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      Antonio Conte incredibly reveals he was JOKING when he said Tottenham could sack him

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      ANTONIO CONTE says he does not believe Spurs are considering sacking him.The Tottenham chief told Italian TV after last week’s Champions League exit to AC Milan that the club hierarchy could “send me away” before his contract expires in the summer.
      Spurs chief Antonio Conte claims he decided to quip while he was aheadCredit: Rex
      It followed a miserable week in which the North Londoners also crashed out of the FA Cup to Championship side Sheffield United and lost at Wolves in the league.
      Yet Conte now insists his response was a joke – what is known as “una battuta” in his mother tongue – after being provoked by his interviewer and he does not think Daniel Levy is thinking of wielding the axe.
      The ex-Chelsea boss said: “This was a provocation, you understand, about my future. A provocation, a joke, ‘una battuta’. 
      “When you tell something, to joke. You asked me about the future and I said to you that you don’t know what happens. Because maybe the club can sack me. 
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      “But I repeat: I don’t think the club is thinking this. The club sees every day what me and my staff are doing for this club. It was only an answer about my future.”
      Asked if the club have told him whether he is safe until the end of the current campaign, Conte replied: “There is not one club that can tell the manager you stay here until the end of the season. 
      “You know football is really strange. You don’t know what happens tomorrow, you understand. But I repeat: in my opinion we try in every moment to do everything, me and my staff. And I think the club appreciates this. 
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      “Because if you continue to ask me if I sign a new contract, it means that maybe the club appreciates what we are doing, the work that we doing, in this one year and a half.”
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      While all routes to silverware are now closed off this season, Conte is still hoping to replicate last term’s top-four finish during this campaign.
      His side are currently in the box seat, holding a four-point gap over fifth-placed Newcastle who are a spot below them in table, though Eddie Howe’s men have two games in hand.
      Spurs travel on Saturday to basement boys Southampton, the side from whom they pinched goalkeeper Fraser Forster on a freebie last summer.
      The England stopper, 34, has been in fine form since deputising for the injured Hugo Lloris over the last month, prompting questions over whether he could keep his place when the Frenchman returns.
      Yet Conte added: “We’re really happy with Fraser but at the same time when Hugo is ready he is our first keeper.”
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      Gary Lineker reveals ‘very rare bet’ on unlikely Champions League winners and tipped them up ‘months ago’

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      GARY LINEKER has revealed that he put a bet on Napoli to win the Champions League months ago.The Italian side cruised through to the quarter-finals with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
      Gary Lineker made an incredible bet months ago on who will win the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      Lineker made an early prediction that Napoli would win the European competition this season when they were backed by few.
      The BBC host tweeted: “Really enjoy watching Napoli. They play such exciting football. Had a very rare bet on them to win the Champions League this season some months ago.”
      Before the tournament began, Napoli were 66-1 to win the final in Istanbul on June 10.
      Lineker is not the only pundit to have backed them, Ruud Gullit told Gazzetta dello Sport: “They are the favourites to win the Champions League. I haven’t changed my mind.
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      “They play a style of football that we all like to see – fast, rapid and vertical.
      “The English clubs are strong, the same for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. But this Napoli team are totally different.”
      On their route to the last eight, Luciano Spalletti’s men have hammered Liverpool 4-1 and demolished Ajax 6-1 in the group stage.
      They have also beat Rangers 3-0 on two occasions.
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      Domestically, Napoli are 18 points clear at the top of the Serie A table and look set to win the Scudetto this season.
      Star players Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia lead the attack and both have been linked with moves to the Premier League.
      Napoli have been backed by Gary Lineker to win the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty More

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      Man City striker Erling Haaland set world record at just FIVE years old as athletic talent revealed

