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      How Danny Welbeck sparked ‘crazy’ training ground bust-up on night before Man Utd’s Champions League win over Chelsea

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      DANNY WELBECK caused a “crazy” bust-up during Manchester United’s last training session before the 2008 Champions League Final.United legend Rio Ferdinand looked back at the Red Devils’ last European trophy and remembered the bad signs that preceded their big game in Russia.
      Danny Welbeck caused a training ground bust-up at Manchester UnitedCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Brighton star Welbeck scored a hat-trick in training before the 2008 Champions League FinalCredit: Getty
      United went on to win the Champions League after their ‘crazy’ argumentCredit: PA
      Ferdinand remembered the experienced players facing off against the young aces the night before their big clash with Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium.
      The experienced players were looking for a big morale boost but it all went south as current Brighton star Welbeck netted a hat-trick and delivered a major blow to the stars’ ego.
      That led to a major argument which “could not have gone any worse” for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
      Ferdinand told his FIVE show: “The night before, we used to play older team versus younger team.
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      “Welbeck scored a hat-trick. The night before the Luzhniki Stadium, he scored a hat-trick against us.
      “Big arguments on the pitch, everyone is going crazy. Wow that last session before the big Champions League final could not have gone any worse. Terrible.”
      However, United managed to overcome their training ground drama the next night.
      The Red Devils defeated Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
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      Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for the Manchester giants after 26 minutes.
      But Chelsea’s current interim manager Frank Lampard equalised for the West Londoners just before half-time.
      United went on to win 6-5 on penalties when John Terry’s disastrous slip saved Ronaldo’s blushes before sudden death.
      Then Edwin van der Sar denied Nicolas Anelka’s spot-kick to land the club’s third European title. More

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      Arsenal team plane bursts into flames on runway as pilot forced to abandon take off after terrifying engine blaze

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      A PLANE carrying the Arsenal women’s team burst into flames on a flight back to London after a Champions League match .Photos show flames shooting from one of the Boeing 737’s engines on the runway at Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport in Germany.
      Photo shows the moment the Boeing 737’s engine caught fire during takeoffCredit: Gabriela Hansen / BILD
      Firefighters scramble to the aircraft after the engine infernoCredit: Gabriela Hansen / BILD
      Arsenal pose for a photo before the game against VfL WolfsburgCredit: Getty
      The 7.30pm flight was due to take off just a few hours after Arsenal secured a 2-2 draw against VfL Wolfsburg in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
      Witnesses say the plane – reportedly from a Maltese airline – was rocked by a loud bang just before it was about to take off last night.
      Horrified pilots saw the blaze and quickly stopped the plane on the tarmac and evacuated the passengers.
      An airport spokesman told German newspaper Bild a bird strike had caused the engine fire.
      The airport official added that nobody was hurt
      The players and Arsenal staff were put up in a nearby hotel overnight and flown back to London earlier today on a replacement plane.
      The airport is jointly owned by the car manufacturer Volkswagen Group which is based in Wolfsburg.
      The company uses the airfield as the home base for their own airline fleet operated under the Volkswagen Air Services brand.
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      Arsenal managed to claw back a 2-2 draw over Wolfsburg after conceding twice in the first 25 minutes.
      It sets up a key clash for the Gunners next Monday as they play the second leg at home at the Emirates Stadium in London.
      They could be propelled into the Women’s Champions League Final against either London rivals Chelsea or Spanish giants Barcelona.
      Barcelona hold a 1-0 aggregate lead over Chelsea after beating them on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.
      The Blues travel to Camp Nou on Thursday to settle the tie.
      Arsenal last won the competition in 2007 – when it was known as the Uefa Women’s Cup.
      That win is the last time an English club claimed victory in the tournament’s 22-year history.
      Barcelona won the title in 2021, but French side Lyon are the competition’s masters – having won the trophy eight times since 2011.
      Olympique however crashed out of these year’s competition in the quarters final as they were beaten on penalties by Chelsea.
      A spokesman for Arsenal said: “Our aircraft developed a technical issue prior to take-off in Germany on Sunday evening. 
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      “As a result, we remained in Wolfsburg overnight on Sunday before flying back to England on Monday afternoon.
      “We would like to thank the staff onboard the aircraft and on the ground at the airport for their assistance.”
      Stina Blackstenius celebrates with teammates after scoring the team’s second goalCredit: Getty More

