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      Watford boss Ivic idolised England hero Lineker as a kid in Serbia, his extra motivation to be on Match of the Day

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      VLADIMIR IVIC would not be involved in football today had it not been for Gary Lineker.
      The Watford boss revealed to SunSport that watching the England legend while growing up in Serbia sparked his love affair with the game.

      Vladimir Ivic took over Watford in August with the target to win promotionCredit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

      Gary Lineker was Watford boss Vladimir Ivic’s idol while growing upCredit: EMPICS

      Ivic, 43, now hopes the 1986 World Cup golden boot winner will be interviewing him on Match of the Day next season as he plots a quick return to the Premier League.
      Asked which player made him fall in love with football, the Serb said: “It was Gary Lineker.
      “It was for his goalscoring. I followed English football like lots of kids and he was the top scorer.
      “I remember watching him in the 1986 World Cup.

      “He was one of the greatest players and strikers in his age – and I didn’t even know before coming here that he was now presenting Match of the Day.”

      Ivic arrived at Vicarage Road in August and has done a good job so far with the relegated Hornets, who sit third ahead of their trip to Birmingham today.
      In fact, all teams that came down from the Premier League currently occupy the top three spots with Norwich in pole position and Bournemouth second – this rarely happens.
      But Ivic said: “All three teams have quality players and you must remember in Daniel Farke at Norwich and Jason Tindall at Bournemouth you have two coaches who had worked with their players last season.

      “After 17 matches, we don’t see much difference in the quality between the other teams.
      “But sometimes the mood of the other sides can be more important than the quality of yours if you don’t give 100 per cent.
      “This is something we work on and try to give the maximum every game.”

      Vladimir Ivic won November’s SkyBet Championship manager of the month
      So how did Ivic go about taking over a team used to losing, suffering the trauma of relegation and turn them quickly into winners?
      Ivic said: “This is a good question because it’s a different approach from previous years.
      “The last six months before I arrived, the target was to survive and stay in the Premier League.
      “They played completely different to how we want to play now.
      “We’re trying to transform a side that played on the counter to one that wants to be dominant and attack. This is something we’ve worked a lot on and to do that you need to change the mentality.
      “Sometimes we don’t succeed and have a deficit in games. We should be seven or eight points better off.”
      Ivic knows full well that FOURTEEN different permanent managers have been at Watford in just 10 years.
      The Serb was successful in Greece with PAOK and Israel at Maccabi Tel Aviv – but knows it is a different ball game in England.
      He said: “The change of coaches is the decision for the club.
      “All the people who come into this job come to put in their maximum. Everyone wants to succeed.

      We’re trying to transform a side that played on the counter to one that wants to be dominant and attack.
      Vladimir Ivic

      “It depends on the mood of the team and of how you’ll adapt fast to the conditions you find yourself in to get results.
      “Your glass can only be half full because you never know how long you will stay somewhere. It’s our lives and it’s not easy when you have family coming with you too.
      “My wife and two daughters, one aged six and the other nine, were with me in Israel for two years and now here with me too.
      “It’s a nice job. I decided to do this because I love it.”
      Ivic is one of two Serbians flying high in the Championship with Reading sitting fifth under his former national team-mate Veljko Paunovic.

      Ivic has had to change the mentality of the Watford players this seasonCredit: PRESS ASSOCIATION
      He said: “It’s important for a country like Serbia to have two coaches in the Championship. He’s a great coach and now shows here he’s on a top level.”
      Ivic is not known for smiling much or cracking jokes – and looks like a guy you would not want to get on the wrong side of.
      But the Serb insists that public perception of him is wrong.
      He said: “My family, wife, two daughters and friends make me smile.
      “It’s been hard to make new friends because during the period I’ve been here we’ve had to follow government instructions to stay at home so not been able to socialise much.
      “I like to laugh privately at lot and I’d like to at work too. But I prefer to wait until the end of the season when hopefully we’ll have good reason to laugh.”

      Millwall fans clap and cheer at The Den as QPR take the knee ahead of Championship game More

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      FA probe Millwall and Colchester crowd boos at weekend after fans marred return to stadiums

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      THE FA have launched an investigation after some Millwall and Colchester fans booed as players took a knee.
      Fans finally returned this weekend as Millwall took on Derby in the Championship and Colchester faced Grimsby in League Two.

