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      Police officer set on FIRE and three more injured in violent clashes with Polish yob fans before Aston Villa game

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      A POLICE officer was set on FIRE in violent clashes with Polish football yobs.Legia Warsaw fans went on the rampage just minutes before Aston Villa’s 2-1 Europa Conference League win on Thursday night.
      Legia Warsaw fans rioted with police as three officers were injuredCredit: Reuters
      Police battled the fans as flares were lit by the travelling supportCredit: Reuters
      It was a chaotic scene outside Villa ParkCredit: Reuters
      Legia supporters were furious they could not enter the groundCredit: PA
      Four police officers were injured in the violenceCredit: PA
      One cop was set on fire by a flare and taken to hospitalCredit: Getty
      The away section of Villa Park was completely empty as Legia fans were denied entryCredit: Reuters
      It made for a bizarre atmosphere inside the stadiumCredit: Reuters
      Police in riot gear met fans and kettled them into a car park near the stadium but could not prevent trouble breaking out before kick-off.
      Four cops were injured – as well as two police horses and two dogs – as Legia fans hurled missiles at an army of police.
      One officer, who was hit by a flare, was taken to hospital after suffering burns.
      Police later confirmed than none of the injuries were serious.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Legia followers were furious after they had their ticket allocation cut from 1,700 to 1,002 after violent clashes between Warsaw fans and Dutch police in Alkmaar.
      Almost 1,000 ticketless Polish fans tried to gatecrash the turnstiles as NO away supporters were allowed in.
      West Midlands Police mounted a huge security operation but violent scenes broke out when police began to move those Legia fans who did have tickets from their compound to march them to the stadium.
      As a result, the match kicked off with the entire away section empty.
      Most read in Football
      Birmingham Police issued a statement on X to confirm: “We’re currently unable to allow away fans into Villa Park following disorder outside the stadium which has seen missiles thrown at officers.
      “Three officers have already been injured and a significant police operation continues. Please avoid Witton Lane where possible.”
      A later statement from West Midlands police confirmed 39 people had been arrested on suspicion of offences including violent disorder and assaulting a police officer.
      They slammed the “disgusting and highly dangerous scenes”.
      A statement from Villa added: “Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that no away fans were allowed into Villa Park for this evening’s UEFA Europa Conference League fixture with Legia Warsaw on the advice of West Midlands Police following large-scale disorder outside the stadium caused by visiting supporters.”
      It continued: “In spite of numerous requests for cooperation from Legia Warsaw concerning their travelling supporters, especially in the last two days, no assistance on the serious safety matter of away fans attending Villa Park was forthcoming from the visiting club.
      Legia had their ticket allocation cut following violence with Dutch police last monthCredit: PA
      The police endured a horrid night in the MidlandsCredit: Reuters
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      “The club has repeatedly, including this morning, raised concerns in conjunction with UEFA and all the relevant authorities to Legia that ticketless away supporters were attempting to attend Villa Park.
      “Approximately an hour before kick-off, Legia fans engaged in planned and systematic violent acts against West Midlands Police officers and a decision was then made by West Midlands Police to exclude all Legia supporters.
      “Aston Villa strongly condemns the behaviour of those visiting supporters and would like to thank West Midlands Police for their professionalism in very difficult circumstances.”
      A statement released by Legia incredibly blamed Villa for “exacerbating the situation”.
      They wrote: “Instead of diffusing potential pre-match tensions, restrictive measures of Aston Villa FC as the host club needlessly exacerbate the atmosphere. In our view, such measures are counterproductive and unfounded.”
      Legia boss Kosta Runjaic added: “For sure we have great fans. They support us at home and away.
      “They are travelling with us and we can always rely on them and count on them. 
      “So far, since I’ve been at Legia I’ve had a massively nice and good experience with our fans. 
      “It would have been good for sure. (to have fans present) 
      “But as I said, I don’t know the content of all the happenings – I dont know the details.
      “So that’s why it is better I do not speak about it.
      “Unfortunately our fans weren’t in the stadium – and the atmosphere in general would have been much better if they were.
      Plans had already been put in place with both teams using different stadium entrances to the ones normally used to protect the safety of the players.
      And no away fans at all were able to enter the stadium as police continued to battle to restore control of the rioting Polish supporters.
      Footage on social media appeared to show missiles being lobbed at Villa fans from outside the stadium.
      While some Polish fans were ejected from the home end by stewards.
      On the field, it did not take long for Villa to go in front as Moussa Diaby tucked home the opener after just four minutes.
      Read More on The Sun
      Ernest Muci levelled things up for the visitor’s midway through the first half, before Alex Moreno put Villa 2-1 in front 13 minutes into the second period.
      And that’s how it stayed as Unai Emery’s men moved three points clear at the top of their group. More

