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    Pep Guardiola tells Benjamin Mendy rape trial that City star is ‘a good boy’ but he ‘can’t control’ what he does

    PEP Guardiola told Benjamin Mendy’s alleged rape trial the footballer is a “good boy” but admitted he “can’t control” him off the pitch.The Man City boss also told jurors he was “not happy” about Mendy’s lockdown-busting parties at his Cheshire mansion.
    Pep Guardiola gave evidence at Benjamin Mendy’s alleged rape trialCredit: PA
    The footballer, 28, has been accused of being a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
    Mendy allegedly raped and sexually assaulted six young women in total at his isolated home.
    Pep told Chester Crown Court the left-back was a “really good boy” as he gave evidence via video-link today.
    He said: “It’s difficult to find a person in the locker room who speaks badly about Mendy.”
    Read more news
    The manager, who was asked to slow down his evidence for those taking notes, was asked by Eleanor Laws KC if Mendy “enjoyed his life”.
    Pep replied: “I control my players when we are together in training sessions. In their private life, I don’t know what they do.
    “I don’t follow the players on social media so I don’t know what they are doing outside my control in training sessions and in games.”
    He continued: “I’m not his father.”
    Most read in The Sun
    Describing the player’s ability, Pep said Mendy “quickly adapted to the team” and was “so generous”.
    He told jurors the defender liked “making rumours and having fun and making the people have fun”.
    Pep was asked by Ms Laws why he came to give evidence knowing Mendy had been accused of “serious sexual offences”.
    He said: “He asked me, Mendy, to come here today with all of you, your honour and that’s why I’m here.”
    Mendy is accused of seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
    The star allegedly locked women in “panic rooms” at his mansion in Cheshire while hosting parties.
    Some of his alleged victims claim their phones were taken away from them on arrival, which the prosecution say left them unable to call for help.
    He previously told the court it was “honestly, so easy” for him to meet up with women and have sex “because of the status”.
    The French international said the attention became “10 times more” when he began playing for Man City and admitted he is “no Brad Pitt.
    He also told jurors he would often sleep with different women on the same night, admitting: “For me it was normal, I realised just now it sounds bad.”
    Mendy is on trial with co-defendant Matturie, 41, who was an alleged “fixer” in charge of finding women for sex.
    He denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
    Read More on The Sun
    Both men say if any sex did take place with women or girls it was consensual.
    The trial continues.
    Pep gave evidence via videolink at Chester Crown CourtCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    Mendy is accused of a string of sexual offencesCredit: Getty More

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    Inside Qatar’s brutal laws that could see England World Cup fans flogged & jailed just for drinking, photos or swearing