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      MANCHESTER CITY superstar Erling Haaland has been breaking records since the age of FIVE.Haaland’s most recent milestone took place only last Tuesday when he scored a staggering five times for City against RB Leipzig and became the fastest player to amass 30 Champions League goals.
      Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has been breaking records this seasonCredit: Getty
      Erling Haaland’s milestones kicked off at the tender age of five years oldCredit: Instagram / @erling.haaland
      Erling Haaland broke a long-jump world record for five-year oldsCredit: Refer to Caption
      He bagged all five goals in just 35 minutes to take his total tally to 39 goals in 36 games this season, a figure that saw him break the Citizens’ all-time record set by Tommy Johnson 94-years ago.
      But the star striker’s exploits kicked off when he was in first grade as he broke a long jump world record for five-year-olds.
      The Norway international leapt 1.63m in 2006 during his tender years in Bryne.
      That was of course not the only time the 22-year-old showed athletic prowess as he also exhibited tremendous speed in 2020 while playing for Borussia Dortmund.
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      The Norwegian star was clocked sprinting 60m in just 6.64 seconds, which would have put him in the World Championship athletics indoor final in 2018.
      Sport appears to be in Haaland’s genes as his father and agent Alf-Inge also enjoyed a successful Premier League career playing for Leeds, Nottingham Forest and of course City.
      The ex-Red Bull Salzburg star’s mother Gry Marita also used to be a national heptathlon champion in Norway.
      While his maternal cousins Albert Tjaland and Jonatan Braut Brunes play for Norwegian clubs Bryne and Start.
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      Haaland doesn’t look likely to slow down any time soon having already registered a whopping 28 goals in only 26 Premier League matches.
      Many believe he has what it takes to one day break Alan Shearer’s all-time goalscoring record in the Prem.
      Shearer has been topping the rankings for years with 260 goals in 441 appearances. More

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      Real Madrid ‘disrespect’ Cristiano Ronaldo after Liverpool clash in Champions League leaving fans fuming

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO fans have been left fuming after Real Madrid “disrespected” the legend after their Champions League win over Liverpool.The current holders of Europe’s elite competition stormed to a 6-2 aggregate win over Jurgen Klopp’s side last night.
      Fans of Cristiano Ronaldo believe he has been ‘disrespected’ by Real MadridCredit: AFP
      Real Madrid referred to Karim Benzema as ‘Mr Champions League’ after beating LiverpoolCredit: Alamy
      Karim Benzema scored the only goal of the second leg in a 1-0 victory for Real at the Bernabeu.
      And Los Blancos reacted to the Frenchman’s performance by tweeting: “Mr Champions League.”

      However, supporters of ex-Real star Ronaldo were left far from impressed.
      That’s because they believe the Portugal legend is the ultimate Champions League player.
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      Ronaldo, now playing Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, won the title five times across his Manchester United and Real spells.
      On top of that, the 38-year-old holds the most appearances in the competition with 183.
      Ronaldo also has the most goals with 140, plus the mosts assists with 42.
      On the flip side, 35-year-old Benzema has also won five Champions Leagues.
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      But he only has 88 goals in the competition, the fourth-highest in history.
      And Ronaldo fans believe their man has been greatly disrespected by Real as a result.
      One said: “Rare L. There’s only one Mr Champions League and that’s Cristiano Ronaldo.”
      Another declared: “Don’t disrespect Cristiano like that.”
      One noted: “Show some respect to Cristiano.”
      Another added: “That’s a bit shameless considering it is always going to be Cristiano.” More

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      Erling Haaland’s strict sleeping technique revealed, from special glasses, hi-tech ring and Champions League alarm

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      ERLING HAALAND’S five goals against RB Leipzig on Tuesday night took his tally to a startling 39 for the season – and we’re only in March.The Norwegian, 22, shared a picture on Wednesday morning of him sleeping alongside his match ball.
      Erling Haaland took a nap with his match ball and tinted sunglasses on Wednesday
      He is known to take sleep extremely seriously
      The Aura Ring is a sleep device that Haaland is known to use
      And his resting regime is just another addition to his set-up that makes him one of the most formidable strikers in world football.
      According to The Mail, Haaland is obsessed with how he can improve his sleep, labelling it “perhaps the most important thing in life”.
      But in order to secure the optimum shuteye, he has several things in place to help.
      They include his orange-tinted, blue-light glasses – visible in his photo from earlier this week – which he wears in the hours before going to bed.
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      He goes to sleep between 10pm and 10.30pm and turns all electric devices off a while before getting his rest.
      Haaland also uses an Oura Ring – which measures sleep quality, temperature trends, stress and heart rate.

