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      Sweden star keen on transfer to England after starring in shock win over Liverpool

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      SWEDE Gustaf Nilsson fancies a move to England after starring at Union Saint-Gilloise.Striker Nilsson, 26, who scored for the Belgians in the Europa Conference League last week, is on a handful of Championship sides’ radar and would pick them over interested clubs in Europe.
      Gustaf Nilsson is attracting interest from several Championship clubsCredit: Rex
      He has been in terrific goalscoring form this season with ten goals in 21 league games.
      The 6ft4 striker would offer teams an aerial threat and his physical prowess would likely prove to be a handful in the EFL.
      Nilsson spent much of his career in the Swedish lower leagues after initially coming through at Falkenbergs.
      A transfer to top-flight Bronby followed but the move did not work out as Nilsson found game time difficult to come by.
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      He joined Danish side Silkeborg on loan and his form saw him win two caps for Sweden in 2018 – a tally he has not been able to add to since.
      Just two years ago Nilsson was playing in Germany’s third tier for Wehen Wiesbaden.
      But a return of 14 goals in 30 games led to attention from Union Saint-Gilloise, who were quick to snap him up.
      His form has sparked interest once again with fellow Belgian Pro League club Gent reported to have been monitoring the forward last month.
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      That came after he starred in Union Saint-Gilloise’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Europa League.
      Nilsson is understood to have just one year remaining on his contract, although his club could trigger a one-year extension clause.
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      ‘Most ridiculous thing ever’ – Bizarre Europa League goal given after epic ‘draught excluder’ free-kick fail

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      QARABAG scored one of the most bizarre goals in Europa League history – thanks to a Braga star’s free-kick fail. The teams faced off in Portugal on Thursday night in the first leg of their knockout play-off.
      Victor Gomez took on the ‘draught excluder’ role for Braga in the Europa LeagueCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt
      He accidentally played all the Qarabag attackers onsideCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt
      Abdellah Zoubir pounced to turn the ball inCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt

      But the scores level at 1-1, Qarabag went back in front in baffling circumstances.
      Yassine Benzia’s initial free-kick 20 yards out hit the wall before falling to Abdellah Zoubir who rounded the goalkeeper and bundled into the back of the net.
      The goal, though, was initially ruled out for offside by the assistant referee.
      But when VAR checked the replays, they found that Zoubir was played on by the ‘draught excluder’ lying behind the wall.
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      The role – deployed by Braga defender Victor Gomez – is designed to allow the wall to jump and not risk a sneaky free-kick taker sliding the ball underneath them.
      However, it backfired for Braga when Gomez’s head was the closest Braga defender to his own goal line and therefore marked the offside line.
      Zoubir, though, was in an onside position when the initial free-kick was taken.
      Then with the wall landing from their jump and Gomez lying on the floor, he made the most of the freedom in the Braga penalty area to score.
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      The referee was instructed to award the goal, prompting wild celebrations for the Azerbaijani team and their dedicated fans who made the 9,600km round trip to Portugal.
      And those watching the Europa League action at home were left in disbelief.
      Watch astonishing moment Corinthians goalkeeper purposely doesn’t save free kick – but it’s for genius reason
      One said: “The draught excluder playing Qarabag all onside. Classic.”
      Another wrote: “It’s probably play of the year.”
      A third added: “Hopefully teams will stop doing it now cos it is one of the most ridiculous things that has ever come into the game.”
      And a shocked fourth simply commented: “No!”
      Zoubir added his second and Qarabag’s fourth of the night on 69 minutes before Joao Moutinho grabbed an injury-time penalty to keep Braga in the tie, trailing 4-2 going into the second leg next week.
      The initial free-kick hit the wallCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt
      The referee initially put his arm up to signal offsideCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt
      He overturned his decision after VAR had a lookCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt
      The goal prompted wild celebrationsCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontnt More

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      I beat Mourinho to Europa League title after KOing Man Utd… now I’m taking shock new job after 4 months unemployed