    THOUSANDS of football fans face being thrown behind bars or flogged over minor offences as they jet out to Qatar for the World Cup.Boozing, swearing, taking photos and even having sex could all land Brits jail sentences thanks to “vague” and “confusing” laws in the Muslim Gulf State.
    Qatari police will be on hand to keep order and enforce the nation’s lawsCredit: AFP
    Laws are ruthlessly strict – with strict limits on booze and sexCredit: AFP
    Qatari mounted police take part in a paradeCredit: AFP
    Qatar still has capital punishment – and legal medieval punishments include flogging and stoning, although the latter has never been used.
    About 1.2million people are expected to travel to Qatar ahead of the tournament kicking off on November 20.
    Radha Stirling, founder and director of the Detained in Dubai legal aid group, which has launched an app to help World Cup fans facing problems, has warned Brits could end up in trouble for trivial issues.
    She told The Sun Online: “Qatar has not experienced mass tourism before this year and it is highly likely visitors will get into trouble, similar to the cases we have seen in Dubai over the past decade.  
    More on the World Cup
    “It is difficult to advise people to ‘obey the law’ when the laws are so strict that Qatar is telling police to ‘go easy on tourists’ during the cup.
    “Arbitrary enforcement of the law creates confusion and risk to visitors.  
    “Like in Dubai, people are often singled out when a complaint is made to police by a local Qatari who has been ‘offended’ by a visitor.  
    “The police are then obliged to act on the complaint.” 
    Most read in The Sun
    Visitors could find themselves nicked for public drunkenness even if they have only had a tiny tipple because of the unclear nature of alcohol laws.
    For example, if a drinker is reported to cops for “offending” someone, they would likely be charged with public drunkenness.
    Guzzling booze in public spaces is also banned and could result in a six-month prison sentence or a hefty fine.
    Lashes have also been dished out for people found drinking alcohol.
    Meanwhile, taking photos without permission, flirting, swearing and arguing could also land footie fans in jail.
    According to Detained in Dubai, the first person to report behaviour to the police will be taken the most seriously, even if it is completely unfair.
    In Qatar, same-sex conduct is punishable by up to seven years in jail as it remains an offence under the Penal Code.
    Qatar’s abysmal human rights record means that abiding by the law does not protect visitors from prosecution or wrongful detentionRadha StirlingDetained in Dubai
    According to Article 296, “leading, instigating or seducing a male in any way to commit sodomy or dissipation” and “inducing or seducing a male or a female in any way to commit illegal or immoral actions” are crimes.
    Radha said: “Sex outside marriage is illegal in Qatar so couples who book hotel rooms together are already in violation of the law, simply ‘hoping’ the law won’t be enforced.  
    “Homosexuality is unlawful and those who share a hotel room could be equally at risk.  
    “Visiting a destination and ‘hoping’ that illegal acts are not prosecuted puts visitors in a dangerous situation.  
    “Qatar’s abysmal human rights record means that abiding by the law does not protect visitors from prosecution or wrongful detention.
    “Qatar should have been required to update laws to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected this year.”
    Qatar has also been accused of curtailing freedom of expression by using harsh laws to stifle voices.
    Football fans could find themselves unwittingly on the wrong side of the lawCredit: AFP
    Protestors at the upcoming World Cup could be slapped with a five-year prison sentence and fines of up to £23,000 for “stirring up public opinion”.
    The punishments can be dished out thanks to a vague law passed in 2020, which Amnesty blasted as “an attack on freedom of expression… (that) could silence peaceful protest.”
    It reads: “Anyone who broadcasts, publishes, or republishes false or biased rumours, statements, or news, or inflammatory propaganda, domestically or abroad, with the intent to harm national interests, stir up public opinion, or infringe on the social system or the public system of the state.”
    Meanwhile, female football fans risk jail or flogging if they report being the victim of a sex attack, lawyers have warned.
    Figures show soccer stadiums become sex assault hotspots when booze-fuelled crowds flock to big games during tournaments.
    But thousands of women fans expected to travel to the Muslim Gulf State in November have been warned they face prosecution if they report offences.
    Qatar’s strict Islamic code outlaws all sexual contact between unmarried couples – making it an offence even if the woman has not consented.
    Around 100 prosecutions a year have been recorded under the strict “zina” laws banning sex and pregnancy outside of marriage.
    And even rape victims have been prosecuted after suspects claimed sex was consensual – and handed sentences ranging from seven years jail to flogging with a whip or stick.
    In 2016 a 22-year-old Dutch woman, named only as Laura, was convicted of extra-marital sex, fined £580 and given a one-year suspended sentence after reporting a brutal rape.
    She was drugged in a nightclub in Qatar before being sexually assaulted – but was arrested immediately when she reported the incident.
    Detained in Dubai has launched a new emergency help app for those travelling out for the World Cup.
    Radha said: “We have seen how Qatar overreacted when a British man was arrested for carrying an unused herb grinder or when they violated female passengers onboard a flight to Australia.  
    “Female rape victims have been jailed for sex outside marriage and local prisons are notorious for human rights violations.  
    “We have launched an app where people can use the chat function to request urgent help or to receive warning alerts and notifications to keep people out of trouble as much as possible.”
    In 2019, Conor Howard, from Scotland, was detained in Doha during a stopover flight between Australia and the UK over a brand new £10 herb grinder that authorities wrongly perceived as a “cannabis grinder”.
    Read More on The Sun
    He was allowed to return home, but months later while trying to visit his mum in Corfu was arrested by Greek authorities after they were notified of an outstanding warrant issued by Qatar over drug possession allegations.
    Conor spent around a month in a Greek prison before being released on bail, when a court dropped a case over lack of evidence.
    Conor Howard was detained after authorities mistook a herb grinder for a ‘cannabis grinder’Credit: Conor Howard More

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    Benjamin Mendy’s cleaner told rape trial his house was a ‘catastrophe’ following a party