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      Ancelotti tried to humiliate Chelsea with incredibly cheeky Sunday League tactic during Real Madrid Champions League win

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      CARLO ANCELOTTI admitted he tried to humiliate Chelsea with an incredibly cheeky Sunday League tactic.The Italian is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of his generation.
      Carlo Ancelotti almost deployed a Sunday League tactic in the Champions LeagueCredit: AFP
      Fede Valverde stood close to Karim Benzema for kick-off
      But with four Champions League titles and winner’s medals in all of the top-five leagues, even Ancelotti is not immune from using techniques spotted on park pitches.
      When Real Madrid kicked off for the second half of last Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge, Karim Benzema took the kick-off.
      But just a few yards back in his own half in the centre circle stood midfielder Fede Valverde.
      And Ancelotti revealed he was there to try and catch Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga out with a stunning long-range strike because the Spaniard often stands off his line.
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      Asked about the tactic by Marca, the Los Blancos chief openly said: “We have seen in recent games that Kepa at the beginning of the game was on the penalty spot.
      “We thought that with a long shot from Valverde, we could score.
      “We tried to work a lot on set pieces, less defensively because we defend in the zone.”
      In the end, Valverde did not give it a go and resisted the urge with the strike not on.
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      But the Uruguayan midfielder still had a major impact on the game, proving a constant threat and bursting through to set up Rodrygo’s second on the night to wrap up a 2-0 win.
      Valverde once apparently shook hands on a £2.6million transfer to Arsenal – even training with the first team – before getting snapped up by Real Madrid.
      However, he could face a lengthy ban after allegedly punching Villarreal star Alex Baena following reported sick comments about Valverde’s pregnant wife and unborn child.
      He wanted midfielder Fede Valverde to go for the spectacularCredit: Getty More

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      All hell breaks loose as riot police launch tear gas at warring fans after controversial refereeing at Olympiacos vs AEK

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      THE DERBY between Olympiacos and AEK Athens descended into chaos following a dramatic encounter marred by controversial refereeing.AEK won 3-1 at Georgios Karaiskakis in the Greek Superleague’s play-off round and effectively dethroned the reigning Greek champions, who are now third in the table and nine points away from the top.
      The derby between Olympiacos and AEK Athens descended into chaosCredit: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/12x7o4f/the_aftermath_of_olympiakos_aek_last_night_in/
      Fans invaded the pitch and were dispersed by riot police who used tear gasCredit: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/12x7o4f/the_aftermath_of_olympiakos_aek_last_night_in/
      All hell broke loose following Davide Massa’s final whistle as fans invaded the pitch and faced off with riot police, who launched tear gas to disperse the warring crowd.
      The incident took place at the same ground that could see Manchester City competing at on August 16.
      That is when the UEFA Super Cup takes place between the Champions League and Europa League winners.
      The dramatic scenes ensued following a tensed encounter between the rival clubs that saw Olympiacos protesting four of Massa’s calls.
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      The hosts were denied penalty in the first half when Domagoj Vida pushed Cedric Bakambu from behind inside the box shortly after AEK opened the scoring with Mijat Gacinovic after just seven minutes.
      Damian Szymanski then escaped a direct red card when he stepped on Mathieu Valbuena’s ankle from behind.
      The visitors were awarded a soft penalty in the second half when Vida fell under pressure from Oleg Reabciuk 26 minutes after Bakambu equalised for the Greek giants.
      Levi Garcia defeated Alexandros Paschalakis from the spot eight minutes before full-time.
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      AEK sealed the win in the first minute of stoppage time with Petros Mantalos’ beautiful finish.
      But Nordin Amrabat, who is the brother of Fiorentina and Morocco star Sofyan, fouled Reabciuk before delivering the assist.
      Olympiacos, who are owned by Nottingham Forest supremo Evangelos Marinakis, issued a fiery statement after full-time.
      The Piraeus outfit lashed out as they described the Greek football governing body EPO as “hoodlums”, the refereeing as “disgusting” and the Greek government as “incompetent”.
      Olympiacos’ statement read: “Today, even the blind saw what is happening in Greek football.
      “[Football’s] Fraudsters, hoodlums and outlaws have shown that they have no qualms. We told you that our fans’ patience is running out! They were very patient.
      “They deemed a penalty in a challenge that had no contact. They didn’t even check with VAR when there was a clear foul before AEK’s goal.
      “The whole of Greece was left disgusted. The hoodlums from EPO and the government’s incompetence to deal with them killed football!”
      AEK defeated Olympiacos 3-1 in a match marred by controversial refereeingCredit: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/12x7o4f/the_aftermath_of_olympiakos_aek_last_night_in/ More

