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      Scott Parker lands Champions League gig as sacked Bournemouth boss named new manager of Belgian giants Club Brugge

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      SCOTT PARKER has returned to management with Champions League side Club Brugge.The 42-year-old led Bournemouth to Premier League promotion last season.
      Scott Parker has been appointed as Club Brugge’s new managerCredit: PA
      He was sacked by Bournemouth just four games into the current seasonCredit: PA
      However, despite that success, he was sacked by the Cherries just four games into the top-flight campaign after a 9-0 hammering at Liverpool.
      Now he is heading to Belgium to take charge of Brugge.
      Former England midfielder Parker will replace Carl Hoefkens, who was sacked three days ago, in the hot-seat.
      He only took charge in the summer and has led the club to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in its modern format.
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      However, domestically they have struggled this term after they were dumped out of the Belgian Cup and lie fourth in the top-flight.
      Parker has impressed so far in his management career.
      His first job in management was at Fulham in 2019 and he led them to Premier League promotion in 2020 via the play-offs.
      He quit Craven Cottage a year later for Bournemouth, and he guided them to automatic promotion during his first season at the helm.
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      Parker represented Charlton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, Tottenham and Fulham during his playing days.
      Now he will be tasked with trying to improve Brugge’s fortunes both at home and in Europe for the remainder of this term.
      They face Portuguese giants Benfica in the first-leg of their last-16 Champions League clash on February 15 before the away leg on March 7. More

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      Ex-Man Utd star Daley Blind has Ajax contract ripped up six months early as World Cup ace targets next club

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      DALEY BLIND has had his Ajax contract ripped up six months early after coming to an agreement with the club.The Dutchman, 32, has made 18 appearances for Ajax this season across the Eredivisie and the Champions League.
      Blind has agreed to leave AjaxCredit: Getty
      He was expected to remain in Amsterdam until June 2023, but he will now become a free agent on New Year’s Day.
      An official statement from Ajax read: “Ajax and Daley Blind have terminated their contract.
      “The defender’s contract was set to expire on June 30, 2023 but will now end on December 31, 2022.”
      Chief executive Edwin van der Sar said: “Over the course of the last few days, we reached an agreement with Daley to terminate his contract.
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      “I hope he can find another club to end his successful career with.
      “Together with Daley, we have decided on a match in the Arena where he can say a proper goodbye to the supporters.”
      Blind re-joined Ajax from Manchester United in July 2018 for a transfer fee of around £14million.
      He has since won three Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups and a Dutch Super Cup.
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      Royal Antwerp are reportedly interested in signing the defender, but Man Utd fans want to see him return to Old Trafford.
      One person tweeted: “Bring him back to United.”
      Another added: “@ManUtd don’t waste this golden opportunity.”
      While a third said: “The realistic signing EtH will make in the coming days.”
      Blind appeared in each of Holland’s five games during the Qatar World Cup. More

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      West Ham will put up ‘big fight’ to stop Declan Rice transfer exit as Chelsea and Man Utd chase £150m-rated midfielder

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      DAVID MOYES has vowed West Ham will put up a “big fight” to keep Declan Rice this summer.The Hammers captain raised doubts over his future at the London Stadium during the recent World Cup.
      West Ham boss David Moyes is determined to keep hold of star Declan RiceCredit: Getty
      Rice has ambitions to play in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      Rice, 23, laid out a clear ambition to play in the Champions League and win big trophies, adding that “you only have one career”.
      Manager Moyes has previously slapped a £150MILLION price-tag on Rice and says any potential suitors — who include London rivals Chelsea — will not get an easy ride in trying to sign the midfielder.
      The Scot said: “He wants to win and he wants to play for a really good side, which is going to give him that opportunity to do so.
      “We hope that we can reach the Champions League — it is looking difficult at this moment in time but we are not just going to roll over and let Dec walk out of the building, that is for sure. It is going to be a big fight.”
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      England ace Rice was at Chelsea’s academy until the age of 14 when the Blues released him and he switched to West Ham.
      Moyes added: “I like it because he wants to challenge himself and wants to play in the big games and wants to be a top player. I don’t think you are ever going to hold anyone back from having those ambitions.”
      This time last year the Hammers were challenging for a Champions League place but they return to Premier League action against table-toppers Arsenal today in a very different place.
      Moyes’ men are just one point above the relegation zone and while the former Manchester United manager insists he does not feel under pressure, he knows things need to change.
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      He said: “We have turned everything upside down to try and see what we can do better and improve.
      “But if we were going to change then it means everything we’ve done for the last two years was wrong.
      “Our attacking work is going to have to score us more goals. Defensively we’ve not been too bad in the main but our attack is where we’ve been falling down.”
      Hitting the back of the net has been West Ham’s biggest issue this season, but Moyes will not have a huge budget to go and add in the January window.
      Moyes has more attacking issues for the trip across London to face Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
      Both strikers Michail Antonio and  Gianluca Scamacca are doubts, with the Italian rolling his ankle during a friendly against Fulham earlier this month.
      Meanwhile at the back, Kurt Zouma is still recovering from knee surgery while Nayef Aguerd, who himself picked up an injury at the World Cup, only returned to West Ham on Christmas Eve. More