    FOOTIE ace Benjamin Mendy’s cleaner yesterday told his rape trial that his house was a “catastrophe” following a party.Yvonne Shea said there were “bottles everywhere”, adding: “The glass tabletop had been broken. It was like windscreen glass so that was all over.”
    Footie ace Benjamin Mendy’s cleaner yesterday told his rape trial that his house was a ‘catastrophe’ following a partyCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    She had visited the Man City defender’s home in Prestbury, Cheshire, after a bash in August 2021 at which a woman was allegedly raped.
    Of the accusations against Mendy, she added: “I’m shocked. He’s not that kind of person.”
    The jury heard from ten character witnesses for Mendy, including three former lovers.
    And in a statement, his sister Marie called him a “good person” but added he “doesn’t talk a lot about his feelings”.
    READ MORE ON BENJAMIN MENDY
    Mendy denies charges including seven counts of rape.
    The Chester crown court trial was adjourned.
    Most read in Sport More

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    Benjamin Mendy claims he asked ‘rape victims’ directly if they wanted to have sex ‘to avoid dates or conversation’

    BENJAMIN Mendy claimed he asked his alleged rape victims if they wanted to have sex to avoid dates or conversation, a court heard. The Manchester City footballer, 28, was asked about his attitude towards sex at the time the offences are said to have taken place.
    Benjamin Mendy was asked about his attitude to women todayCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    Mendy said: ‘I was trying to be more direct’Credit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    Mendy said: “I was trying to be more direct to avoid conversation or go on dates.
    “That’s why I was quick and direct if they wanted to have sex, to avoid all that.”
    Timothy Kray KC, prosecuting, during a second day of cross-examination at Chester Crown Court, put it to the Premier League player that he does not see women as individual people and thinks normal rules do not apply to him so he gets it “terribly wrong” in believing they are consenting to sex.
    Mendy admitted he regrets his partying lifestyle and told jurors he is “crazy” and that his life was like being on a “fast train” that kept “going and going” until he was arrested and had time to think in jail.
    READ MORE ON SPORT
    The 28-year-old French international is accused of being a “predator” who turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game, regularly going clubbing in Manchester before holding “after-parties” where young women were invited back to a city centre apartment or his Cheshire mansion and sexually assaulted.
    He denies rape and sexual assaults on six women and told the jury any sexual contact was always consensual.
    One rape complainant has claimed Mendy told her having sex with him was a “privilege” and he had had sex with 10,000 women.
    Mr Kray asked Mendy: “You didn’t really see them as people, just things to be used for sex.
    Most read in The Sun
    “That’s how you did see them and how you would get it terribly wrong about whether they were consenting or not?”
    Mendy replied: “No.”
    The jury heard that, during the pandemic, the flat Mendy rented in Manchester and his home, The Spinney, in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, were used for lockdown-busting parties, to prey on young women.
    Mr Kray continued: “Did you think the rules did not apply to you? You had parties because you had this lust for sex?”
    Mendy said: “No. At the time I was just partying. I was not thinking that well.”
    Mr Kray said: “You were a danger to women, weren’t you? Because you did not see any consequences of breaking really important rules?”
    Mendy said: “No, never. Having a social life, I did lots of things.”
    The jurors were shown a CCTV clip of Mendy in a nightclub, dancing with women and holding his crotch.
    Mr Kray said: “That’s what you thought about at the time – what’s in your pants – and you had sex with them no matter what they thought.”
    Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
    Read More on The Sun
    His co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, 41, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
    The trial continues. More

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    Benjamin Mendy admits telling ‘rape victim’ he’d ‘kidnap’ her before ‘confronting her in shower’