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      I was ‘raped by a Premier League star’ – you don’t get to say no… FOUR others claim they were sexually abused

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      A WOMAN who claims she was raped by a Premier League star is one of five people to come forward to say they were sexually abused.The women – whose names have been changed to protect their anonymity – say they were victims of rape, sexual assault or controlling behaviour since April 2021.
      A total of five women have come forward to make allegations against the top-flight footballer (stock image)Credit: Getty
      ‘Leah’ reported the player to the police in July 2022 and he was arrested at his home.
      Not long afterwards he was also arrested for an earlier allegation of rape made by ‘Kira’.
      Both women claim they were raped by the player and experienced controlling behaviour by him.
      ‘Kira’ told the BBC: “It was clear that he thought he was that important, you don’t get to say ‘no’ to him.”
      Read More on the Prem League
      Having made a report to the cops in August 2021, ‘Kira’ then emailed the FA, Premier League and the club regarding the allegations the following month as she was “in desperation” and concerned about the footballer continuing to play while he was being investigated.
      She had worries that while he was being promoted by his club, his position would give him access to other women who may not be aware of the allegations against him.
      ‘Kira’ said: “I hoped that they would intervene in some way to prevent it from maybe happening again.”
      The club told her it could not discuss the allegations due to legal reason.
      Most read in Football
      Shortly afterwards, ‘Kira’ spotted a social media post from the club celebrating the footballer.
      Meanwhile, the Premier League directed her to the FA.
      It was the response from the FA that she said was the most shocking.
      More than four months after she initially contacted the footballing body, it told her in emails that it could take “no further action” as the alleged behaviour did not breach its regulations.
      It also said there was “no evidence” to suggest that the player “poses a risk of harm to children or adults at risk”.
      The FA also sent her a PDF document called Football’s Safeguarding Children policy” which did not apply to her situation.
      ‘Kira’ said: “They were hiding behind their lack of policies whilst knowing that the regulations they did have set up were meant to protect profits, not victims.”
      Responding to the BBC, the FA said it was comfortable ‘Kira’s complaint had been dealt with appropriately.
      A third woman, ‘Mia’ told the corporation the pair had begun chatting after the play had messaged her on Instagram in February 2022.
      She visited his house with pals, where she claims he sexually assaulted her.
      ‘Mai’ reported him to the police in July 2022, having learned that a footballer had been arrested for rape and thought it might be the same person.
      She said this made her feel less scared to come forward because she felt she wasn’t alone.
      Referring to the club and authorities’ response to the earlier complaint made by ‘Kira’, ‘Mia’ said if the footballer hadn’t still been playing for the club, it would have raised a red flag when he approached her.
      ‘Mia’ said: “If they had decided to take the first allegation seriously… if they had suspended him, I never would have been in that situation that I was in that day.
      “Their decision caused me to suffer.”
      The player was questioned by police in February 2023 regarding ‘Mia’s allegation and was released under investigation.
      He also remains under police investigation for the rape allegations made by ‘Kira’ and ‘Leah’
      It’s thought the player has denied all the allegations.
      ‘Emma’ has also claimed she experienced controlling behaviour by the player earlier this year, including being pressured to have sex.
      She has accused him of forcibly continuing sex by pinning her hands after she tried to push him off because she was in pain.
      ‘Emma’ recently reported her account to the cops.
      She said that when she first started talking to the footballer, she dismissed rumours of allegations against him because he had not been suspended by his club.
      ‘Emma’ said: “Him playing was the absolute thing that made me think they were fake and not true.
      “It sent the message of we don’t believe them and we support him.”
      “What happened to me could have been prevented.”
      ‘Bella’ has also told the BBC that the player forced himself on her at a party by pinning her to a bed and trying to pressure her into have sex, while in a room with others, in April 2021.
      The corporation also says it has spoken to someone else who claims they witnessed the incident.
      ‘Bella’ has not reported what is alleged to have happened to the police.
      The footballer’s club and the Premier League both told the broadcaster they were unable to comment due to an ongoing police investigation.
      A spokesman for the FA said: “Our safeguarding policies and procedures allow us to support and protect children and adults at risk within a football-related environment.”
      In June this year, The Sun revealed a boss of a Premier League side has been quizzed under caution over a historical allegation of rape.
      The well-known footballing figure is accused of raping a teenage girl a number of years ago.
      He was interviewed under caution but not arrested.
      Further enquiries are being carried out before a decision is made whether to charge him or take no further action.
      The Sun is unable to identify the man for legal reasons. It is understood he denies the rape claim.
      One source told The Sun: “He is shocked by the allegation and totally refutes it.”
      The accused man is said to have met the complainant when she applied to work for an organisation he was involved with at the time.
      The source stressed it had no connection to the Premier League club the man is currently involved with.
      Meanwhile, Manchester United winger Anthony is facing assault allegations from his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin – leading to separate police probes in Sao Paulo and Manchester.
      Antony has strongly denied the “false allegations”.
      Separately, banker Ingrid Lana, 33, has also accused the World Cup ace of physical violence, claiming an alleged attack took place at Antony’s Manchester home last October.
      Antony is on paid leave from Man United until further notice.
      Read More on The Sun
      His ex, Cavallin, has accused the Brazilian star of physical aggression towards her on a number of occasions in bombshell claims.
      A total of four alleged attacks are described in a police report seen by respected sports news site ESPN.
      The footballer remains under police investigation (stock image)Credit: Getty More

