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      Yann Sommer lives up to incredible promise as he trucks in a near TONNE of Swiss chocolate.. before giving it to charity

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      YANN SOMMER went from dominating his box to donating his chocs – all 700 KILOS of them!The Bayern Munich keeper trucked in the top-notch nibbles from his home country Switzerland after making a bemusing promise to team-mate Matthijs de Ligt – but then gave them to a foodbank instead.
      Yann Sommer wanted to thank goal-line hero Matthijs de Ligt with a massive haul of chocolates but ultimately gave them to a Munich charityCredit: Getty
      Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry were the goalscoring foxes in the box for Bayern but it’s the chocs in these boxes that will help a foodbank
      Sommer vowed to reward the defender for a goal-line clearance when Bayern KO’d PSG in the Champions League last week.
      In the end, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry both grabbed an After Eight on the night – second-half goals to clinch a 2-0 win.
      That double bounty put Bayern into the last 16 by 3-0 on aggregate.
      But Sommer was so impressed by De Ligt’s intervention that he vowed to deliver him a huge haul of chocolate bars from Swiss manufacturer Kägi. 
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      The stopper, however, eventually opted to send the sweets to a charity in Munich called Münchner Tafel.
      And apart from being a charitable idea, De Ligt seems to think it was wise for football reasons too.
      Just before the 0.7 TONNE of bars was redirected, the Holland star told Sport1: “We’re in good form now so it’s better not to eat too much chocolate.
      “This week was very important — with the win against Paris (and against Augsburg). 
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      “We’re now in the Champions League quarter-final, in the DFB-Pokal and top of the Bundesliga, so it was important.”
      And chasing that confection of honours is surely a sweet consolation for sticking to a strict eating regime. More

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      Man Utd and Chelsea in Gregor Kobel transfer fight with Borussia Dortmund keeper seen as David De Gea replacement

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      MANCHESTER UNITED and Chelsea are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, according to reports.The keeper has impressed this season and likely caught the eye of Blues chiefs in their recent Champions League meeting with the German side.
      Manchester United and Chelsea want to sign Gregor KobelCredit: Getty
      Kobel has impressed for Borussia Dortmund this season
      United are also keeping an eye out for a new goalie with David de Gea in the final 18 months of his contract.
      And according to Sport1 they could make a summer move for Kobel.
      However the report adds Chelsea have held a meeting with the player’s representatives over a potential switch.
      Kobel, 26, still has three years remaining on his contract so Dortmund could demand a huge fee to let him leave.
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      The Swiss has impressed since joining from Koln in 2021 and has kept eight clean sheets in 18 games this season.
      Kobel has also committed his future to the club after speculation linked him with a move to Bayern Munich in December.
      He said: “I did not hear those stories and that’s not of interest to me either.
      “I play for Borussia Dortmund and we have big plans with BVB. That’s all I care about.”
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      United have also been linked with Leeds shot-stopper Illan Meslier, who could be available for a bargain price if the Whites are relegated.
      Sevilla star Bono is also believed to be of interest but he could cost £45million. More

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      How Porto could be lining up in Champions League had they not sold £367m worth of talent in the last decade

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      PORTO will fight for their lives to stay in the Champions League tonight.But they could have lined up very differently against Inter Milan had they not offloaded £367million-worth of stars in the last 10 seasons.
      Wolves skipper Ruben Neves is one of many stars sold by Porto over the yearsCredit: Getty
      Porto boast a host of top talents including midfielder Otavio, defender Pepe and goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
      However, the Portuguese giants have always had star names in their ranks.
      And they usually end up being sold for huge fees to cash-rich European heavyweights.
      Indeed, had Porto decided to cling on to most of their players, they could have fielded an incredible XI as they chase a goal against Inter this evening…
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      GK: JOSE SA — £2m
      Left Porto for Olympiacos in 2018 and is now starring for Wolves in the Premier League.
      RB: DANILO — £27m
      Joined Real Madrid in 2015 before moving to Man City in 2017; now plays for Juventus after 2019 switch.
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      CB: EDER MILITAO — £44m
      Been at Real since 2019 winning two titles and a Champions League in that time.
      CB: ELIAQUIM MANGALA — £42m
      Became Premier League’s most expensive defender when he joined Man City in 2014; now a free agent after spells at Valencia, Everton and St-Etienne.
      LB: ALEX SANDRO — £23m
      Signed by Juventus in 2015 and continues to be a key starter in Italy after five title wins.
      Alex Sandro has been a mainstay of Juventus’ defenceCredit: Getty
      CM: VITINHA — £36m
      Former Wolves loanee secured shock move to PSG last summer but is yet to score in 37 appearances.
      CM: RUBEN NEVES — £16m
      Criminally low price for now-Wolves captain who has been with club since 2017 and turned them from Championship side into Prem giants.
      RW: FABIO VIEIRA — £34m
      Swapped Porto for Arsenal last summer but is still waiting to deliver best performances after suffering injuries.
      Fabio Vieira hopes to win the title with ArsenalCredit: Getty
      AM: JAMES RODRIGUEZ — £40m
      Joined Monaco in 2013 before becoming a superstar at Real Madrid; also played for Bayern Munich, Everton and Al-Rayyan before signing for Olympiacos last year.
      LW: LUIS DIAZ — £50m
      Snapped up by Liverpool in January 2022 and became instant smash hit before having current term derailed by injury.
      ST: HULK — £53m
      Made surprise move to Russian side Zenit in 2012/13 season despite being rated as one of world football’s top talents; spent several years in China with Shanghai SIPG and is now in Brazil with Atletico Mineiro.
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      TOTAL COST OF SALES:
      £367m More