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      Rio Ferdinand was ‘so embarrassed’ after Man Utd fans’ ‘unheard of’ gesture during famous defeat

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he was “embarrassed” by the reception fans gave Ronaldo during the 2003 Champions League.Ferdinand starred for the Red Devils when they hosted Real Madrid in the second leg of the quarter-final 20 years ago.
      Ronaldo scored at Old Trafford and was applauded by Man UtdCredit: AFP
      Ferdinand has admitted that he was embarrassed by the reactionCredit: Youtube.com / FIVE
      Los Blancos went into the game with a 3-1 advantage over Sir Alex Ferguson’s side thanks to goals from Luis Figo and Raul at the Santiago Bernabeu.
      They added to that goal tally just 12 minutes into the second-leg clash at Old Trafford as Brazilian striker Ronaldo fired the ball into the bottom corner of Fabien Barthez’s goal.
      Despite United’s impressive fight back, which saw them earn a 4-3 victory on the night, Real Madrid progressed to the semi-finals thanks to Ronaldo’s now-iconic hat-trick.
      The Brazilian’s performance left the Old Trafford crowd in awe, so much so that he received an overwhelming round of applause from Man Utd fans while making his way over to the bench after being replaced by Santiago Solario.
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      However, the response from Man Utd fans left Ferdinand furious.
      The former England international told BT Sport: “A pleasure to be on the same pitch as the great man. But he’s getting a standing ovation, look.
      “The opposing striker is getting a standing ovation at our own ground. Unheard of. Nah, I was embarrassed, man. I was so embarrassed.
      “It’s [Ronaldo’s first] not a great goal. It ain’t. I don’t care. Zidane plays into Guti. What a run from Ronaldo.
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      “He’s running across there, he shoots an angle, he knows he can’t get away from me there. He knows he’s got to take it early.
      “Barthez, he can only go in the near post. I’ve got him where I want him, going away from goal. He can only go near post… Fabien? Fabien, man! Have you got Fabien’s number? Can we get it? We need to go back over this.
      “Let’s dissect this goal [the second]. He’s in the six-yard box. There’s no defender within touching distance. But I could have stopped it at the source. My fault, man. I take that. It was me. I take that.
      “We’re dropping off [for the third]. I’ve got to get up. I’ve got to squeeze the play a bit. But… Fabien, what are you doing?!”
      Real Madrid were eventually knocked out of the Champions League following a 4-3 defeat to Juventus on aggregate. More

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      Tottenham ‘consider SACKING Cristian Stellini after hauling him in for showdown talks after Newcastle humiliation’

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      TOTTENHAM are reportedly considering SACKING Cristian Stellini after the embarrassing defeat to Newcastle.Spurs were smashed 6-1 by the Magpies at St James’ Park which has seriously dented their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
      Tottenham are reportedly considering axing Cristian StelliniCredit: PA
      Newcastle surged into a 5-0 lead inside the opening 21 MINUTES of the game as Spurs were all at sea.
      Harry Kane did manage to get one back, but Callum Wilson restored the Magpies’ five-goal advantage.
      The club hauled Stellini in for showdown talks this morning following the defeat with Ryan Mason an obvious candidate to be another interim boss, according to the Standard.
      The report suggested that Stellini has “already lost confidence” from the players.
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      Stellini was been placed in charge while the club looks for a new manager following the sacking of Antonio Conte in March.
      Mason was overlooked by the club for Stellini, who was Conte’s No2, despite having taken the role in the 2020/21 season for the remaining seven games.
      However, the Italian coach has not been able to turn the club’s form around.
      With Stellini at the helm, Spurs have only won one of four games and has suffered morale-crushing defeats to Bournemouth and Newcastle.
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      When he was named as interim boss, Tottenham were 4th in the Premier League.
      Now they are 5th, six points off Manchester United in the last Champions League spot.
      The club is also at risk of slipping further down the table with Aston Villa, Liverpool and Brighton breathing down their necks.