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      Norwich striker Hwang Ui-jo SUSPENDED by South Korea over claims he filmed illegal sex tape with ex-partner

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      NORWICH forward Hwang Ui-jo has been suspended from the South Korean national team after an allegation was made that he illegally filmed a sex tape with his ex-girlfriend without her consent.Hwang, 31, who denies the allegation, will not be selected for his country pending a police inquiry into the matter.
      Hwang Ui-jo will not be selected by South Korea pending a police inquiryCredit: Getty
      A short statement from the Korea Football Association’s ethics committee confirmed Hwang’s suspension.
      It read: “We have decided not to select Hwang Ui-jo for the national team until a clear conclusion is reached on the facts.”
      Norwich, who signed Hwang on loan from Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the season, are aware of the allegations and will continue to monitor developments.
      The Asian Cup gets underway on January 12 in Qatar, with South Korea’s first game coming against Bahrain three days later.
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      And it will be a blow to South Korea that Hwang is unavailable until further notice.
      Lee Youn-nam, head of the KSA’s ethics committe, said: “Considering the fact that the player is being investigated as a suspect, it is difficult for him to carry out normal national team activities.
      “Football fans have high expectations for the national team, (so) we have deemed it inappropriate to select Hwang Ui-jo for the national team.”
      South Korea manager Jurgen Klinsmann added: “I fully understand the current situation and will respect the decision of the Korea Football Association.”
      Most read in Football
      Hwang has scored 18 goals in 60 caps for South Korea.
      He came off the bench in their two World Cup qualifiers earlier this month, scoring in the first against Singapore.
      At club level, he has scored three goals and provided one assists in 14 games for Norwich. More

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      Two teens arrested at football match for ‘aiming disgusting misogynistic chants at female ref’

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      TWO teenagers were arrested at a football match yesterday for allegedly aiming misogynistic chants at a woman ref.Police said they heard the 17-year-olds insulting Rebecca Welch, 39.
      Rebecca Welsh had misogynistic chants aimed at her by two teenagers during a football matchCredit: Alamy
      She was reffing Birmingham City’s home clash against Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.
      West Midlands cops said they arrested the pair on suspicion of a public order offence.
      A spokesperson said: “We’ve arrested two boys for misogynistic chanting at the female referee.
      “Our officers heard the chants being directed at the official.”
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      Ms Welch, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, was the first woman to referee a Championship game.
      Welch took up football refereeing while she was still working in the health service. 
      The former NHS admin officer started her life as a ref in university football clashes and Sunday League games. 
      And while the college football encounters involving teams of female students were a “doddle”, her experience of refereeing men’s Sunday division fixtures was less straightforward.
      Most read in Football
      Welch told the FA’s web site: “The first couple (of matches) I did were women’s university games and the players weren’t really that bothered about so it was a doddle.  More