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      EUROPA LEAGUE winner Jose Luis Mendilibar is set to take over as Olympiacos’ new manager.Mendilibar helped steer Sevilla away from relegation when he was appointed late last season in March as Jorge Sampaoli’s replacement.
      Ex-Sevilla boss Jose Luis Mendilibar is taking over at OlympiacosCredit: Rex
      Mendilibar eliminated Man Utd and beat Jose Mourinho in the Europa League FinalCredit: Getty
      Mendilibar will sign a €1.5m contract until the end of the season with the option to extend for another yearCredit: Getty
      And the Basque tactician led the Spanish giants to a record seventh Europa League title, earning qualification to this season’s Champions League.
      This poses as a huge appointment for Olympiacos amid a turbulent campaign that has seen the Piraeus outfit plummet to fourth place.
      SunSport understand Mendilibar will sign a contract until the end of the season with the option to extend for another year.
      Sources also report the ex-Athletic Bilbao manager’s deal is worth €1.5million (£1.3m).
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      The Spaniard is arriving in Greece today and will attend his new team’s Superleague clash against OFI in Piraeus this evening.
      Mendilibar is then set for baptism by fire as he will make his debut on Thursday’s crunch Europa Conference League play-off clash at home against Ferencvaros.
      The experienced coach stunned Europe last season as he eliminated Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United in the Europa League quarter-finals and then offloaded Juventus in the semi-finals.
      He then beat Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the final on penalties after a 1-1 draw despite Sevilla’s many struggles.
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      Sevilla then almost upset Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Super Cup at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece, which is the home of his new team.
      Youssef En-Nesyri opened the scoring before Cole Palmer’s equaliser took the game to a penalty shootout where City prevailed after Nemanja Gudelj missed his spot-kick.
      Youssef En-Nesyri scores incredible overhead kick in Sevilla training
      Mendilibar was sacked in October as Sevilla’s struggles continued with a poor run of five losses and just two wins in 13 matches across all competitions.
      Olympiacos have a long history of appointing managers with immense European success.
      That includes the likes of ex-Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde, Monaco hero Leonardo Jardim and current Fulham boss Marco Silva. More

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      Premier League managers with most defeats revealed as David Moyes overtakes Harry Redknapp for unwanted record

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’s 3-0 defeat of West Ham last Sunday saw David Moyes making history – but not the kind of history he imagined when he embarked on a career in management. The final whistle spelled doom for David Moyes as it signalled his 239th career loss in the Premier League – making him statistically the biggest loser of any top flight manager ever. 
      David Moyes has not been having a good spell at West Ham latelyCredit: Getty
      The start of the New Year set-off a disastrous downturn for Moyes’ Boys, who up until January were having their best season to date points wise. 
      They’ve now been unable to take home a win from their seven matches this side of New Year’s Eve, and fans are beginning to question their manager, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
      But the unwanted record, while unflattering, is also a testament to the number of years Moyes has been in the game.
      He’s managed 682 Premier League matches, and is operating on a reasonably high win ratio of 38.9 per cent.
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      This is in a similar field to Harry Redknapp, who has a 36.8 per cent win rate, and is the man who Moyes overtakes as the biggest loser.
      And despite being top of the table, both Moyes and Redknapp are doing better than current Everton manager Sean Dyche who is also among the biggest losers.
      The Toffees boss, who racked up most of his game as Burnley manager, has a terrible 28.4 per cent strike rate but is saved from having more losses only by the fact he’s managed 299 games.
      Crystal Palace boss, 76 year-old Roy Hodgson, is up there in sixth place with 177 losses to his name during his Prem tenure, which has included stints at Fulham, West Brom and Liverpool.
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      Sam Allaryce, who most recently managed Leeds United, but also has Newcastle, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Everton to his name, is 100 losses behind Redknapp in third place.
      And close behind are Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes, with 211 and 181 games lost respectively.
      But hardly anyone has managed as many matches as Moyes, and if these stats tell us anything other than The Hammer’s boss’ record breaking losses, it’s that the man is as experienced as they come. 
      Apart from legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, the 60-year-old has managed more Prem games than anyone else.
      Watch heartwarming moment David Moyes hands his dad, 87, his winner’s medal after landing first major trophy as manager
      Fergie, who operated at an unbelievably high 65 per cent win ratio, doesn’t even make the table despite managing 810 Prem games during his career.
      And Arsenal icon Wenger is not far behind on a 57.5 per cent hit rate, which saw him guide the Gunners to three League titles and seven FA cups.
      The likes of Alan Pardew and Alan Curbishley might be further down the ranking than Moyes, but they have both managed less than half of the matches he has. More

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      Fans stunned after former Premier League star scores worldie on Betis debut as they say ‘shame what Moyes did to him’

