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      Lionel Messi told to ‘show some respect’ by ref who berates Barcelona ace for time-wasting vs Liverpool

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      LIONEL MESSI was told to “show some respect” by a ref during Barca’s infamous Champions League semi against Liverpool in 2019, a new documentary has revealed.
      The Barcelona magician was berated by ref Bjorn Kuipers for time-wasting during his side’s 3-0 first leg win at the Nou Camp.

      Lionel Messi was told to ‘show some respect’ by ref Bjorn KuipersCredit: UEFA

      🔜 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲⚽ Behind-the-scenes insight into one of the toughest jobs in football. What does it take to be a #UCL referee?📺 A new four-part https://t.co/GIcOPy5PcX series tracking the lives of Europe’s top officials, starting next week.
      — UEFA.com (@UEFAcom) November 12, 2020

      Kuipers’ tongue lashing came during a new Uefa show called Man in the Middle that followed the lives of top refs.
      The documentary series tracked 16 top officials with unprecedented access to their professional and personal lives.
      Prem refs Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor were included in the show, which followed the officials for 18 months.
      And it showed that not even the world’s best player Messi was safe from a telling off.

      “Messi, come on, show some respect,” Kuipers yelled before pointing to the ‘Respect’ logo on his sleeve. “Every time you do it, come on.”

      Lionel Messi was apparently time-wasting during Barcelona’s 3-0 first-leg winCredit: Getty Images

      But Lionel Messi saw Liverpool come back to win the second leg at Anfield 4-0Credit: Getty Images
      Messi’s time-wasting came back to haunt him, of course, as the Reds came back to win the tie 4-3 after a stunning 4-0 win at Anfield the following week.
      Liverpool went on to lift their sixth European Cup by beating Tottenham in the Madrid final, and the rest is history.
      Uefa refereeing chief Roberto Rosetti said: “This is a very important documentary for Uefa and our family of referees.

      “It highlights the professionalism, motivation and dedication of some of Europe’s best officials, as well as showing the human beings behind the figures seen by players and supporters on the pitch.
      “I hope everyone can enjoy the series and that people can learn more about what it takes to become and be an elite Uefa referee.”
      If only there was a documentary that helped us clear up VAR.

      THE 16 FEATURED REFS

      Cuneyt Cakır
      Willie Collum
      Carlos del Cerro Grande
      Ovidiu Hategan
      Björn Kuipers
      Antonio Mateu Lahoz
      Bobby Madden
      Danny Makkelie
      Szymon Marciniak
      Michael Oliver
      Daniele Orsato
      Gianluca Rocchi
      Damir Skomina
      Anthony Taylor
      Clement Turpin
      Felix Zwayer More

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      American stars are earning their stripes in the Champions League with Pulisic leading a new wave of US youngsters

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      UNCLE SAM has never had so many stars earning their stripes in the Champions League.
      Over the years, only a handful of American players have ever cut the mustard on this side of the Atlantic.

      Christian Pulisic is leading a new wave of European-based US youngstersCredit: Getty

      But now, Chelsea ace Christian Pulisic is leading a new wave of European-based US youngsters who are giving fresh hope to national team boss Gregg Berhalter.
      Nine Champions League players are in his squad to take on Wales in tonight’s Cardiff friendly.
      Alongside 22-year-old Pulisic, Barcelona’s Sergino Dest (20), Bayern Munich’s Chris Richards (23), RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams (21) Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie (22) and Borussia Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna – the 17-year-old son of former Sunderland midfielder Claudio – are all thrilling Berhalter.
      With the MLS heading into the play-offs, Berhalter’s team is made up entirely of those playing outside the US.

      And he spends a lot of his time channel-hopping on his TV to watch his kids of America sparkling on Euro nights.
       Berhalter declared: “I am a firm believer that the measure of talent in any given country is  based on the number of players that you have playing in the Champions  League.
      “It is exciting when you have  five guys on a matchday  that you can watch by flipping back and forth.
      “It is now  that you watch just one game every couple of weeks. Now they are coming fast and furious.”

      Former USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann was blasted by some fans after suggesting Americans may be better off heading to Europe for their football  education.
      But Berhalter’s crop may be about to prove Tottenham’s former German striker right.
      Berhalter also has high hopes for Manchester City keeper Zack Steffen (25), Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah (17) – who has played for England’s youth teams but was born in the USA – Leicester’s Chituru Odunze (18), Wolves’ Owen Otasowie (19), PSV’s Richie Ledezma (20) and Barcelona winger Konrad de la Fuente (19).
      Ex-US defender Alexi Lalas has seen enough false dawns to last a  lifetime.