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      Barcelona legend Dani Alves faces nine years in jail after being accused of rape

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      PROSECUTORS will accuse footballer Dani Alves of rape and demand he spends nine years in jail, paying his victim £130,000, court papers have revealed.The married 40-year-old former Brazil and Barcelona defender has been held in custody without bail since his arrest in January.
      Dani Alves faces nine years in jail after being accused of rapeCredit: Getty
      Claims against him had been referred to as a “sexual assault” until the seven-page pre-trial indictment was released in Spain yesterday.
      The dad-of-two has previously confirmed he had sex with a woman in a private toilet at a ­Barcelona nightclub last December, but insisted it was consensual.
      She said he refused to let her leave the cubicle and slapped her face.
      He has publicly apologised to his wife, model Joana Sanz, for cheating on her.
      Read More on Football
      A trial date is still to be set.
      In an exclusive interview from his prison cell he claimed: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.
      “I have already done that here in prison, but I have to do it publicly.
      “Because the story is public, the offence I caused her is public and she deserves that public apology.”
      Most read in Football
      Last December in Qatar he became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup. More

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      Football saved my life after a prison sentence at 19, I was a plasterer and bricklayer before making it, says Ian Wright

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      IAN WRIGHT owes his life to a two-week prison sentence as a “lost” 19-year-old.What followed was a glittering career for club and country before becoming a beloved TV pundit.
      Ian Wright visited Pentonville Prison yesterdayCredit: The Sun
      Ian Wright set up the Twinning Project alongside ex-Arsenal chairman David Dein for Premier League clubs to work with prisonersCredit: The Sun
      Wright hopes the initiative can inspire prisoners to turn their lives aroundCredit: The Sun
      But Wright, who turned 60 this month, is now working hard to ensure football helps prison inmates forge a new path on the outside.
      Ex-Arsenal chairman David Dein set up the Twinning Project in October 2018, linking football clubs and prisons to provide education and support.
      Dein’s first recruit was Wright, who he signed for the Gunners from Crystal Palace for a then club record £2.5million fee in 1991.
      There are now 73 English clubs partnered to local jails.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      Wright has previously recalled how he broke down in tears after being put in a cell in Chelmsford Prison in 1982 for non-payment of driving fines.
      He later became a plasterer and bricklayer before his football career took off.
      During a visit yesterday to Pentonville Prison — a mile’s walk from the Emirates Stadium — with Dein and Justice Minister Edward Argar, he took part in a graduation ceremony for 15 inmates who had completed an FA coaching qualification alongside the Arsenal Foundation.
      Wright said: “Football saved my life but people are still in two minds about giving an offender a chance.
      Most read in Football
      Wright was David Dein’s first signing at ArsenalCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
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      “By the time I got my opportunity at Palace at 22, I was ready because I clawed myself away from the bad elements in my life, doing silly things.
      “People say the straight and narrow, it’s not straight and narrow, it’s twisty, it’s a nightmare, storms and hurricanes. What I would say to them now is: ‘You’re choosing to go on this path. It’s not easy but you have to stick with it’.”
      Asked if Wright’s conviction made him think twice about signing him 32 years ago, Dein said: “No.
      “He served his time. Going to prison is the punishment, losing your job and self-respect. Being in prison should be for rehabilitation.” More

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      in Boxing

      Mike Tyson called me the world’s toughest white guy but my boxing dream died…I was broke & almost killed by machete gang