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      PABLO FORNALS split both the net and social media – with an outrageous solo goal on his Real Betis debut.Some West Ham fans were shocked by his brilliance – while others blamed their boss David Moyes for not getting the best out of the midfielder.
      Pablo Fornals conjured a wonder goal first time out for Betis in LaLiga

      Fornals left Cadiz keeper Jeremias Ledesmas with little chance
      The six-cap Spaniard weaved in from the right to curve a laser left-footer inside the far corner.
      It rounded off a 2-0 win at struggling Cadiz that put Betis sixth – into one of the two Europa League places.
      The ex-Villarreal star, 27, had ended his five years at West Ham on transfer deadline in a £7million return to his home country.
      Fornals exited the London Stadium after 23 goal and 19 assists in 203 games – but also with question marks over his ability in the Premier League.
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      However, after seeing his confident footwork and curling goal, one fan posted: “Shame what Moyes did to him.”
      Another said: “Good luck to him. Was fantastic for us. It’s our loss tbf.”
      A third wrote: “Who would have thought he could play CM?!”
      And a fourth moaned: “The amount of players that have left West Ham and then scored on their debut at their new club is wild.”
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      Fornals returned to Spain after five years at West HamCredit: Getty
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      But other viewers reckon Fornals’ stylish technique and attacking style is more suited to LaLiga than the English top flight.
      One observer claimed: “Lovely goal, would never get the space to do that in the Prem though, but obviously people will have a meltdown about this.”
      Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozers
      Another suggested: “Lovely fella but couldn’t hit a cow’s a*** with a banjo for us.”
      And a fellow doubter was seemingly shaking with disbelief as he shared a clip of the goal and added: Yes, Pablo Fornals actually just did that.”
      The ex-Malaga ace struck Betis’ clincher on 46 minutes following a surging run from Brazilian striker Willian Jose, who had fired a brilliant opener. More

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      Aleksander Ceferin announces shock decision to quit as Uefa president less than an hour after winning vote to stay on

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      UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stunned European football when he announced he will QUIT his role in 2027 – less than an hour after winning a vote to stay on for an extra FOUR years.In a bizarre turn of events, the Slovenian told a press conference of his intention BEFORE informing Uefa’s 55 member associations.
      Aleksander Ceferin will step down from his role as UEFA president in 2027Credit: Getty
      And it came after the FA was left isolated as the ONLY association to vote against giving Ceferin the right to stay in the role until 2031.
      Wembley chief executive Mark Bullingham objected to the change in Uefa’s ruling Statutes which mean that Ceferin’s initial three year term after replacing Fifa-bound Gianni Infantino in 2016 will no longer count as having been served.
      Yet shortly afterwards, Ceferin made a testy appearance in which he savaged former Croatia superstar Zvonimir Boban – who quit his Uefa role in protest at the proposed changes last month – and made his surprise announcement.
      Ceferin said: “Honestly speaking, I’m tired of Covid, I’m tired of two wars and this nonsense project of the so-called Super League.
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      “I’m also tired of self-proclaimed moral authorities who are moral just until it comes to their personal interests.
      “So I decided – let’s say around six months ago – that I’m not planning to run in 2027 anymore.
      “After some time, every organisation needs fresh blood.
      “But it is  mainly because I have been away from my family for seven years now, and I will be away from them for three more until 2027. My family knew it first.”
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      Ceferin added that he had told a select group of key advisors of his decision and swore them to secrecy.
      That included Boban, who he labelled a “clown” and was a “test” of their loyalty.
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      Ceferin added: “I intentionally didn’t want to disclose my thoughts for two reasons.
      “Firstly, I wanted to see the real face of some people and I saw it; I saw good and bad parts.
      “But I didn’t want to influence the Congress.
      “I wanted them to decide not knowing what I’m telling you today because that’s an honest decision.
      “It was actually amusing to watch all this hysteria around and at the same time getting all the messages of support from my federations.”
      Turning to Boban, whom he did not name, Ceferin spat: “Now just two sentences about the self proclaimed moral authority.
      “This person does not deserve a comment from my side but people who know him and we will make their own opinions.
      “And for his pathetic cry about morality. He was one of the rare persons that knew that I was not going to run in 2027.
      “The moment that he got the information that I would disclose it after Congress he went out with his narcissistic letter.
      “He could not wait because after my disclosure his whining would not make sense any more. Now think, whose personal aspirations are in question? And think, whose morality is in question?”
      Ceferin then left after just three questions, with general secretary Theodor Theodoridis revealing he was heading back to the Uefa hotel across the city to inform the national association chiefs during their lunch break.
      Ceferin’s unexpected move means the FA’s “principled” stance was not actually necessary.
      Despite that, Wembely chiefs insisted they would still have votted the same way even if they had been aware of Ceferin’s real intentions.
      An FA spokeswoman said: “It was always about the principle and didn’t only apply to Aleksander Ceferin.
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      “We were supportive of the statute changes proposed by UEFA, with the exception of the proposed new wording on term limits.
      “We have recently implemented governance changes of our own and think it’s important that we are consistent in our approach.” More