      Millwall fans booed as the players took a knee on the pitch before kick-offCredit: Alamy Live News

      But the FA have confirmed an investigation is under way following two ‘crowd-related incidents’.
      A statement from the Football Association read: “The FA can confirm that investigations are underway into crowd-related incidents at both The Den and JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday 5 December 2020.
      “Observations have been sought from all of the relevant parties and they will have until Thursday 10 December 2020 to provide their respective responses.”
      Players and officials have been taking a knee since June to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

      But some of the 2,000 fans at Millwall’s Championship clash decided to jeer their own players for doing so.
      Boos echoed around The Den as Derby’s Colin Kazim-Richards raised his fist in the air in a show of solidarity.
      Interim Rams boss Wayne Rooney slammed the ‘disgraceful and mindless behaviour’ after his side’s 1-0 win.
      A statement posted to social media by Rooney read: “Yesterday I witnessed disgraceful and mindless behaviour by a large section of the Millwal supporters in the stadium.

      “Prior to the match we were aware of the possibility of a planned disruptive response during the taking of the knee in support of the BLM campaign, but nothing prepared us for what we heard.
      “I was proud of my players and staff for not letting the fans deter them from continuing to present a positive and important message that taking the knee immediately before the game sends.”
      Colchester’s 2-1 win over Grimsby on Saturday was also tarnished by fans that decided to boo players as they made a stand against racism.
      The U’s chairman Robbie Cowling has warned supporters they will not be welcome to matches if they continue to boo.
      And he has even offered to refund their season tickets if they are against players taking a knee.
      The Professional Footballers’ Association also strongly condemned the section of fans who booed.

      Troy Deeney on Millwall fans booing players taking a knee More

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      Deeney vows to walk off pitch if he is racially abused and is not ‘shocked’ by Millwall fans booing players taking knee

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      WATFORD striker Troy Deeney has vowed to walk off the pitch if he is ever racially abused.
      The 32-year-old’s comments came after a large section of Millwall fans booed their own players for taking a knee before their 1-0 defeat to Derby at the Den on Saturday.

      Troy Deeney says he will walk off the pitch if he is ever racially abusedCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Millwall welcomed 2,000 fans to watch their team for the first time this season but the occasion was overshadowed by the despicable booing.
      Footballers continue to use the gesture before games to highlight the ongoing fight to eradicate racial discrimination in society but a significant amount of the South London club’s supporters were clearly not happy.
      Millwall condemned the fans after the incident and SunSport columnist Deeney said on TalkSPORT: “When they boo, I’ll still be there.
      “But if it gets to that line of racial things being said to me or my players, we’ve already had a conversation about what happens. We walk, simple.

      “We’re not here to be racially abused, we’re here to play football and entertain.
      “There’s a lot of things you can call me. You can call me a big head and say I’ve got teeth like a shark but if you racially abuse me, I’m not going to stand there and take it.
      “If I turn around and get physical with that person, I get in trouble and the club gets in trouble, so the only thing I can do in that moment is report it and leave.
      “That’s all I can do, so that’s what we will do.”