      Speaking after the defeat to Newcastle, pundit Jamie Carragher said it was time for Stellini to go.
      Carragher said: “Newcastle are brilliant, they have been all season.
      “Tottenham are a disgrace! How have they gone to a back four for the first time this season, with Porro a full back that can’t defend & Perisic who is a winger.
      “Get a proper manager in right now, not Conte’s mate.”
      Tottenham’s search for a new manager has seen the club linked with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Vincent Kompany and former boss Mauricio Pochettino. More

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      Barcelona ‘plot double transfer raid on Chelsea’ as they eye free signings amid financial crisis

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      BARCELONA are plotting a double raid on Chelsea as they eye free transfers for N’Golo Kante and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang according to reports. Kante, 32, is currently in talks with Chelsea over extending his contract which expires at the end of the season.
      Kante is out of contract with Chelsea at the end of the seasonCredit: Rex
      Aubameyang only left Barcelona last summer but is already linked with a returnCredit: AP
      However Aubameyang only arrived at Stamford Bridge on deadline day in September last year but has endured a difficult time in west London.
      The Mirror are reporting that Barcelona manager Xavi has a list of targets and is set to offer Kante a two year deal whilst the club want an answer from Aubameyang by the first week of June.
      Kante joined Chelsea in 2016 for £30million from then Premier League champions Leicester City.
      The Frenchman played a key role as France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has also helped the Blues win the Premier League Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.
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      The 32 year old recently returned to action against Liverpool earlier this month having been out with a hamstring injury since last August.
      The midfielder is expected to sign a two year extension at Chelsea with the Blues having an option for a third.
      This hasn’t stopped Barcelona from trying to convince the French international to make the move to Spain.
      The Catalans are expected to have to rely on free transfers and sell players amidst their well documented financial woes.
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      Aubameyang made the move from the Nou Camp to be re-united with his former boss Thomas Tuchel but the German was sacked after the pair had just one game together.
      The 33 year old has struggled for playing time and was removed from the Blues Champions League squad to make way for new signings Joao Felix, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.
      This season the Gabon forward has only scored once in the Premier League and twice in the Champions League across 18 games this season. More

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      Arsenal have an unlikely hero in title fight with Man City and I’m still confident they’ll win it, says Paul Merson

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      ARSENAL legend Paul Merson claims there could be an unlikely hero to save his former club’s Premier League title challenge.And that is none other than Sean Dyche’s Everton, who face the Gunners’ Prem title rivals Manchester City in between their Champions League semi-final legs next month at Goodison Park.
      Arsenal can still win the Premier League title, claims Paul MersonCredit: Reuters
      Merson believes Sean Dyche’s Everton could be Arsenal’s unlikely heroCredit: Rex
      Merson believes Everton could hand Manchester City a title blowCredit: Getty
      The North Londoners dropped points in a shock 3-3 draw against bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Friday at the Emirates.
      And defeat against City, who have two games in hand, at the Etihad on Wednesday could officially end Arsenal’s dreams of a first title in 19 years.
      But Merson claims there could be some more twists and turns along the way.
      The TV pundit believes the Citizens could also fall victim to another relegation struggler that will leave it all on the pitch in their bid for survival.
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      And the 55-year-old reckons Everton could deliver a blow during a time when Pep Guardiola’s men may turn their attention to the Champions League, which is the one trophy they’ve never won.
      That is why the former England international is still confident Mikel Arteta’s men can win the Premier League.
      Merson told Sky Sports: “I’m still quite confident. I think the fixtures will catch up with Man City.
      “The one game you don’t want to play in between Real Madrid is Everton away.
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      “Sean Dyche is going to make it very difficult. This is why everyone loves the Premier League.
      “Top has just played bottom and they’ve had to score two goals in the last minute.
      “Someone’s only got to run through next week, or two weeks’ time, and Ederson comes out to give away a penalty or gets a red card. It changes that quickly.
      “Man City beat Arsenal 3-1 away, a few days later they went to Nottingham Forest and drew 1-1. They could have won 100-1!
      “That’s how quick it changes, and it was back in Arsenal’s hands. If I was Arsenal, I wouldn’t lose faith yet. Honestly, I wouldn’t.” More