Despite playing for one of the best clubs in Spain, he never played for the national side, instead opting to represent Catalonia.
      He left the LaLiga side in 2008 for Dutch giants Ajax.
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      The defender spent the rest of his career in Holland before hanging up his boots in 2011.
      And he is indeed very proud of his career.
      Speaking to Diari de Barcelona, Oleguer said: “I am proud to have arrived at Barca, for me this is success.
      “Then you win a Champions League or you don’t, or a league… It depends on many factors.
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      “What is the result of effort and dedication is this entire trajectory. I’m proud of that, yes.”
      However, he is not living off his footballing career and instead has gone on to support political causes and Catalonian nationalism.
      Despite also winning two LaLiga titles, politics was always on his mind.
      As many of his team-mates went on to play for Spain, he rejected the chance ahead of the national side’s success at the Euros and World Cup.
      He said: “I did not feel this commitment to a national team that does not represent me in any way.
      “On the contrary, it generates rejection and aversion in me for what it represents.
      “The conversation with [Spain manager at the time] Luis Aragones was very frank, honest and calm. It’s not that I can’t feel comfortable, it’s also that I’m not interested.
      “I haven’t seen or followed the European Championships or the World Cups, it doesn’t have much sense.”
      Although he opted to play for Catalonia over SpainCredit: Getty
      And he was aware of the impact his views had on people’s opinion of him.
      He added: “When you’re in the thick of it, some picked me up as an icon because of what I said and some hated me.
      “I was always quite aware of that.”
      In his youth, he was considered to be quite rebellious as he attended protests in Barcelona and Amsterdam.
      When promoting his 2006 book Camí d’Itaca, he said of his political escapades: “I know that everything I say can have a lot of repercussion, but in what sense? Controversy, newspaper articles, radio comments, conversations… and will something change?
      “Even knowing that it will not change immediately, you have to get wet, because indifference is equivalent to giving up.
      “And we have to dream, whatever the cost, because it is the only way to get closer, even if it is with the slow passage of time, to the utopia. We have to be optimistic. Ithaca is not that far away.”
      But now Oleguer is more focused on battling against the commercialisation of the sport he was once at the top of.
      Oleguer is now more known for his politics than his footballing careerCredit: Reuters
      He told VilaWeb: “For years, football has been a business, a spectacle, focused on making economic profits.
      “Fans are no longer fans, they are spectators. Members are no longer members, they are consumers of the club.
      “Everything revolves around money.”
      The former Barcelona star also runs a football project that aims to take away the competitive nature out of football.
      He said at a Tedx event in Tarragona: “I thought training football was the way to go.
      “But I didn’t like the things I saw in traditional training football.
      “In this sense, the project was an opportunity to, from a passionate point of view, hold training sessions where learning was not solely football-related in order to seek the sporting excellence that is usually sought, but with vital learning and where the football aspect was not central.
      “I realised that grassroots football is very focused on performance and from my point of view there are human situations that I don’t like and that make me feel uncomfortable.”
      He now helps a football project that aims to take away the competitive edge of the gameCredit: Getty
      At the project, people get to enjoy the beautiful game without being sucked into the competitive side of football.
      Speaking to Marca, he said: “It has been good for us not having competition for this moment of joint learning that aims to change the most competitive and individualistic dynamics.
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      “If we had started in a competition without doing any previous work, it would have been more difficult to explain to them that the result is not important and that we all have to play together.
      “We live in an unjust society, and I try to do what I do to put an end to inequalities.” More

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      Thomas Tuchel breaks silence on Sadio Mane’s Bayern Munich ban after he punched Leroy Sane in the face

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      THOMAS TUCHEL has broken his silence on Sadio Mane’s alleged punch on Leroy Sane.The two players were involved in a heated exchange following the defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League.
      Thomas Tuchel has defended Sadio Mane after his alleged punch on Leroy SaneCredit: AP
      The two have been back in training with each otherCredit: AP
      Sane was believed to be left with a bloodied lip after the former Liverpool star reportedly punched him.
      But the Bayern boss has defended Mane and revealed that the problem has been “settled”.
      Mane has been fined and banned for one game.
      Tuchel said: “That’s settled. A game and a fine are the consequences of what happened.
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      “The way both players involved dealt with it, the way the other players dealt with it, it had a cleansing effect. 
      “We had a positive atmosphere yesterday and today. I’m here to defend Mane.
      “I’ve known him for a very long time and only know him as an absolute professional. I also know his entourage.
      “He has never been guilty of anything.
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      Bayern will be up against it when they take on Man City in the second leg of the tie.
      They will host the Citizens at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday as they looked to overcome the three-goal deficit, after hosting Hoffenheim on Saturday. More

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      Man Utd legend Evra reveals how rival begged ‘I have kids’ in plea for mercy after filthy nutmeg versus Dynamo Kyiv

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Patrice Evra has revealed a player pleaded with him “I have kids” after being brutally nutmegged.The Red Devils claimed their third European triumph in 2008 when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.
      Patrice Evra received the ball from Nani inside the penalty areaCredit: Twitter@Evra