      The Watford striker was speaking after a large section of Millwall fans booed their own players for taking a kneeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Derby interim boss Wayne Rooney labelled the Millwall fans who booed ‘disgraceful’ after the game.
      And Lions star Mahlon Romeo also expressed his dismay at the situation saying he was ‘offended’ and ‘lost for words’.
      But experienced centre-forward Deeney was relatively unsurprised to see another incident of that nature at the Den.
      He added: “I’m not massively shocked.
      “I don’t want to put this on all the Millwall fans or the club. There’s a certain amount of people who found a reason to boo, which I don’t really want to get into because I think we’re giving them too much energy.
      “It shows that those advocating for equality must keep going. This is the reason why.
      “In the Premier League meeting, we said it has to be done when fans are back, because it’s easy to take the knee when no-one’s there.
      “It’s easy to put the badge on when there’s no-one there. When fans are there, it sparks conversation, rightly or wrongly.”
      Some sections have tried to link the kneeling with the Black Lives Matter political movement despite the Premier League’s previous statement clarifying the two are not linked.
      ‘NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS’
      And Deeney – who earlier this year revealed social media giants told him ‘black c***’ was not hate speech – said: “The Premier League issued a statement saying it has nothing to do with politics.
      “People are saying it’s all about the Black Lives Matter movement, but it’s nothing to do with that.
      “I want to make it clear, it’s not all Millwall fans. But they’ve got black players playing for them.
      “If the right-back Romeo scored, would they want that goal chalked off?
      “It’s so frustrating to read some of the stuff that’s coming in here. It’s mind-boggling and stupid the way that people think.
      “I don’t like calling people names, but it’s stupid the way they go on like this.”
      ‘IT HAS OFFENDED ME’
      After Saturday’s loss, Millwall defender Romeo – who has played for the Lions since 2015 – said: “Today’s game, to me now, has become irrelevant.
      “The fans have been let back in – which the whole team was looking forward to. But in society there is a problem – and that problem is racism.
      “The fans who have been let in today have personally disrespected not just me but the football club. And what the football club and the community stand for.
      “What they’ve done is booed and condemned a peaceful gesture which was put in place to highlight, combat and stop any discriminatory behaviour and racism. That’s it – that’s all that gesture is.
      “And the fans have chosen to boo that, which for the life of me I can’t understand. It has offended me and everyone who works for this club – the players and the staff.”

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      Port Vale’s Cristian Montano was ready to kill himself amid ‘rape and match-fix’ hell but is now mental health champion

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      CRISTIAN MONTANO locked himself in a bathroom and was ready to die.
      He had with him all the pills he could get his hands on, a knife and a bottle of vodka.

      Port Vale midfielder Cristian Montano reflects on the darkest time in his lifeCredit: David Pinegar

      Cristian Montano is in his fourth season with the Valiants in League TwoCredit: Ryan Browne

      His mum María Cristina and girlfriend Jo-Hannah had just told him they were popping out shopping – giving him a chance to do what he had contemplated for weeks.
      His life – in his mind – was no longer worth living.
      The winger, now 28, was facing a trial accused of rape and being investigated by police after getting caught up in the high-profile 2013 match-fixing scandal.
      Oldham Athletic had sacked him with his career and reputation in tatters.

      Montano was trolled and abused mercilessly on Twitter and believed the whole world – including his family and loved ones – were against him.
      He said: “I was in a bad place and had turned to alcohol, drinking heavily.
      “I had no income and started to run up debts so budgeted myself to £10 a day. I’d buy a cheap litre of vodka instead of food and was downing it straight out of the bottle.
      “I thought it was helping but it was ruining me.

      “My moods were all over the place. One minute I’d be aggressive, then I’d be down, then I’d be crying.
      “And it was at that point I started thinking, ‘I need to disappear from this world.’”

      Montano happy at home with his fiancee Jo-Hannah and youngest son NicoCredit: David Pinegar

      Montano’s two sons – Cristian Jnr and Nico – are the centre of his worldCredit: Cristian Montano
      Fast forward seven years and the former West Ham apprentice is enjoying life.
      He is playing for Port Vale in League Two, is happily living with his fiancée Jo-Hannah and their four-year-old son Nico as well as having a close bond with his eight-year-son Cristian Junior from a previous relationship.
      But his life was on the line when he was subject to a police investigation relating to allegations of spot-fixing and money laundering.
      The case against the Colombian winger was eventually dropped while a no verdict was returned against him at the rape trial.
      Yet on the morning of Sunday December 8 2013, the world was closing in on him.
      He said: “I was in North London with my mum, girlfriend and Cristian Jnr and woke up to loads of Twitter messages on my phone. I was all over the news.
      “I broke down and told mum, ‘My life is over.’
      “Everyone was getting the wrong end of the stick and I wanted to tell everyone what actually happened. I said, ‘I was naive – but, promise you, mum, I’ve done nothing wrong.’”
      Lee Johnson was the Oldham manager at the time and Montano promised to meet him in Manchester that day to explain the full story.
      But Oldham director Barry Owen also contacted Montano and asked for the address he was staying at.
      Within moments, officers from the National Crime Agency were at his door and arrested him on suspicion of money laundering and spot fixing and he was locked up in a cell.