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      STEPPING into the ring, 17-year-old Joe Egan stood his ground as blow after blow rained down on him from his ‘ferocious’ sparring partner Mike Tyson.It was the start of a lifelong friendship – and a promising boxing career – with the heavyweight champ, who dubbed the Irish fighter “the toughest white man on the planet” .
      Big Joe Egan was a champion amateur fighter dubbed the ‘toughest white man on the planet’Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The Irish fighter is a close pal of Mike Tyson and was his sparring partner
      But after 80 wins in US Golden Gloves bouts and seven Irish titles, Joe’s dreams were cut short by a horrific car accident, sending him into a downward spiral that saw him shot twice in a gang attack, accused of attempted murder and jailed for shipping stolen cars abroad.
      Now ‘Big’ Joe, who made his boxing comeback at the age of 38 and went on to star in a Hollywood movie, tells The Sun about his incredible life – from being bullied at school to losing his girlfriend to Michael Flatley.
      While few would mess with the 6ft 1in hardman now, Joe – the eldest of seven kids – was mercilessly bullied by older kids in the Ringsend suburb of Dublin and in the UK, where his dad moved to find work.
      “When I was seven or eight, I made my Holy Communion, and two of the bully boys, who were 15 or 16, tried to take away my Communion medal,” he says.
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      “I held on to it and I got my two front teeth knocked out. 
      “When I got bullied it was physical, and when you got an arm broken or a nose broken the doctors would say ‘It’ll heal in a week’.
      “In all my years in boxing I only ever had one tooth knocked out. The boxing ring literally was a safe place for me, compared to the years of bullying.”
      Joe’s dad encouraged him into the ring as a young boy and in his first fight, at 12, he was pitted against future middleweight champ Steve Collins, who he says “pounded me to a pulp, absolutely hammered me. I lost on points but I went the distance.”
      Most read in Boxing
      Tyson even visited Joe’s late mother several timesCredit: YouTube
      At 17, he travelled to the US to train with the Irish Boxing Team and met heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson who asked him to stay on in the States as a sparring partner for a new heavyweight hope, Mike Tyson.
      The pair – who remain close friends 40 years on – bonded over their experiences of being bullied, sharing the ring for over two years and living together in New York’s Catskill Gym. 
      Tyson gave him his flattering “toughest man” title after their first sparring session, when he was the fourth fighter in the ring and the only one to stay standing after three minutes.
      “If you are going to get battered you might as well get battered by the best,” Joe says. “I got battered by Mike Tyson and I got battered by Lennox Lewis when I fought him in 1985. 
      “It was a privilege to share the ring with both of them and it is an honour to say Mike Tyson has been my close friend for 40 years now. He visited my mother at home in Ireland four times.”
      Shot by machete-wielding gang 
      As well as going the distance with champion Lewis, and wearing the green vest of the Irish boxing team 11 times, Joe’s proudest achievement was a win against World Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon in 1988.
      But after going pro in 1990, his promising career was cut short by injuries sustained in a car accident and his life began to “spiral out of control”.
      Joe ploughed his money into the Lyndhurst pub in Erdington, Birmingham, where he says he upped takings from £1,000 a week to £16,000 a week.
      But it was here the brawler faced his most terrifying opponents yet, in the summer of 1998.
      “I had a demand for £500 a week protection money from a racketeering gang in Birmingham,” he says. “I bow down to royalty only out of respect but no man out of fear. After telling them no, the following week, on July 26, 1998, they attacked my pub. 
      “There were 37 of them armed with handguns, shotguns, machetes. It was a horrific day. 
      “It was savage. I got shot twice while trying to help a man who had fought in World War II, only to get shot at in a pub in a Birmingham housing estate by scum. It was a nasty 25-minute experience.”
      Joe took over the Lyndhurst in BirminghamCredit: Frank Peters
      The war veteran was shot in the hip and Joe was shot in the arm and nose, but says he was “lucky nobody died”.
      He adds: “The gang that attacked me had burned down some pubs before in the Birmingham area. They even burned down the pub  belonging to my old boss, Harry.
      “Then afterwards I got charged with attempted murder. I was defending myself.” 
      Dumped for dance millionaire
      Faced with jail, Joe ran up huge legal bills as he fought the charge, and his business went under. He was eventually tried for attempted murder and found not guilty.