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      Salt Bae followers slam ‘uncomfortable’ Kylian Mbappe Insta video after ‘fame hungry’ chef’s World Cup pitch invasion

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      SALT Bae’s followers have slammed an “uncomfortable” resurfaced Instagram video with Kylian Mbappe. The celebrity chef has found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after storming the pitch after the World Cup final and pestering Lionel Messi for a selfie.
      In a resurfaced video, Salt Bae is seen posing with PSG’s Mbappe at the chef’s Mykonos restaurantCredit: Instagram
      Salt Bae’s followers said Mbappe looked ‘uncomfortable’ in the awkward videoCredit: Instagram
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – was seen even touch the winning trophy – against strict regulations.
      FIFA was forced to make a humiliating admission that he should never have been on the pitch in the first place.
      But it’s not the first time Salt Bae has rubbed shoulders with top footballers.
      In a resurfaced video, he was seen posing with PSG’s Mbappe at the chef’s Nusr-Et Steakhouse in Mykonos.
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      Sitting alongside the steakhouse magnate, Mbappe can be heard saying: “It was a good night.
      “A pleasure to come with my man.”
      Salt Bae replies: “Always.”
      The pair shake hands and Mbappe winks at the camera before Salt Bae gives the footballer a kiss on the cheek.
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      The chef’s followers said Mbappe appeared “uncomfortable” in the awkward footage from July 2021.
      One said: “Mbappe was uncomfortable as f***!!”
      Another wrote: “Me personally I wouldn’t let that slide.”
      It comes after other resurfaced photos show Salt Bae gatecrashing Real Madrid’s Champions League winning party in 2018.
      After Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League in Kyiv, the chef was seen in video posing with Cristiano Ronaldo.
      He was also spotted with Sergio Ramos with the pair miming the chef’s distinctive salt sprinkling arm action.
      And in a foretaste of what was to come, he even gets his hands on the Champions League trophy.
      The images finish with Madrid defender Marcelo also doing the routine, while Salt Bae gives a thumbs-up to the camera.
      Footage showed the chef pestering the Argentina squad as they celebrated their World Cup glory with their families after the tense shootout.
      In a series of videos posted on his own Instagram, he interrupted the likes of Angel di Maria, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez as they posed with the World Cup, leaving the trio looking awkward.
      He was seen grabbing hold of Lionel Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      His persistence paid off as he finally got a selfie with the striker hailed the greatest of all time.
      The chef was also seen forcing himself into lineups with other stars as they clutched the famous golden trophy.
      He has now been barred from attending The US Open Cup, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup.
      Action will be taken against staff who allowed him access after social media footage showed his cringeworthy exchanges with players, who did his best to avoid Salt Bae.
      Fifa is conducting an internal investigation to see how the chef got onto the pitch.
      FIFA boss Gianni Infantino even unfollowed Salt Bae in the wake of his shameful antics.
      The Turkish cook has courted a years-long friendship with Fifa president Infantino.
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      They have been pictured together several times, and the football chief has been gushing in his praise for the flamboyant Instagram star.
      However the bromance seems to be over today after he unfollowed Salt Bae on Instagram. More

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      Salt Bae crashes Real Madrid Champions League victory party and grabs Ronaldo in resurfaced pics after Messi snub