      Montano was arrested on suspicion of spot fixing and money launderingCredit: DAVID PINEGAR
      Montano said: “During the police interview, there was so much I wanted to say but was instructed to say ‘no comment’ throughout by my lawyer.
      “When Jo-Hannah was eventually allowed to take me home, she was sobbing and told me I had been sacked by Oldham too.
      “They released a statement and I thought, ‘How could they do that without giving me any opportunity to explain what had happened?
      “Then so many people took to social media to tell me I had f****d my life and I should never play football again. And if I did return, someone should break my legs.

      “I started to get paranoid and even thought my mum and girlfriend were against me.
      “I was looking at up to 20 years in prison sentences and felt I had failed my son.”
      And it reached a critical moment that almost ended tragicallyMontano told me: “My mum and Jo-Hannah headed to the shops.
      “I went into the bathroom and started running a bath to make everything look normal.
      “I was ready to finish myself off. Then suddenly my mum and partner burst through the door. My mum shook me while Jo-Hannah shouted, ‘What are you doing, Cris?’
      “They had sensed something was wrong and fooled me into thinking they were going to the shops. They wanted to see what I was going to do.

      Mental illness has become even more prevalent because of the coronavirus lockdowns. I was able to overcome my obstacles by talking to people like my girlfriend and mum
      Cristian Montano

      “It was at that moment I realised they were here for me. I turned around and said, ‘I’m going to turn my life around. I promise you.’”
      And Montano has certainly done that. After the “no verdict” in the rape trial and the spot fixing and money laundering case dropped, he has rebuilt his life and career.
      After a spell back in his native Colombia, he returned and helped Bristol Rovers to promotion and has been a firm favourite at Port Vale for the past three years.
      Montano has this year started presenting a weekly podcast called Men Unite – where he and his friend Daniel Biddulph chats to various guests about mental illness.

      Montano has launched his own clothing brand called Champion Mindset
      And he also has launched a clothes brand with three other pals, Joshua Fathi, Najee Fox and Winston George Williams, called Champion Mindset – with five per cent of profits going to mental health charities.
      He said: “Mental illness has become even more prevalent because of the coronavirus lockdowns. I was able to overcome my obstacles by talking to people like my girlfriend and mum.
      “If anyone is struggling out there, I want them to know they are now alone. We have a Facebook page called Men Unite and also menunited4change on Facebook and Instagram. Come and follow and join us. There is a lot of support.”
      If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 16123. More

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      Sunderland appoint ex-Bristol City boss Lee Johnson as manager on two-and-a-half-year deal ahead of Wigan clash

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      SUNDERLAND have announced Lee Johnson as their new manager.
      The former Bristol City boss has penned a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Black Cats.

      Lee Johnson was in charge of Bristol City from 2016 until 2020Credit: PA:Press Association

      Johnson will take charge of Sunderland for the first time during today’s game against Wigan.
      The 39-year-old has been out of work since July when he was sacked by Bristol City.
      He arrives at the club as a replacement for Phil Parkinson, who was sacked at the end of last month.
      After putting pen to paper with the Black Cats, he claimed to see so much ‘potential’ within the club.

      As things stand, Sunderland are seventh in League One with six wins from 14 games.
      Speaking on the club website, Johnson said: “Speaking to Kristjaan, Jim and the owners, I was absolutely blown away by their plans and dreams for the club.
      “I can see so much potential and I see it everywhere. I see it in the league and how we can step up, I see it in the facilities, I see it in the community and the passion the people of Sunderland have, and I also see it in the academy.
      “The feeling I got from the ownership group [made this the right club for me]. There was other interest, but that doesn’t matter now and I want to be successful and to see a brave new Sunderland.

      “I want to be bold in my own decisions, I want to be bold for the team in the way that we play and the philosophy that we play to, but I also want the club to make bold decisions and that is what I’ve truly bought into.
      “We have to connect the team and the fan base because that can be really powerful at a club like this.”
      Johnson became the youngest manager in the EFL when he was appointed Oldham Athletic boss in 2013, aged 31.
      He joined Barnsley in 2015 before making the move to Bristol City in 2016.
      During his playing career, he most notably played for Yeovil Town, Hearts, Bristol City, Derby, Chesterfield and Kilmarnock.