      At the same time, his relationship with fiancee Lisa Murphy fell apart in bizarre fashion.
      “When Lisa saw that I was a sinking ship, she jumped ship to Michael Flatley,” he says. 
      “He was the biggest star of Irish dancing in the world, earning a million pounds a week. 
      “It doesn’t bother me now but at the time it was very upsetting. 
      “Mike Tyson called me ‘the toughest white man on the planet’, but even my heart has been broken by a woman. 
      “There was a lot of anger there at the time, but it wasn’t always an angry relationship. There was a lot of love at one time. I thought we’d be together forever.
      “But I don’t hold a grudge against Michael or Lisa anymore.”
      After a six-year romance, Lisa split from the Lord of the Dance star who is now battling cancer, and Joe says: “I sincerely hope he wins this fight.”
      Joe with former fiancee LisaCredit: Newsteam
      She went on to a high profile romance with Michael FlatleyCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Jail time
      With problems piling up, Joe says he got “involved in criminality” and in 2001, he was jailed for two and half years for his part in an international car-ringing gang.
      “My business was failing and I ran out of money so I got involved with crime to pay for my legal fees,” he says. 
      “I got grassed on and sent to prison. It shouldn’t have happened. I hadn’t been in trouble with the law before but all these things happened in my life. 
      “I don’t believe crime pays. Tragically, I was forced to go down that road but I regret it. 
      “The only time I saw my dad cry was because I was going to prison. The shame I had, the disgust I had for myself, the hurt and pain I had caused him, I was so ashamed of myself. 
      The only time I saw my dad cry was because I was going to prisonBig Joe Egan
      “I told him I’ll never get into trouble again. 
      “It’s not nice being locked up, you’re confined for 23 hours a day. I wouldn’t recommend it. But what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
      While in prison, Joe trained in the gym and on his release he announced his comeback, at the age of 38, after a 12-year absence.
      He won in the fifth round, against a pal in Dublin, and says: “It was good to be back as Joe the boxer and not Joe the criminal.” But he went back into retirement after the lone fight.
      New life
      His days in the ring finally over, Joe turned to acting after meeting Brit star Tamer Hassan and signing up with his agent, who sent him to audition for the 2009 Guy Ritchie hit Sherlock Holmes.
      Cast as a boxer who fights Robert Downey Jr’s fictional detective, Ritchie told him, “I’ve been trying to get you in one of my films for a long time,” adding that Downey Jr had also suggested him because of his “fearsome reputation”. 
      “I couldn’t believe that these people even knew me, but they knew me because of my close friendship with Mike Tyson,” he says.  
      “When he told me the amount I was getting paid, it was more than any of my professional fights. 
      “I said, ‘Guy, for that money, Robert Downey Jnr can really hit me if he wants to. I’ve been beaten up for a lot less.”
      Although the fight scene was dropped, the boxer instead filmed a specially-written prison scene as a character named Big Joe. 
      He went on to appear in Prize Fighter with Russell Crowe and has since made guest appearances in numerous TV shows, including Brassic in 2019. 
      Big Joe squares up to Sherlock in the 2009 movieCredit: Warner Bros
      The former boxer (far left) in the 2019 film Once Upon a Time in LondonCredit: Alamy
      Joe with A-lister Robert Downey JrCredit: Twitter
      Joe’s colourful life has earned him some high-profile pals including Ricky Hatton and heavyweight champ Tony Bellew, who is set to enter the I’m A Celebrity camp this week as a late arrival.
      More controversially, he has also been associates with notorious gangsters, including Daniel Kinahan, from the infamous Irish organised crime family, and Gerry Hutch, who was the prime suspect in the 2016 murder of David Byrne at a boxing weigh-in at the Dublin Regency Hotel, which sparked a tit for tat feud amongst rival gangs that left dozens dead.
      He previously told the Irish Mirror the horrific attack was “wrong on every level”.
      He added: “David Byrne was my friend and I know his dad Jaws Byrne since I was a little boy.
      “That room was full of boxing fans and boxers, so to go in and spray a machine-gun in a room full of people that weren’t involved in any criminal activity, that’s so wrong on so many levels.”
      While his career in the ring was short, he had no regrets.
      “I had nothing else to prove to anybody, nothing left to prove to myself,” he says. “I’ve been hit in the chin by some of the best punches in the world but they never once knocked me down – something I can be proud of.” More