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      SALT Bae is seen gatecrashing Real Madrid’s Champions League winning party in resurfaced images.The celebrity chef has found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after being allowed onto the pitch following the World Cup final and badgering Lionel Messi for a selfie.
      Salt Bae posing with Cristiano Ronaldo after the 2018 Champions League
      The chef and Sergio Ramos miming his salt sprinkling routine
      He characteristically gets his hands on the trophy
      FIFA is investigating how he was able to pose with Lionel MessiCredit: https://www.instagram.com/nusr_et/?hl=en
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – was seen even touch the winning trophy, against strict regulations.
      FIFA has been forced to make a humiliating admission that he should never have been on the pitch in the first place.
      But it’s not the first time the fame hungry chef has tried to muscle in on footballers’ celebrations.
      After Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League in Kyiv back in the 2018, Salt Bae was seen in video posing with Cristiano Ronaldo.
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      He was also spotted with Sergio Ramos with the pair miming the chef’s distinctive salt sprinkling arm action.
      And in a foretaste of what was to come, he even gets his hands on the Champions League trophy.
      The images finish with Madrid defender Marcelo also doing the routine, while Salt Bae gives a thumbs-up to the camera.
      Footage showed the chef pestering the Argentina squad as they celebrated their cup glory with their families after the nailbiting shootout.
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      He was seen grabbing hold of Lionel Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      Bae’s persistence paid off as he finally got a selfie with the striker hailed the greatest of all time.
      The chef was also seen forcing himself into lineups with other stars as they clutched the famous golden trophy.
      He has now been barred from attending The US Open Cup, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup.
      Action will be taken against staff who allowed him access after social media footage showed his cringeworthy exchanges with players including Lionel Messi, who did his best to avoid Salt Bae.
      In a series of videos posted on his own Instagram, the steakhouse magnate interrupted the likes of Angel di Maria, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez as they posed with the World Cup, leaving the trio looking awkward.
      Fifa is conducting an internal investigation to see how the chef got onto the pitch.
      He has no commercial relationship with Fifa and was not invited onto the pitch by Gianni Infantino Sky Sports News reports.
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      A spokesperson for Fifa said: “Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on 18 December.
      “The appropriate internal action will be taken.” More

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      Hayes targets a winning end to 2022 for Chelsea and hails ‘explosive’ legacy of Women’s Euros

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      EMMA HAYES believes the success of this year’s Euros was an explosive moment for women’s football.And the Chelsea chief, 46, expects her players to maintain their winning mindset in their Champions League tussle with Paris Saint-Germain.
      Emma Hayes says Chelsea will be targeting a win against Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
      Lauren James, Maren Mjelde and their team-mates have won four and drawn one of their last five Champions League group stage gamesCredit: Getty
      The WSL leaders go head-to-head with their rivals at Stamford Bridge at 8:00 pm on Thursday night.
      The Blues are looking to clinch a double group stage win against the French giants in their final match this year.
      At this point last year the Kingsmeadow side exited the Champions League following a 4-0 loss to Wolfsburg.
      A win against PSG would see Hayes’ aces seal a six-game unbeaten run at this phase of the tournament with their quarter-final spot already booked. 
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      The Blues chief said: “Last year was such a learning curve for the team. 
      “When you’re going into a game thinking ‘as long as you don’t lose by a certain number’, that’s a catastrophic head space and one I won’t entertain.
      “We play to win every game. If the team aspires for the biggest things it has to train with that application.
      “With that in mind, I expect my team to have the right approach and I will be disappointed if it is otherwise.”
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      Chelsea’s duel with PSG comes just over four months on from the Lionesses’ history-making triumph at the Euros with the team becoming the first England Women’s side to win the contest. 
      Their success saw the squad named as the Team of the Year at the BBC’s 2022 Sports Personality of the Year awards. 
      Emma Hayes reckons the success of the Euros and the Lionesses’ triumph has helped to elevate women’s gameCredit: PA
      And Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman and Beth Mead won Coach and Player of the Year gongs at the ceremony.
      The European Championship, hosted on English soil for the first time since 2005, was a record-breaking one for women’s football  
      The final at Wembley attracted a crowd of 87,192, the largest to ever attend a Euros final in the women’s or men’s games. 
      And a total of 365 million viewers watched the tournament worldwide, double the number of those who tuned in for the 2017 contest. 
      This year’s Euros were watched by 365 million viewers worldwide with its Wembley final attended by a record-breaking crowd of 87,192Credit: PA
      On whether she believes attitudes towards women’s football have changed since England’s triumph, Hayes added: “It took an explosive moment like the Euros to almost, like, inject steroids into the sport and fast forward our journey.”
      “I think the foundations underpinning it are able to cope with those challenges.” More

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      FC Zurich 1 Arsenal 9: Maanum on fire as Gunners crush Swiss opponents and top of their Champions League group