      Evra nutmegged Diakhate and left him for deadCredit: Twitter / @Evra
      He then laid it off for Carlos Tevez whose shot was savedCredit: Twitter / @Evra
      And they set the tone for that Champions League campaign in the group stage when they won five and drew one of their six matches.
      One of those came at home to Dynamo Kyiv in a comfortable 4-0 victory.
      In the match, left-back Evra produced a remarkable piece of skill when marauding down the wing.
      The Frenchman, who spent eight years at Old Trafford between 2006 and 2014, burst forward and laid the ball off to Nani.
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      He then carried on his run and received the one-two, before audaciously taking it on the turn and popping it through the legs of Pape Diakhate.
      After Evra’s sensational skill, he still had the composure to lay it into Carlos Tevez, but the Man Utd striker’s shot was saved by Oleksandr Shovkovskiy.
      However, Evra did not forget the ludicrous skill and in 2021 revealed what Diakhate said to him after being bamboozled.
      Sharing the clip, Evra tweeted: “I used to meg [nutmeg] people just for fun 🤩.
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      “At the end of the game, that defender said: ‘Evra, you can’t do that to me, I’ve got kids’ 😅😂🔥🙏🏽.”
      Evra played 379 games for Man Utd, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League and three League Cups.
      He then moved to Juventus and claimed two Serie A titles, before brief spells at Marseille and West Ham brought the curtain down on his career as he retired in 2019.
      Evra also holds a remarkable record of having reached FIVE Champions League finals – four of which he lost.
      He was a part of the 2004 Monaco side that lost 3-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
      He then featured in both the 2009 and 2011 finals in which Barcelona defeated Man Utd.
      And in 2015 he succumbed to Barcelona for a third time as Juventus went down 3-1 in Berlin. More

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      Chelsea fans in disbelief as new footage shows Wesley Fofana READING seconds before Chelsea concede against Real Madrid

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      CHELSEA fans have been left in disbelief after footage emerged appearing to show Wesley Fofana READING just before Real Madrid scored.He and a number of other players appeared to switch off and the mistake proved costly for the Blues stars as the Spanish side took a set piece quickly, and Marco Asensio was able to fire in the side’s second goal of the night.
      Is that defensive “expert” still at the club? state of defending at that corner, looks like Fofana is reading a note when ball comes in! pic.twitter.com/ygLvLvFKOt— RoyalBlueChelsea⭐⭐ (@CFCROYALBLUE) April 12, 2023

      Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana was reading a note as Real Madrid scored from a cornerCredit: twitter: @CFCROYALBLUE
      While Reece James and other defenders had also switched offCredit: twitter: @CFCROYALBLUE
      Chelsea went on to lose the first leg of the quarter-final 2-0 and it got even worse as Ben Chilwell was sent off and will miss the second leg.
      But fans are even more upset with the result as it appears the second goal could have been avoided if the players were more alert.
      In the clip posted on social media, Reece James has his back to the ball and Wesley Fofana appears to be reading a note handed to him by one of the substitutes.
      And the club’s supporters have slammed them online.
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      One Chelsea fan tweeted: “Is that defensive “expert” still at the club? state of defending at that corner, looks like Fofana is reading a note when the ball comes in!”
      A second commented: “Is nuts, half of them backs turned, pointing, yeah Cucarella does at least move, Fofana (whose legs the ball goes through ) looks like he’s reading a book ….little things make the difference…it ain’t over but so frustrating to concede soft goals.”

      A third pointed out: “They’re aren’t even focused on defending the corner. It’s almost like everyone already gave up.”
      A fourth wrote: “Only subs that could have brought that note on are either Gallagher or Mount..that’s on Lampard! Sending on a note before a set piece is defended..shocking!”
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      A fifth said: “Pls where was James going was he not supposed to mark Vini they left him free.”
      While a sixth declared: “SHAMBOLIC.”
      After the game, interim boss Frank Lampard admitted his players switched off after going down to ten men.
      He said: “The disappointing thing is you give away a set-piece and switch off for the second goal with ten men.
      “I don’t think with ten men they carved us open. That was due to the spirit.
      “And I think at that part of the game we had our chances, three pretty good chances. Joao [Felix] early, Raheem [Sterling], Mason [Mount] near the end. So there’s some good things, but the result is a reality.
      “I just said to the players, special things can happen at Stamford Bridge. They’re a good team, but we have to believe.” More

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      What punishment Leroy Sane asked Bayern Munich to give Sadio Mane after being punched in face

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      LEROY SANE was in favour of Sadio Mane being handed a “mild” punishment for their bust-up, it’s claimed.The pair were involved in a heated argument following the defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League.
      Leroy Sane and Sadio Mane are claimed to have had a bust upCredit: Getty
      But the pair have now settled their differencesCredit: AP
      Sane was believed to be left with a bloodied lip after the former Liverpool star allegedly punched him.
      And discussions over Mane’s punishment were spoken about by Bayern’s bosses with Sane in favour of lesser action than throwing him out of the team, according to BILD.
      The German outlet claims that the pair held talks with sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, 46, and manager Thomas Tuchel, 49, as they look to move on from their bust-up.
      The pair are now said to have “forgotten” the altercation and have been in training together.
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      The report also suggests that they have been on the same team during training matches.
      The incident happened after Mane was reportedly left fuming after an on-field argument with Sane.
      He “complained” about how his team-mate, once of Manchester City, spoke to him late on in the match.
      The pair were pictured talking heatedly on the pitch in the 83rd minute following a mix-up over an attacking move.
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      And Bild claimed that tempers flared in the dressing room once the game was over.
      Words were said to have been exchanged.
      Mane then allegedly struck Sane on the lip, leaving a mark.
      Team-mates were reportedly forced to separate the pair, with Sane being sent out of the dressing room.
      The following day, Sane was seen hiding his face as he made his way to the team bus. More