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      Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti warns star midfielder is ‘untouchable’ amid Man Utd and Arsenal transfer links

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      REAL MADRID boss Carlo Ancelotti has issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United and Arsenal regarding his “untouchable” midfielder.The LaLiga side are nine points behind rivals Barcelona in the title race but remain on course to successfully defend the Champions League.
      Man Utd and Arsenal have been linked with Eduardo CamavingaCredit: Alamy
      Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists that the midfielder is ‘untouchable’Credit: Reuters
      They welcome Liverpool to the Bernabeu on Wednesday holding a 5-2 advantage from the first-leg of their last-16 clash.
      However, this summer the club are preparing for major changes to their engine room with veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos both expected to depart and Jude Bellingham identified as their top transfer target.
      France international midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is another to have been linked with a move.
      Man United are reportedly willing to smash their club record to sign the 20-year-old, who joined Madrid in 2021 from Rennes for £26m.
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      Arsenal are another club believed to be keen on trying to bring the youngster to the Premier League this summer after initially wanting him on loan in January.
      But despite Camavinga not being a regular starter for Ancelotti, the Italian coach is adamant that his starlet is going nowhere.

      He said: “We will not let Camavinga leave, he’s untouchable — like Modric and Toni Kroos.
      “Camavinga is untouchable for us — also in the future I’m sure he will stay that way.
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      “He makes some mistakes but he plays such good games that everyone forgets about it.”
      Meanwhile, a fresh report is claiming that Madrid have submitted their first offer to Dortmund for Bellingham worth around £123m in an attempt to usurp their rivals.
      They claim that it is worth £88m up front with the rest of the package made up in incentives.
      It adds that Bellingham was initially set on a move to the Bernabeu but has since had his head turned by the potential packages available from the Premier League.
      But Madrid now believe that the “whole matter can be resolved in the next international break at the end of March” where the ace is set to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers with Italy and Ukraine. More

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      Former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said Bayern loss after Cristiano Ronaldo penalty miss was his saddest moment