      But he told SunSport: “I am hard pressed to find a moment over the  last 25 years when there has been more optimism, not just specific to the  amount of talent available, but where they are all playing.
      “We have to remember this is all theoretical at the moment, it’s all on  paper so there is cautious optimism.
      “Just because you have good players it  doesn’t always translate to the national team.
      “But don’t forget there were dark, negative times after the epic failure  of missing out on the Russia World Cup.
      “We are in a good place right now. It’s going to be fun watching these players.”

      Frank Lampard predicts Christian Pulisic will ‘get even better’ as USA International continues to impress for Chelsea after Premier League restart More

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      Peter Crouch ‘never wanted to punch anyone more in my life’ after Real Madrid’s Marcelo celebrated getting him sent off

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      PETER CROUCH has recalled wanting to ‘punch’ Marcelo after getting sent off against Real Madrid in 2011.
      Tottenham fell to a 4-0 defeat at the Bernabeu in a Champions League quarter-final first leg that went terribly for Crouch and his team.

      Marcelo tumbled over Peter Crouch’s tackle to earn the striker a second bookingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The ex-England ace has recalled his guilt at getting sent offCredit: Reuters

      The striker was booked early on for felling Sergio Ramos before a lunge on Marcelo earned his marching orders moments later, in an episode that he lived to regret.
      Speaking on Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, Crouch recalled: “The one that springs to mind straight away is getting sent off at the Bernabeu while playing for Tottenham.
      “We went on a great run, beating Inter and AC Milan – I got the winner at the San Siro and we got through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League to face Real Madrid.
      “I was so excited, as I had never played at the Bernabeu before. I was like a big kid looking around, thinking, ‘This is amazing’.

      “Within 10 or 15 minutes I get two yellow cards and get sent off! The dressing room is underneath the stadium and there are tiers upon tiers of fans and you can hear them.
      “I’m sat in the dressing room with a towel over my head, hearing goal after goal after goal going in and I’m thinking, ‘That’s down to me’.

      They’ve won the game and they played me. I was naive to let myself get caught up in that.
      Peter Crouch

      “That was low point and a big regret.
      “I do have a little excuse when it comes to the cards though. The first one was me being excitable, so I can give the referee that. It was a tackle on Sergio Ramos.

      “For the second one, I went to block a ball down the line from Marcelo and I did dive in a bit, but I didn’t touch him.
      “He’s jumped up in the air and rolled around, and there is a camera angle where you can see he looks at the referee and he celebrates as the red card comes out then he jumps back up.

      “I’ve never wanted to punch anyone more in my life! For them, that was seen as a win. They’ve won the game and they played me. I was naive to let myself get caught up in that.”
      Spurs were only a goal down when Crouch, 39, was dismissed but Emmanuel Adebayor struck his second before Real truly made their man advantage count.
      It was only a couple of months later when the former Arsenal man signed for Tottenham, replacing Crouch.
      And the ex-England star has admitted to feeling let down by the club.
      He told Paddy Power: “Being let go by Tottenham for Emmanuel Adebayor to come in was tough for me.
      “I don’t blame Harry Redknapp at all. I think he would have had 10 strikers if he could, but the chairman had to balance the books.

      Crouch’s Tottenham were knocked out in the 2010-11 quarter-finals after the first leg trouncingCredit: AFP

      Emmanuel Adebayor scored a brace at the Bernabeu and then signed for Spurs to replace CrouchCredit: Getty – Contributor

      “It was me or Adebayor at the time, and I just felt that I had done well for Tottenham and I got discarded a little bit. We’re bringing Adebayor in and you’re out.
      “I get it, they got a good offer from Stoke, but I was happy, and I didn’t want to leave. I was 30 and they got a lot of money for me so I totally get the club’s decision.
      “There is no bad feelings and I’m only joking when I say, ‘Stabbed in the back’, but it was just disappointing that it ended that way because I felt like we had a good side and I could have been part of it a bit more.
      “Having said that, although I didn’t want to go at first, I went to Stoke and had eight years there. I actually loved it and it worked out really well for me.”

      Prince William has curry and pint with Peter Crouch as he promotes mental health campaign More

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      Man Utd thought ‘oh f***’ when Fergie told them to attack Barcelona in 2009 CL final, reveals Rooney in Carragher book

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’S players thought ‘oh f***’ when Sir Alex Ferguson told them to attack Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final, revealed Wayne Rooney.
      The Red Devils came unstuck twice in three years against Pep Guardiola’s men in European football’s showpiece match.

      ⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Wayne Rooney revealed how the Manchester United players reacted when Sir Alex Ferguson told them to go on the attack in the 2009 Champions League finalCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      And for the 2009 final, won in Rome thanks to goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi, Rooney and his team-mates were instructed to take the game to Barca, one of the greatest sides of all time.
      A year prior to the 2009 final, United dumped Barcelona – then managed by Frank Rijkaard – out of the semi-finals thanks to a defensive masterclass devised by previous assistant Carlos Queiroz, who had since been replaced by Rene Meulensteen.
      Speaking in Jamie Carragher’s new book The Greatest Games and serialised by The Telegraph, Rooney said: “In my opinion that was the only way you could beat them.

      “I think it made a difference that the assistant, Carlos Queiroz, was still there then. Carlos was brilliant with Fergie.
      “Whenever the manager was following his instincts and thinking ‘we’re going to attack’, Carlos would make him rethink. He was the one who gave us the tactics in 2008 and was the cautious one we needed.
      “Ferguson hated playing defensive. Really hated it.
      “When we got to the final in 2009, he said to us he knew we could beat them playing that way, but then he said, ‘We are Manchester United and we are not going into the Champions League final to sit back all game. We are going to attack them and do it the right way.’

      “We were all sitting there in the team meeting thinking, ‘Oh f***.’

      Lionel Messi was at his brilliant best as Barcelona won 2-0 in RomaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Rooney reckons Ferguson got his tactics wrong both in 2009 and then two years later at WembleyCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      “Sir Alex went through their side, saying, ‘Let’s go at them.’ Then you saw the names like Messi, Eto’o and Henry!
      “I was like, ‘F***ing ’ell, how much pace do you want in one team?’”
      Two years later, history repeated itself as Pedro, Messi and David Villa put United to the sword at Wembley in a stunning performance.
      And Rooney, now with Derby, reckons Sir Alex got his ‘suicidal’ tactics wrong again.
      He added: “I did not think we had any chance of beating them.
      “Even when we made it 1-1 before half-time, there was no other game I played for Manchester United where I was on the pitch thinking, ‘There is no way we can win the game.’
      “We were playing the team which, in my opinion, is the best there has been.”

      Rooney made the revelations in Jamie Carragher’s new book The Greatest Games

      Ex Ireland star David Meyler shares throwback clip of him upending Wayne Rooney with a full-blooded slide tackle More

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      Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman defends Lionel Messi after video of star walking back vs Dynamo Kiev goes viral

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      RONALD KOEMAN has insisted he is “not interested” in complaints over Lionel Messi walking back to defend against Dynamo Kyiv.
      Barcelona were leading the Ukrainians 2-1 when the Argentine was spotted taking his defensive duties far-from seriously in injury time on Wednesday night.

      Ronald Koeman has defended Lionel Messi over his apparent lack of effort in midweekCredit: Reuters

      Many fans were not happy with Messi not chasing the player back

      Fans picked up on Messi walking back as an opposition player ran past him and into the Blaugrana’s half.
      But Koeman insisted he is happy with the attitude and application of his star striker.
      The Barcelona boss told reporters: “I see [Messi] well, strong. And he always enjoys this sport. He is a winner, and he shows it.
      “Like anyone else, he has more complicated moments and the ball won’t go in. It seems that, to this day, he is a very involved player.

      “You can get an image of a player when he walks. I haven’t seen it and I’m not interested.
      “My thoughts on his attitude are very good. I don’t agree with the idea of creating controversy.
      “If with a 2-1 lead and in the 93rd minute you get an image of him walking – you cannot be more attentive to the images than to the work.
      “I don’t agree with doing harm.”

      The narrow win over Dynamo maintained Barcelona’s 100 per cent start in the Champions League group stage.
      However, the Catalans are enduring their worst start to a LaLiga campaign in 18 years, ahead of Saturday’s clash with Real Betis.
      Messi notched a penalty in midweek but has not scored in the league since September – and was booked for kicking the ball at the referee in the recent draw with Alaves.

      Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu defends role in Lionel Messi transfer saga More

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      Man Utd ‘set to return for Ousmane Dembele with January transfer bid as Barcelona look to offload winger’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are looking to return in January with a bid to sign Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona, reports suggest.
      United failed with every attempt to bring a winger to the club in the summer window, including their doomed saga with Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.

      Man Utd are reportedly looking to return in January with a bid to sign Ousmane Dembele from BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      They instead signed striker Edison Cavani on a free, but Old Trafford boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still keen to enhance his attacking options.
      According to Mundo Deportivo, United will look to sign 23-year-old Dembele in the winter sales.
      But they are said to be looking for a six-month loan with no option to buy.
      That proved to be a stumbling block last time around as Barca instead wanted to sell the Frenchman permanently.