    BENJAMIN Mendy told his rape trial today he whispered to an alleged victim “I’m going to kidnap you” as she danced with her boyfriend in a club.The Manchester City star also said “we can have what we wanted” – meaning sex – after he discovered her showering at his home.
    Benjamin Mendy’s evidence is continuingCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    Mendy, 28, told jurors he met the complainant, named Woman One in court, while recovering from an injury in Barcelona in 2017.
    Around a year later, she joined him on a night out in Manchester where the footballer claims they “flirted” and “danced together”.
    He claimed they were “both smiling” when he whispered “I am going to kidnap you” her as she danced with her boyfriend, who was one of Mendy’s pals.
    The group all headed back to his mansion where Woman One claims he grabbed her and attempted to rape her on a bed.
    Read more news
    But the footballer said today she flirted with him and they began touching each other after he saw her coming from the shower looking “sexy”.
    He told Chester Crown Court the woman then turned him down for sex as she had a boyfriend.
    Mendy told her boyfriend was “fine with that” – causing her to become “upset”.
    He said: “I realise it is disrespectful and bad, I asked him if it was OK if I tried to have sex with her. He told me yes.”
    Most read in The Sun
    The left-back said he later arranged for his driver to take her to the train station.
    He was also asked about a second alleged victim, woman Two, who claims he raped her three times at his home.
    Mendy told the court they did not have sex but he was left feeling “confused and shocked” when she texted his co-accused Louis Saha Matturie about what she thought happened.
    His second day of evidence comes after Mendy yesterday told it was “honestly, so easy” for him to meet up with women and have sex “because of the status”.
    The French international said the attention became “10 times more” when he began playing for Man City and admitted he is “no Brad Pitt.
    He also told jurors he would often sleep with different women on the same night, admitting: “For me it was normal, I realised just now it sounds bad.”
    Mendy has been described as a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
    He is accused of seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
    The star allegedly locked women in “panic rooms” at his isolated mansion in Cheshire while hosting parties.
    Some of his alleged victims claim their phones were taken away from them on arrival, which the prosecution say left them unable to call for help.
    Mendy is on trial with co-defendant Matturie, 41, who was an alleged “fixer” in charge of finding women for sex.
    He denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
    Read More on The Sun
    Both men say if any sex did take place with women or girls it was consensual.
    The trial continues.
    Mendy is accused of raping women at his mansionCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    The footballer denies the chargesCredit: AP:Associated Press More

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    Former Premier League star arrested for ‘drink driving’ after ‘ploughing Land Rover into front of village shop’

    A FORMER Premier League footballer has been arrested for drink-driving after ploughing his car through the front of a shop, it was reported.Pictures from the scene show the front of the Land Rover wedged into the front of the County Durham shop.
    The Land Rover lodged inside the shop in County DurhamCredit: NNP
    The occupants of the flat above the shop had to be evacuatedCredit: North News & Pictures Ltd nort
    The 37-year-old has been bailed by Cleveland Police pending further enquiries, the Daily Mail reports.
    The shop suffered substantial damage and the occupants of the flat above had to be evacuated.
    The store remained closed over the weekend and the fire brigade were called out following the crash at 9.30pm on Friday.
    It comes after a separate incident earlier this year when Burnley Midfielder Dale Stephens was banned from the roads after he was caught behind wheel at almost twice the legal limit. 
    READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
    The 32-year-old was pulled over in his £40k Range Rover Sport after going for dinner and ‘having a few beers’.
    The £15,000-a-week player was stopped in Cheshire’s poshest village by police during a routine check as cops investigated a string of luxury car thefts. 
    Officers are understood to have first let Stephens go but then noticed a smell of alcohol. 
    A roadside breath test showed the Premier League star was almost twice the drink drive limit, Stockport Magistrates heard.  More

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    Inside brutal alliance policing Qatar World Cup from French tear gas cops to Turkish special forces ready to batter fans