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      JOSE MOURINHO once revealed the only time he cried after a defeat was when Real Madrid lost a Champions League semi-final on penalties to Bayern Munich back in 2012.Back in May, Mourinho broke down in tears again, but this time they were tears of joy after guiding Roma to the final of the Europa Conference League.
      Jose Mourinho admitted he cried after a Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich back in 2012Credit: EPA
      But going back 10 years the Portuguese gaffer had already steered Real Madrid to a record-setting year in LaLiga when he welled up after being denied the chance to make it to a Champions League final.
      Madrid were the heavy favourites for Europe’s top competition having overhauled Barcelona domestically with the most points, goals and home wins.
      Mourinho, who had already lifted the Champions League twice with Porto and Inter Milan, missed out on a three-piece at the Bernabeu in heartbreaking fashion.
      The Special One saw Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Sergio Ramos miss from the spot as Madrid fell to Bayern on pens in the 2012 semi-finals.
      He would have met former club Chelsea in the final, who in turn, bested the Bundesliga side in a shootout to win their first-ever Champions League.
      And speaking to Spanish outlet MARCA back in 2020, Mourinho admitted he found it hard losing the chance to play for La Decima and was reduced to tears.
      He said: “Unfortunately, that’s football. Cristiano, Kaka, Sergio Ramos… three complete monsters of football, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re also human.
      “That night is the only time in my career as a coach that I’ve cried after a defeat. I remember it well…
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      Aitor [Karanka] and I pulled up in front of my house, in the car, crying…
      “It was very hard because we were the best that season.”
      Opening up about the incident further in an interview with Portuguese TV channel Sic, Mourinho previously admitted it was still the saddest moment of his career.
      He said: “If I have to choose the worst moment, it’s that elimination with Real Madrid.
      “We were the best team in Europe, without a doubt, we won LaLiga smashing all the records for points and goals and we would’ve won that final, I don’t have any doubt.
      “What was most cruel for me was that in the shoot-out we chose Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Sergio Ramos, they were dead certs from the penalty spot and the guys who missed were those who never miss, it sunk me.”
      SunSport have previously revealed that it was the Chelsea dressing room who broke down in tears after Mourinho was sacked by the club for the first time way back in 2007.
      Club captain John Terry said he and his team-mates were so devastated and shocked they approached the Blues board to reverse their decision.
      The former England skipper would be reunited Mourinho in 2013 with the pair winning the Premier League for a third time two years later, before being axed again in 2015.
      Cristiano Ronaldo was denied from the spot as Los Blancos suffered defeat at the BernabeuCredit: AFP More

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      Ben Chilwell racks up Dream Team points for fun when available – but can he stay fit?

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      MARCH has been a much happier month for Chelsea so far.Having endured five miserable fixtures without a win in February, the Blues have beaten Leeds and Leicester in the Premier League and dismissed Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in the last fortnight.
      This upturn has aligned with Ben Chilwell’s (£5m) return to full fitness with the England international providing 25 Dream Team points in the last two Game Weeks.
      Chelsea fans are praying the left-back can stay fit
      It was his corner that Wesley Fofana (£3.5m) headed home to edge out Javi Gracia’s side at Stamford Bridge.
      Factor in a clean sheet and a 7+ rating and the ex-Leicester defender was able to register his first double-digit haul (ten points) since Game Week 5.
      He followed that up with seven more points at the expense of the aforementioned German giants before scoring against his former club on Saturday for another eight.
      Dream Team bosses shouldn’t need reminding about Chilwell’s viability when available by now.
      The problem is that the attacking left-back has had terrible luck with injuries in recent times.
      This season, he’s been limited to just eight Premier League starts, which is actually more than he managed last term.
      His stats in that time (when not sidelined) have been very impressive.
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      Since the start of last season, he’s averaged a goal or assist every 165.5 minutes in the Premier League – a rate healthy enough for a winger let alone a full-back.
      Chilwell has made a difference for Chelsea this monthCredit: GETTY
      Any Dream Team manager worth their salt will know that defenders who combine regular clean sheets with attacking contributions are among the most valuable assets in the game – Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m), Andy Robertson (£4.1m) and Joao Cancelo all come to mind.
      Graham Potter’s side have struggled in the final third this season but they’ve actually been very sturdy in defence.
      They’ve conceded just one more league goal than Manchester City and Arsenal at this stage, the table’s top two are joint-second behind Newcastle in the only defensive metric that really matters.
      At the time of writing, Chilwell features in just 1.7% of teams, making him a massive differential.
      Dream Team gaffers in need of a difference-maker would do well to give him serious consideration… but his recent injury record makes him a risk. More

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      Napoli vs Eintracht Frankfurt LIVE SCORE: Champions League latest as Serie A leaders eye quarter-final spot – stream, TV

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      NAPOLI look to finish off the job in their Champions League last-16 second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.Goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo has put the Serie A leaders in a commanding lead.
      But Europa League holders Frankfurt will be determined to put up a fight in Naples.

      Kick-off time: Wednesday, March 15 – 8pm GMT
      Live stream: BT.com
      TV channel: BT Sport 2

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      Porto vs Inter Milan LIVE SCORE: Champions League latest as Italian icons look to seal the deal in Portugal – stream, TV

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      INTER MILAN and Porto go at it once more with a quarter-final Champions League spot up for grabs.Romelu Lukaku’s late strike in the reverse fixture saw Inter take a one goal advantage going into the second leg.
      And Simone Inzaghi will be hoping his side can go one better than last season when they were knocked out at the round of 16 stage by Liverpool.

      Kick-off time: Tuesday, March 14 – 8pm GMT
      Live stream: BT.com
      TV channel: BT Sport 2

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