      The ex-Borussia Dortmund man scores impressively when using the device – something former Manchester United man Gary Neville also uses for health reasons ever since collapsing at the Euros.
      Hilariously, Haaland also has the Champions League theme music as his morning alarm.
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      Erling Haaland has 10 goals in the Champions League this season
      Haaland has 28 goals in the Premier League
      He has spoken on several occasions about how much Europe’s premier competition means to him – evident through his record of 33 goals in 25 games.
      Haaland is understood to be meticulous when it comes to perfecting his physical condition.
      Norway coach Stale Solbakken recently said: “His body is still improving, he is still growing.
      “If you look at him now and 12 months ago, you can see a small difference. He takes this very seriously.”
      He has bulked up significantly since his younger days at Molde – becoming a huge, commanding presence that is difficult for defenders to outmuscle.
      And his diet has also gone some way to helping him formulate the best recipe for success.
      Haaland can consume up to 6,000 calories per day, with Norway team-mate Josh King saying: “I’ve never seen anyone eat as much as he does. He just eats like a bear.”
      This can be attributed to him growing up in the farming town of Bryne where a high-protein diet is the norm.
      Haaland has bulked up significantly since his days playing in NorwayCredit: Getty
      Unique things on the menu include mineral-rich offal as well as heart and liver.
      Speaking about what he eats, Haaland said: “Eating quality food that is as local as possible is the most important.
      “People say meat is bad for you but which? The meat you get at McDonald’s, or the local cow eating grass right there?”
      He balances his diet with carbohydrates such as his dad’s lasagne.
      Haaland is also a lover of fish and fancies himself as a chef having left home to join Molde at 16 years of age.
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      His sleep and nutrition measures have clearly gone some way to helping him succeed at the very top level.
      And he shows no signs of slowing down having already racked up 215 goals for club and country in his relatively short career to date. More

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      Champions League quarter-final draw simulated with Chelsea landing horror clash and huge Milan derby

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      CHELSEA landed a horror Champions League quarter-final clash in SunSport’s simulated draw.We put the remaining eight teams at Europe’s top table into a virtual hat.
      Graham Potter will be desperately hoping SunSport’s Champions League draw does not become realityCredit: Getty
      And in the randomised selections, the Blues were pulled out to face… Manchester City.
      Chelsea fans will no doubt be fearing the worst if tomorrow’s actual draw in Nyon throws up the same result.

      They have lost their last FIVE matches against City without scoring a single goal including three times already this season and twice in 2023 – with a Premier League trip to the Etihad still to come in May.
      Ironically, the Blues’ most recent win over Pep Guardiola’s side came in the 2021 Champions League final.
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      Chelsea scraped through from their last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund last week thanks to a controversial and retaken Kai Havertz penalty at Stamford Bridge to secure a 2-1 aggregate win.
      But City – and in particular Erling Haaland – looked mightily impressive as they swept RB Leipzig aside.
      After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, Haaland turned on the style at the Etihad on Tuesday with FIVE goals in 35 minutes during the 7-0 thrashing.
      The reigning Premier League champs are desperate to end their European hoodoo and finally get their hands on Ol’ Big Ears in Istanbul this June.
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      And after their comprehensive dismantling of Leipzig, they are the favourites to go all the way.
      However, Bayern Munich will certainly take some stopping.
      The Bundesliga giants and 2020 Champions League winners saw off Paris Saint-Germain with relative ease in the round of 16.
      In our simulated draw, they take on runaway Serie A leaders Napoli, who proved too strong for Eintracht Frankfurt.
      Elsewhere, holders Real Madrid – fresh from their 6-2 victory over Liverpool – will take on Benfica in the last eight.
      Like Los Blancos, Benfica hit Club Brugge for five to make an easy progression.
      And that leaves AC Milan and Inter Milan to face off in a mammoth all-Italian quarter-final tie.
      The Milan rivals are seemingly ready to compete among Europe’s elite again after a long hiatus, having to watch on as Juventus flew the flag for Italy.
      Bizarrely, the Milan giants dispatched Tottenham and Porto respectively, with 1-0 wins at the San Siro followed by 0-0 draws against ten men in the away return leg.
      Manchester City have won five in a row against Chelsea without concedingCredit: Getty
      There would be plenty of bite if AC Milan and Inter Milan faced offCredit: Getty More