    TEAMS of special forces from around the world will descend upon the Qatar World Cup in a bid to crack down on football hooligans. Qatar has pulled in extra police from every corner of the globe to help at the sporting event with the tiny Gulf nation expecting an unprecedented influx of 1.2million visitors.
    Some of the hardest police units including Turkey’s special operations unit, known as the Polis-Özel-Harekat, will be sent to QatarCredit: Getty
    French cops struggled to control violent clashes between fans at the Euros in 2016Credit: Reuters
    Troops from Pakistan’s army will also be deployed to bolster numbers for the World CupCredit: Twitter
    Officers from the US, Britain, Turkey, South Korea, France, Italy and Pakistan will make up a patchwork police force drafted in to keep order at the month-long football extravaganza.
    The extra cops will provide security at the eight stadiums in Doha and hotels where the 32 national football squads are staying as part of “Operation World Cup Shield”.
    Some of the hardest police units including Turkey’s special operations unit, known as the Polis-Özel-Harekat, and French riot cops behind the tear-gassing of Liverpool fans, will be beefing up security.
    The team of terrifying Turkish cops are mostly used to fight terrorism in their home country but has previously been criticised for human rights violations – particularly against those in Kurdish areas.
    Read more on the World Cup
    Armed with rifles, handguns and with its own attack helicopter and numerous armoured vehicles the POH is armed to the teeth.
    The squad also has its own fierce female unit – one of a handful of security forces in the world to do so.
    Along with 3,000 riot police, Turkey has offered its own warship to bolster security at the World Cup for six months.
    The TCG Burgazad, along with 250 troops, has already been deployed to Doha in the last month.
    Most read in Football
    According to a report by Nordic Monitor, an NGO that detects terrorist activity, the special forces unit will not be held responsible for its action or any damages in the Gulf state.
    During a debate over the security protocol, opposition lawmakers criticised the use of Turkish cops as ‘mercenaries’.
    French officers specialised in anti-drone policing will also make up the bulk of their own 191-strong force.
    Bomb-disposal experts, sniffer dogs, an anti-terror unit and cops specialised in tackling football hooliganism will all be deployed.
    The French riot cops came under scrutiny just months ago after shocking footage showed Liverpool fans being tear-gassed outside the Stade De France in Paris at the Champions League Final.
    Kids as young as nine, pregnant women and disabled people were among those pepper-sprayed at the match against Real Madrid.
    Crowds grew restless after paying fans were delayed from entering the stadium in time for the game.
    Liverpool legends Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler blasted the French government at the time as “liars” who refused to accept any responsibility for the chaos.
    Boris Johnson, who was PM at the time, said the violent scenes were “deeply upsetting and disturbing”.
    Popular French football magazine So Foot even mocked riot cops and asked: “Did anyone think to show the Qataris footage of the Champions League final?”
    The deployment of French forces to the World Cup in Qatar falls under a security partnership signed last year and passed through French parliament in August after a fierce debate.
    Opposition lawmakers flagged the ethical implications of sending French officers to protect the country’s “air-conditioned cemeteries” – referring to the tournament’s brand-new facilities.  
    And they also raised concerns about the treatment of female cops in Qatar – a country known for its strict Islamic code and hard-line attitude towards women.
    France’s interior ministry confirmed to France 24 that their force in Qatar would include female officers.
    The ministry said the decision to deploy French security personnel followed a “request by Qatari authorities” and would help ensure the security of fans – including French nationals.
    During the Euros in 2016, French riot cops struggled to handle violent clashes between Russian Ultras and England fans in Marseille.
    Horror footage showed Russian fans brutally attacking English crowds with chairs and metal bars before French police sprayed rioters with tear-gas and water cannons.
    Brits Andrew Bache, 51, and Stewart Gray, 47, were both left in a coma after being attacked by Russian thugs.
    PATCHWORK POLICE FORCE
    Turkey is set to send 100 special operations police, 50 bomb specialists and 80 sniffer dogs and riot dogs to monitor any terrorist activity.
    It will also be taking charge of the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence operations at the tournament.
    The country’s cops are being taught English and given guidance about what to expect when they arrive in Qatar, a Turkish source told Reuters.
    They said: “During the tournament, Turkish police will only take orders from their Turkish superiors who are serving temporarily in Qatar.”
    “The Qatari side will not be able to give direct orders to the Turkish police.
    “All expenses of the personnel deployed… will be covered by the state of Qatar.”
    Fans clashing with French cops in Marseille in riots that saw two Brits seriously injuredCredit: Reuters
    The police unit is trained to carry out counter-terrorism operations in Turkey and is armed to the teethCredit: Getty
    French police watching over Liverpool fans during the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in MayCredit: AP
    Nearly 800 Qataris have also been trained by Turkey on issues ranging from “sports safety” to “intervention in social events”.
    Meanwhile, Pakistan’s cabinet approved a draft agreement last month to allow the government to offer troops for the tournament – although numbers have not been confirmed.
    Morocco has also backed sending officers to Qatar, with local media reporting that several thousand could be deployed.
    And South Korea has sent military police officers with experience in counter-terror and maintaining public order to help train Qatari cops.
    According to Yonhap, the contingent is made up of “veteran soldiers with experience in overseas military units, anti-terror special task force, arrests of violent military criminals, presidential office guards, and various national events guards”.
    Spain had been considering sending 115 officers – but ultimately refused.
    COUNTER-TERROR OPERATIONS
    As the first Middle East country to host a World Cup – and the smallest nation to do so – Qatar has no previous experience of hosting events on such a scale.
    Members of Qatar’s police forces already met with cops in New York in January to exchange tips for security during major events.
    And in July, the US signed agreements with Qatar to “identify air passengers linked to terrorism, trafficking, detecting watchlisted travellers, and monitoring potential security risks at Hamad International Airport”.
    The UK, whose forces regularly carry out drills with their Qatari counterparts, has also said it will be sending units from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force to support counterterrorism efforts. 
    A unit of Brit cops set to be deployed will act as a buffer between fans and potentially over-zealous local forces to “de-escalate” issues at the tournament.
    Fifteen special UK police “engagement officers” have been roped in to “calm things down if needed”.
    Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the UK’s top football cop, said: “Our officers will be there to try to engage and calm things down if needed.
    “We’re not morality police and we are not going to tell people not to protest.
    “That’s a local enforcement issue. We just want to look after the supporters.
    “The last thing we want is someone inadvertently causing offence, so if we see there’s something that may cause a problem we can go and try to de-escalate the situation.”
    The last thing we want is someone inadvertently causing offence, so if we see there’s something that may cause a problem we can go and try to de-escalate the situationCheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts
    Mr Roberts said the “potential for a misunderstanding is probably greater” in Qatar.
    “We know that England fans have often gone to a square and drunk but that’s not really an option because you don’t have the off-sales in Qatar in the same way.
    “If you have 2,000 fans in one place, even in the UK, you’d get the police come in and sometimes when England have played abroad our fans have played up to it a bit.
    “We just want to avoid that.”
    Hundreds of Qatari nationals have also been called up to man security checkpoints at the stadiums.
    The conscripts will manage security queues, and check fans for drugs or weapons concealed in ponytails, jacket linings or even false bellies, according to training materials seen by Reuters.
    In early September the civilians were ordered to report for pre-dawn duty at the national service camp north of the Qatari capital Doha.
    A source said civilians were told it was their “patriotic duty” to help out with the World Cup.
    “Most people are there because they have to be – they don’t want to get in trouble,” the source said.
    The current group of civilians are on four months paid leave from their jobs at key Qatari institutions such as state-owned QatarEnergy and the foreign ministry, the source said.
    Conscripts report to the national service camp five days a week, where they attend training sessions – and are taught to approach fans with “positive body language, focus and a smile”.
    Read More on The Sun
    Training also includes hour-long marching drills on the parade ground.
    A Qatari government official said: “Recruits will provide additional support during the tournament as part of the regular program, just as they do every year at major public events, such as the National Day celebration.”
    French riots cops have also been out in forced during the yellow vest protestsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Police spray tear gas at Liverpool fans outside the Stade de FranceCredit: Getty
    Turkey’s TCG Burgazad was deployed to Doha last month to join the massive security operationCredit: Twitter More