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      FRIDA MAANUM caused mayhem in Arsenal’s attack as they ran riot against FC Zurich in a nine-goal away demolition.The midfielder bagged a hat-trick as the Gunners turned on the style with a 9-1 victory that saw them finish top of their Champions League group. 
      Frida Maanum netted in the first half and the second during Arsenal’s 9-1 trouncing of FC ZurichCredit: Getty
      Stina Blackstenius was on target with a brace with five different Arsenal players on the score sheetCredit: Reuters
      The result was a positive tonic for the North London giants who have seen their attacking ranks depleted following ACL injuries to Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead.
      The match saw five different players get on the score sheet for Jonas Eidevall’s side.
      And the Gunners’ travelling fans were given a boost with Kim Little amongst the goalscorers.
      The Arsenal stalwart returned to action for the first time since October after missing seven games due to a knee injury. 
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      On how important it was to see a mix of players on target for his team, Eidevall said: “Of course, end product is important with forward players. 
      “I also think it’s important when we look to develop the existing players we have. 
      “It also poses one of those challenges in this transfer window that we also need to recruit players that can give us end product.
      “That is certainly one of the measurable factors that we have lost with those two players (Miedema and Mead). 
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      “We need to take this into consideration when we recruit.”
      Arsenal’s win occurred before Mead capped a standout year on the pitch for club and country when she was named as the winner of the BBC’S 2022 Sports Personality of the Year gong.
      And her Gunners pal Jen Beattie shared a clip of the forward’s team-mates cheering on her win as they travelled back to England following their defeat of Zurich. 
      Shortly before the announcement of Mead’s triumph, Eidevall added: “It’s an extraordinary year she has had under difficult circumstances that we are all – aware of. 
      “Like I said – and I think it was in the autumn of 2021 – Beth Mead is this good. 
      “It becomes so clear when you see her in training.  
      “What people took as form, you could easily see it’s not form, it’s quality.
      “That’s why I’m also very confident that she will be able to return in a very strong condition again because she is that good of a football player. 
      “I’m very happy for her that she has been able to show that for a lot of people.”
      The visitors came into the game looking to bounce back from their 1-0 loss to Lyon at the Emirates and with the aim of finishing top of Group C. 
      Maanum got the ball rolling in the 18th-minute with goal from a lofted free-kick with the Swiss side pinned back early on. 
      That came minutes after the hosts’ looked for a penalty after Alayah Pilgrim collided with Arsenal defender Rafaelle in the box. 
      Arsenal doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute with Caitlin Foord slotting home from Stina Blackstenius’s cross after Leah Williamson’s header hit the crossbar. 
      And a swift counter saw the visitors make it 3-0 with Lia Walti teeing up Maanum to fire the ball beyond the grasp of goalkeeper Lourdes Romero. 
      Any hopes of a let-up for the hosts were blown away when Maanum set up Blackstenius for a tap-in close to the stroke of half-time. 
      Kim Little capped her return from injury for Arsenal by converting a second-half penaltyCredit: Getty
      Maanum later made it 5-0 in the 51st minute blasting home a top-corner strike – her eighth goal in 12 games played this term. 
      Former Zurich player Noelle Maritz was the provider for Blackstenius as the Gunners striker bagged Arsenal’s sixth goal.
      But Williamson’s accidental slip and trip of Seraina Piubel saw the hosts pull one back with Fabienne Humm netting from the spot in the 64th minute. 
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      But their celebrations were dampened when Foord poked the ball home for the visitors’ seventh goal five minutes later. 
      And a Kim Little spot-kick and Mana Iwabuchi’s slotted finish saw Arsenal wrap a storming performance on the road. More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo ‘offered to every Champions League club’, joke Frankfurt after snubbing transfer for Portugal ace

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      EINTRACHT FRANKFURT chiefs rejected the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and joked he has been offered to every Champions League team.Ronaldo left Manchester United in November after publicly slamming the club.
      Several clubs have rejected the chance to sign Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Splash
      But he has been on the lookout for a new club since the summer, and was turned down by the likes of Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Napoli.
      Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt also said no to Ronaldo, 37, with bosses at the club hinting that the superstar was becoming desperate.
      Executive board member Axel Hellmann indicated Ronaldo was offered to several clubs across Europe.
      He told DAZN: “He was even offered to us,” while Philip Holzer, chairman of the club’s supervisory board, added: “I have the feeling he was offered to every Champions League club.”
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      Ronaldo wants to continue playing Champions League football for as long as possible but there does not appear to be a willing suitor.
      Instead, the Portuguese could opt for a lucrative offer in the Middle East.
      Ronaldo has reportedly been offered a two-and-a-half year contract worth £173million-a-year with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.
      Sporting Lisbon have also been linked to the striker, but manager Ruben Amorim is now refusing to be drawn into speculation on Ronaldo’s future.
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      In his press conference following Sporting’s 5-0 Taca da Liga win over Braga, Amorim said: “Ronaldo was in Qatar, they had the opportunity to ask him and they didn’t.
      “I’ve been asked 500 times and I already answered.” More