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      I was a pro football star who won major trophy & qualified for Europa League – but I gave it all up to become a LAWYER

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      A PRO football star who won a major trophy and qualified for the Europa League has told how he gave it all up to become a lawyer.Scott Stevenson was a junior player for St Johnstone when the Perth side won the Scottish Cup in 2014.
      Scott Stevenson pictured in Linlithgow kit
      The former St Johnstone star is now a lawyerCredit: SWNS
      The Saints beat Tayside rivals Dundee United 2-0 at Celtic Park to win a place in qualifying for the 2014-2015 Europa League.
      St Johnstone beat Swiss side FC Luzern on penalties before losing out to Slovakia’s Spartak Trnava in the third qualifying round.
      Just months later, Scott gave up full-time professional football for a drastic career change.
      He said: “I played professionally for St Johnstone for two years until they won the Scottish Cup in 2014.
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      “I have since played part-time while pursuing my legal career for clubs such as Albion Rovers, Stirling Albion, East Kilbride, Linlithgow Rose and Gartcairn.”
      Scott is now urging young players to think of plan-B careers if their football dreams do not go to plan.
      He said: “These are tough decisions for a young person with a head full of stardust to make.
      “But they are decisions which could shape their future, for good or ill.
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      ”Footballing stardom is the ultimate prize. But there are things I wish I’d thought about before I signed my first professional contract.”
      Scott added: “The day a young footballer signs his first professional contract is an unforgettable occasion.
      “It vindicates the long car journeys to games, the cold hours on the touchline for parents and the relentless honing of the young hopeful’s unique skills.
      “But in the euphoria surrounding it, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it is a binding document.
      “Great care should be taken to ensure that the terms and conditions within it are in the youngster’s best interests.
      “The ideal contract duration at this stage in a career would be two to three years.
      “It is enough time to create some job security and to develop within the team, but also short enough to allow for a different career path if things do not go according to plan.
      “The footballing life is notoriously short-term and young people may come round to the view that university or an apprenticeship might be better for their long-term prospects.”
      It comes after a Newcastle United cult hero who starred at the World Cup revealed why switched careers to become a greengrocer. More

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      Hannibal Mejbri reveals Man Utd team-mates endorsed Sevilla loan transfer after Europa League humiliation

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      HANNIBAL revealed his Manchester United team-mates endorsed his loan move to Sevilla because of their Europa League humiliation.The Tuinisian midfielder, 20, has moved to LaLiga for the rest of the season in a deal with an option to buy, believed to be worth £17.2m.
      Hannibal Mejbri and Sevilla’s sports director Victor Orta together during his presentationCredit: EPA
      Everton also expressed an interest but Hannibal says his Red Devil pals recommended the Spanish side after experiencing the ‘crazy’ atmosphere in a 3-0 quarter-final thumping last April.
      Hannibal said: “I wasn’t involved, but I watched the games and I could see the quality in the club. I could see the fans. When they played at Sevilla, it was crazy.
      “And just before I joined here, the players at United told me about the fans.
      “They told me the atmosphere was really crazy. It’s always nice to play for a team who have good and crazy fans because it helps you when you are in difficult moments.
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      “I’ve heard a lot about them so yeah I can’t wait to see them, play for them and hopefully they can like me as much as I like them.”
      Hannibal, who went to the 2022 World Cup, was due to be in Tunisia’s squad at the Africa Cup of Nations but opted out of the tournament to secure his club future.
      He made ten United appearances this season with his final outing coming in the 2-0 FA Cup third-round win at Wigan.
      Hannibal could make his debut against shock Spanish league leaders Girona away on Sunday – his 21st birthday.
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      He added: “It’s going to be really nice because we’re playing against a strong team.
      “Hopefully, I can make my debut and it will be a good present and even better if we win and come back with the three points.”
      The central midfielder leaves Old Trafford having made 13 first team appearances More