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    Watch as Celtic fans clash with Spanish riot police ahead of the Hoops’ Euro match against Real Madrid

    THIS is the shocking moment a group of Celtic fans clash with riot police in Madrid. Hoops fans are currently out in the Spanish capital to watch their team take on Real Madrid tomorrow night.
    Fans could be seen locked in a tense confrontation with Spanish policeCredit: TWITTER
    The group had been drinking at a bar in the city ahead of tomorrow night’s clashCredit: TWITTER
    Things escalated quickly as a pint was flung at officersCredit: TWITTER
    And videos on social media appear to show fans getting confrontational with a number of riot police outside a city bar.
    Around six Spanish cops with helmets and riot shields can be seen trying to push a number of fans backwards.
    It’s not long before things escalate and a pint of beer is thrown hitting one of the cops’ helmet.
    A number of other pints and glasses are thrown before cops charge forward into the group.
    The cops are then seen chasing punters with their batons as chairs, tables and drinks are knocked over.
    Some Celtic fans can also be seen being pushed to the ground.
    And the end of the video shows a number of fans fleeing while riot cops chase after them.
    The Hoops are due to take on Los Blancos tomorrow night at the Santiago Bernabeau stadium.
    Most read in Football
    The Scots side were comfortably beaten by Carlo Ancelotti’s side 3-0 back in September and are hoping to put their best boots forward despite crashing out of their European campaign.

    But the side have some hope with Jota back in the fold and on the scoresheet against Livingston.
    He’s declared himself ready to face Real having not started since going off at half-time of the 2-1 win over St Johnstone back on October 8.
    Kick-off is at 5.45pm UK time with coverage on BT Sport form 5pm.
    Riot police then charged on some fans after being hit by drinksCredit: TWITTER
    Police could be seen pushing fans to the groundCredit: TWITTER
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