      The Spanish giants – now managed by Ronald Koeman – missed out on signing Lyon’s Memphis Depay as a result of not selling enough stars.
      Dembele, who has attracted attention from Liverpool before, remained in LaLiga and has featured seven times, starting three games this season.
      The £124million signing has just two years left on his contract, with his transfer value decreasing after every window.
      ⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      But with United appearing unwilling to commit to anything other than a temporary loan deal, they could fail in a pursuit for Dembele.
      Solskjaer is under increasing pressure at Old Trafford, after they slumped to consecutive defeats, first to Arsenal in the league and then at Istanbul Basaksehir.
      The club are already reported to have approached former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino as a possible replacement – although SunSport understands no contact has yet been made.
      They travel to fourth placed Everton this weekend placed 15th in the table.

      Jamie Ohara says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must take responsibility for Man Utd defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir More

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      Moment Dynamo Kiev manager ‘asks Lionel Messi for his shirt’ after losing to Barcelona in Champions League

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      DYNAMO KIEV boss Mircea Lucescu appeared to ask for Lionel Messi’s shirt after he scored in Barcelona’s 2-1 win against the Ukrainian outfit in the Champions League.
      The 33-year-old opened the scoring for the Blaugrana at the Nou Camp as Ronald Koeman’s side made it three wins from as many games in Group G.

      Dynamo Kiev boss Mircea Lucescu asked Lionel Messi for his shirt after the club’s Champions League defeat

      Messi scored from the penalty spot during Barcelona’s 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp

      And shortly after referee Michael Oliver blew the full-time whistle, Lucescu was quick to greet the Argentine star, where he is claimed to have asked for his jersey.
      Social media was sent into meltdown over the incident, as they were left stunned that a manager asked for a player’s top.
      Optus Sport reporter Michelle Escobar tweeted: “My favourite moment from this morning’s #UCL action has got to be Dynamo Kiev’s manager asking Messi for his jersey.”
      Another said: “First time I’ve ever seen a manager ask a player for his jersey.”

      A third added: “S*** I’d do the same that’s history right there.”
      It has been reported that due to shirt swap restrictions as a result of coronavirus, the six-time Ballon d’Or didn’t give him his match-worn shirt.
      However it was stated that the forward agreed to give him a fresh top from the dressing room.
      Messi also found himself in hot water with fans on Twitter after a clip showed him failing to track back a player.

      The four-time Champions League winner could be seen walking around the pitch as a player darted past him in search for a late equaliser.
      One fan wrote: “This is the difference between Ronaldo and Messi, mentality.”
      Another commented: “They’re 2-1 up with seconds left, shouldn’t he be busting a gut to get back?”

      Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu defends role in Lionel Messi transfer saga More

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      Steven Gerrard backs Mo Salah to ‘embarrass’ his Champions League goal record at Anfield

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      STEVEN GERRARD thinks Mo Salah will ’embarrass’ his Champions League goal record after equalling it on Tuesday.
      Salah scored Liverpool’s third in their 5-0 thrashing of Atalanta which put the Egyptian on 21 goals for the Reds in Europe’s premier club competition.

      Mo Salah equalled Steven Gerrard’s Champions League goal record on TuesdayCredit: Rex Features

      And Gerrard has backed the Egyptian to go on and ’embarrass’ itCredit: PA:Press Association

      And with plenty more opportunities ahead of Salah, now-Rangers boss Gerrard says it’s only a matter of time before his record is demolished.
      Speaking ahead of his team’s 3-3 Europa League draw at Benfica tonight, the Reds legend said: “Records are there to be broken, of course they are.
      “I was very proud to see Mo Salah equal my scoring record for Liverpool in Europe, it was only a matter of time.
      “I honestly think he’ll go on and embarrass my record — and I hope that he does.”

      Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos equalled Ally McCoist’s 21-goal European haul for the Glasgow side last week and then broke it on Thurday – scoring his team’s third in a 3-3 draw with Benfica.
      And Gerrard added: “Mo Salah and Alfredo Morelos go about their business always being hungry for goals.
      “My job for Liverpool was slightly different.
      “There is nothing better than seeing someone going for a record and then smashing it to pieces.”

      Salah, 28, has scored 103 goals for Liverpool since he joined.
      But in a huge blow to the Reds it emerged he could miss a huge chunk of next season as Egypt want him for the Olympics and the Africa Cup of Nations.
      And Jurgen Klopp jumped to his defence after he was accused of diving during the Reds’ narrow 2-1 win against West Ham last weekend.

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