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      Shakira’s lawyer blames ex PIQUE for £7m tax fraud bill & says she’d have saved a fortune if she fell for Ramos instead

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      SHAKIRA’S lawyer has blamed Gerard Pique for her tax woes – and said she would have saved £100million by dating his rival star Sergio Ramos instead.Pau Molins said her 11-year romance with the retired Barcelona footballer led to her facing six tax fraud charges instead of three.
      Shakira’s lawyer Pau Molins blamed Pique for her £7million tax fraud billCredit: Getty
      He said the pop star would have saved millions of pounds dating Sergio Ramos insteadCredit: Instagram @sergioramos
      The Colombian singer arrived at Barcelona’s court with her lawyer Pau MolinsCredit: AFP
      After finalising a plea deal yesterday, the lawyer claimed Spain’s tax laws are not fair to everyone.
      He said residents in Madrid – where Ramos played for Real – do not pay wealth tax.
      But those living in Catalonia, where Shakira lived with Barca ace Pique, are required to pay wealth tax.
      In turn, if Shakira had lived with Madrid-based Ramos, she would have saved around £100million due to the Real player not residing in an area where a wealth tax is paid.
      more on Shakira
      Currently, Andalucia and Madrid are the only regions in Spain where wealth tax is exempt.
      Speaking on the singer’s relationship with Pique, Molins said: “Shakira’s infatuation has cost her 120million euros.
      “If she had fallen in love with Sergio Ramos instead of Gerard Pique, it would have cost her a lot less”.
      He went on to add: “They go on about the equality of all Spaniards, but it turns out that if you’re resident in Catalonia you can go to jail for a crime they couldn’t imprison you for in Madrid.”
      Most read in Football
      He claimed this boiled down to the fact that there was no wealth tax in the Spanish capital.
      Molins also insisted he had wanted to go to trial, saying: “I thought we could have won,” but said Shakira had decided to make a deal.
      He went on to defend his client, claiming: “With international artists, it’s very difficult.
      “Where do they live if they spend all their lives travelling? In 2011 Shakira did a world tour and visited 74 countries.
      “It’s very complicated to determine where they should pay their taxes.”
      Shakira admitted six counts of tax fraud yesterday at a court in Barcelona and agreed to pay £7million in a deal to dodge a lengthy eight-year prison sentence.
      She said she accepted the charges for the sake of her sons Milan, ten, and Sasha, 8, and so she can move on with her career.
      In a statement issued through her representatives, Shakira said her lawyers were confident she would win the case but she opted to avoid a trial that would likely span several months.
      The singer said: “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others.
      “While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have decided to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her well-being in this fight.
      “I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love – my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I am extremely excited about.
      “I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”
      The prosecution case is centred on whether Shakira was a resident of Spain or the Bahamas between the start of 2012 and the end of 2014.
      She claimed she was a resident in the Bahamas between the three years in dispute – and says she shouldn’t have been considered a Spanish resident for tax purposes, despite starting to date her ex Gerard Pique in 2010.
      Her court trial, due to last until December 20 over 12 sessions, did not go ahead as a result of the plea bargain deal.
      Judge Manuel del Amo confirmed in open court after hearing the singer’s guilty plea that in light of the agreement, he was handing her a three-year prison sentence – six months for each of the six counts of tax fraud she had admitted to.
      He then added her prison time would be replaced by a fine.
      Earlier this year it emerged Shakira is also facing a separate tax probe in Spain, and is running separately to the case that went to trial on Monday.
      Officials confirmed in July a court near Barcelona had agreed to investigate her at the request of state prosecutors for suspected 2018 tax breaches.
      The wealth tax in Spain is an annual tax payable on the total net value of assets held on December 31.
      Spanish tax residents pay tax on their worldwide assets.
      Shakira arrived in Barcelona last weekend from Miami ahead of her performance at the annual Latin Grammys in Seville on Thursday where she scooped up three awards.
      Spain football star Ramos handed her an award at the ceremony – where she took a brutal swipe at Pique in her acceptance speech.
      She returned to Barcelona with her brother Tonino, assistant Lili Melgar, and her two children and spent the weekend at her old family mansion in nearby Espluges de Llobregat.
      Shakira said she struck the last-minute deal for her children
      Shakira celebrates at the Latin Grammys with sons Milan and Sasha More