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      Fans terrified by Jurgen Klopp’s ‘psychotic smile’ as Liverpool crash out of Champions League vs Real Madrid

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      JURGEN KLOPP left viewers terrified with a “psychotic smile” as Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League. Liverpool were visiting the Bernabeu knowing they had to overturn a 5-2 first-leg defeat.
      Jurgen Klopp’s ‘psychotic smile’ left fans terrifiedCredit: Getty
      It came as Liverpool crashed out of the Champions LeagueCredit: beIN Sports
      But it was Carlo Ancelotti’s Champions League specialists who broke the deadlock in the 78th minute thanks to 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.
      As the game reached injury time, Kostas Tsimikas saw the ball strike his arm after deflecting off his thigh as he blocked a shot inside the penalty area.
      A VAR check ensued, with the outrageous amount of time taken to come to a decision leaving Jurgen Klopp smiling on the side, though most likely not through enjoyment.
      Viewers rushed to social media to comment on the German’s “creepy” smile.
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      One said: “Klopp got that psychotic smile.”
      A second commented: “Klopp’s smile is so creepy 😭.”
      A third remarked: “Someone screenshot that Klopp smile bro hes not real 😭😭.”
      “THAT KLOPP SMILE FRAME WITH ANCELOTTI SHSHSHSHS ALL TIMER,” declared a fourth.
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      A fifth admitted: “Omds that Klopp smile was worth suffering through this whole match lmaooooooooooo.”
      A sixth joked: 😂😂 Klopp smiles like a creep when his team is losing,” while another added: “Klopp could deadass look at anything and still smile at it lmao.”
      Madrid saw out the final few seconds before playing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from their speaker system in a classy gesture.
      The Reds Champions League exit comes after a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth which saw their top four hopes dented.
      Klopp’s side have gone from being two games away from winning an unprecedented quadruple last season to having virtually no hope of winning a trophy this term.
      The Champions League represented the club’s final realistic avenue to silverware, but now the best they can hope for this season is a spot in the top four. More

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      ‘Classy touch’ – Real Madrid’s brilliant choice of song played at full-time hailed by Michael Owen

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      MICHAEL OWEN hailed Real Madrid after they played “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the end of their 1-0 win over Liverpool.A goal from Karim Benzema 12 minutes from time helped his side to progress to the quarter-final 6-2 on aggregate.
      Pretty special moment at full time whistle. Real Madrid playing You’ll Never Walk Alone on the tannoy as a gesture of thanks to Liverpool for their gesture of support following the death of Madrid honorary president Amancio Amaro before the first leg. pic.twitter.com/DHO0gzqTFZ— Phil Kitromilides (@PhilKitro) March 15, 2023

      Real Madrid played ‘You’ll Never Walk alone’ over the tannoy at the end of the gameCredit: Reuters
      Karim Benzema scored the only goal of the gameCredit: AFP
      After the match Real paid tribute to their visitors by playing their iconic anthem.
      The Spanish giants wanted to pay their respects to the Reds after Liverpool paid homage to honorary Real president Amancio Amaro before the first leg at Anfield following his death.
      Real fans could be seen applauding the Liverpool end as a gesture of goodwill.
      BT presenter Jake Humphrey called it a “classy” touch while pundit Owen was also left impressed.
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      He said: “A lot of respect between the two teams. It is a nice touch.”
      The two sides have a lot of recent history with Real usually taking the share of the spoils.
      Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final and also got the better of them in 2018’s showpiece.
      Real have now twice beaten Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the Champions League knock-out stages and will have one eye on this year’s final in Istanbul.
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      The quarter-final draw will be made on Friday where Real could be picked to face English sides Manchester City or Chelsea.
      Los Blancos beat both those teams last year on the way to glory so will likely feel confident against any opposition, with Bayern Munich, Napoli, Benfica and both Milan clubs also in the mix.
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