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      Liverpool ‘could axe 13 PLAYERS to fund summer rebuild’ with a host of first-team stars set to be flogged

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      LIVERPOOL may have to offload up to 13 players this summer, reports suggest.The Reds are enduring a turbulent season that could see them missing out on the top four.
      Liverpool have been enduring a turbulent campaign in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may axe up to 13 players in the summerCredit: Alamy
      The Daily Express predicts that manager Jurgen Klopp may have to wield the axe on several players to raise funds for reinforcement, especially if the Merseysiders miss out on Champions League cash.
      Liverpool may start by letting go of players whose contracts run out in June.
      Adrian, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Roberto Firmino could all leave.
      Arthur is highly likely to return to Juventus after an unsuccessful loan stint at Anfield.
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      Caoimhen Kelleher, Sepp van den Berg, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips could all find themselves on the chopping block as well after failing to earn first-team opportunities.
      Joel Matip has struggled for fitness in the last 18 months and may have to make way if Klopp is able to get an upgrade at centre-back.
      The same goes for Kostas Tsimikas, even though the left-back has shone bright while deputising for Andy Robertson.
      James Milner and Joe Gomez help Liverpool meet the criteria for homegrown players in their Premier League and European squads.
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      But both of them could be on the way out, especially Milner whose deal comes to an end in June.
      Liverpool are currently eighth in the Premier League table with 12 points separating them from fourth place.
      The Reds are facing immense competition for Champions League qualification with the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United also making a strong case. More

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      Arsenal want to re-sign former player who they gave up on after just one appearance in two years

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      ARSENAL want to re-sign Ismael Bennacer, reports suggest.Bennacer is one of the main stars of reigning Italian champions AC Milan.
      Ismael Bennacer is wanted by ArsenalCredit: Alamy
      And he gave them one foot in the Champions League semi-final after rifling home the only goal of their 1-0 win over Napoli in the quarter-final.
      However, his good form is now attracting interest, with Arsenal and Liverpool both interested in his services.
      The reports from Italy, via Football 365, suggest Arsenal could even try to tempt Milan into a sale by offering Folarin Balogun in a swap deal.
      Bennacer, 25, was on the books at Arsenal between 2015 and 2017.
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      But he was never able to make a lasting impression, only making one appearance in the senior team.
      From Arsenal the Algerian international went to Empoli.
      And by 2019 he was picked up by AC Milan in a £14million deal.
      Since joining the San Siro club, he has made 139 appearances.
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      Bennacer did sign a new four-and-a-half-year deal at Milan only in January, and according to Transfermakrt, his market value now sits at £35m.
      Arsenal are in the market for the midfielder, having been heavily linked with both Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo.
      A shock report earlier today also suggested Arsenal had made contact with Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante. More

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      Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr reveals the best defender he’s come up against in brutal snub to Chelsea star Reece James

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      REAL MADRID forward Vinicius Junior has revealed his toughest opponent after taking on Chelsea’s Reece James.Following Madrid’s 2-0 victory over the Blues in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter final first leg, where Vinicius picked up two more assists, he was asked which defender he found most difficult to play against.
      Vinicius Jr gave James a horrid night as Real Madrid comfortably beat the BluesCredit: Getty
      The winger finally triumphed in the battle of wills against the EnglishmanCredit: EPA
      Barca star Araujo is Vinicius’s toughest opponent
      The Brazilian answered: “It has to be Araujo, who has defended me best. He is very good and very strong, that’s why he plays for Barca”.
      James recently revealed that Vinicius was one of the toughest players he’s ever faced.
      The respectful sentiment was clearly mutual, with the Brazilian ace naming James as a difficult opponent.
      However, last night’s face-off was one to forget for the England right-back.
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      Premier League veteran Rio Ferdinand claimed Vinicius showed James “no respect” and explained how “Reece needs to take this personally to see where did he get it wrong”.
      Fans echoed this observation, saying the Chelsea full-back, “was torn apart by Vinicius”. While another added: “Vini really owned James”.

      Social media fans have also enjoyed the Madrid forward’s cheeky Instagram post showing him racing past James last night, with the Chelsea man tagged in.
      Comments included that the England international had dropped a “stinker on the big stage” and that the tag was “brutal” and “did Reece dirty”.
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      However, it is understood that the two are on friendly terms and frequently interact online.
      Vinicius Jr and James will renew their hostilities next Tuesday when Chelsea host the defending European champions in the second-leg of their last-eight tie. More