      Sunderland press conference is interrupted by journalist saying ‘you’re very cheeky’ after forgetting to mute mic More

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      Wigan’s future in jeopardy after takeover BLOCKED by EFL as new owners ‘failed to satisfy the league’s requirements’

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      WIGAN ATHLETIC’S future is in jeopardy after their proposed takeover was blocked by the EFL because the new owners ‘failed to satisfy the league’s requirements’.
      Spanish bidder Jose Miguel Garrido Cristo was hoping to close out a deal to purchase the Latics.

      Wigan hit another stumbling block with their prospective new owners failing the Owners and Directors test from the EFLCredit: EPA

      But as revealed by SunSport, the EFL wanted to ask more questions about his business as part of the Owners and Directors test.
      And after ‘significant due diligence’ from the Football League, they have concluded the Spanish consortium do not pass the requirements.
      The EFL said: “The EFL has in recent weeks undertaken significant due diligence on the relevant parties in accordance with its regulations and, based on the information that has been made available, the board confirmed it was not in a position to agree to an application to transfer membership in the EFL to the proposed purchasers as the League’s requirements have not been satisfied.
      “The board reiterated its commitment to working with the administrators to secure a successful and sustainable future for the club and will meet with them to discuss the implications of this decision at the earliest opportunity.”

      Garrido Cristo – the former Albacete and Castellon owner – was planning to put up around £1million from his Eolus Capital group into buying and then running the League One strugglers.
      The EFL demanded bank statements about where Eolus Capital got their funds from.
      Their last accounts showed they have £8.5m.
      Leganes owner Felipe Moreno would have been a major shareholder along with Garrido Cristo’s brother Papadopaulo as the official partner.

      Moreno was passed by the EFL but it is Garrido Cristo who was rejected, leaving Wigan – who will receive £375,000 from the Premier League rescue package – in the dark.
      The club were placed in administration, relegated into League One, lost a number of key players in the summer transfer window and now sit bottom of the table without a manager.
      But with the exclusivity period over the Spanish-backed takeover talks coming to an end, that could open the door for another offer.
      Deal broker Ray Ranson has a rival bid, backed by long-term friend and financier Jonathan Rowland.

      Oliver Dowden says the Premier League and EFL should work together to support themselves More

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      Premier League agrees £250m rescue package to help cash-strapped EFL clubs with Championship sides receiving £200m loan

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      PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have finally agreed a bail out deal for the lower leagues.
      After months of wrangling, the 20 top flight clubs have unanimously agreed to change the terms of their initial £50m offer to Leagues One and Two.

      Prem chief Richard Masters and top-flight clubs have agreed an EFL bail out package Credit: Getty

      Rick Parry and his EFL clubs turned down the first Prem offer which was solely to the lower two tiersCredit: Rex Features

      And they have also formally agreed to a £200m loan package for Championship clubs suffering financially as a result of the Covid crisis.
      EFL clubs turned down the first offer which was solely to the lower two tiers.
      They then agreed in principle to the full offer, which included the Championship money, but urged the Prem to alter the terms.
      And now that has happened, bringing to an end a long-running dispute which saw the Government turning on football and accusing the Prem of failing to do its duty.

      The new offer will see £30m up front as a pure grant to ensure clubs in League One and Two can meet their looming financial commitments.
      And while the second tranche of £20m remains in the form on loans at zero interest, there is the possibility of that money also being converted into grants if certain criteria are met.
      In addition, Championship clubs can still take advantage of the separate £200m loan offer to cover Covid-related losses.
      The Prem clubs voted through new protocols to cover the re-opening of turnstiles to allow up to 2,000 fans to return to grounds in Tier two areas from this weekend.

      These include social distancing measures inside grounds, with fans having to sign undertakings about both their health and conduct inside the stadium.
      Clubs remain hopeful of a rapid escalation of supporter numbers in the coming weeks, with the possibility of full grounds before the end of the season.
      Tottenham confirmed last week that every Prem game without fans has cost the club £5.85m in revenue, with Manchester United also missing out on a similar amount across each of the matches they have played at Old Trafford since  the June restart.

      Oliver Dowden says the Premier League and EFL should work together to support themselves More