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      UK and Ireland launch Euro 2028 bid and confirm 10 stadiums with shock venues missing out

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      THE UK and Ireland has submitted its final list of ten stadiums to host Euro 2028 – with some shock omissions.The deadline for applications to host the football tournament is today, with the government already giving the green light for it to go ahead.

      Wembley Stadium was always a shoo-in to host games at Euro 2028 and will likely ge the finalCredit: Getty
      Considering the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium cost £1BILLION to build, it had to be selectedCredit: Rex
      Manchester City’s Etihad was selected over Old TraffordCredit: Alamy
      Turkey are the rivals to host the iconic competition with the final decision to be made in September.
      The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Republic of Ireland have met to thrash out the finer details.
      And the lucky ten venues have been chosen under the banner “Football for all. Football for good. Football for the future.”
      Big stadiums to miss out are Manchester United’s Old Trafford, West Ham’s London Stadium and Liverpool’s Anfield.
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      United legend Gary Neville has slammed the owners the Glazers for letting Old Trafford ‘rust’ and says it need £1BILLION in renovations.
      After meeting the FA, United execs pulled the plug on their bid to be a host stadium, despite them having the highest-capacity after Wembley in England.

      Meanwhile, SunSport revealed earlier this year that Anfield’s pitch is too SMALL to meet Uefa guidelines and cannot be extended.
      England’s capital city London has two hosting venues – Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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      St James’ Park will guarantee a cracking atmosphere in Euros gamesCredit: PA
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      Wembley, the national stadium, has a whopping 90,000 capacity to dwarf the other stadia on the list.
      It hosted final heartbreak for England at Euro 2020 when Gareth Southgate’s boys were defeated by Italy on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
      There were ugly scenes before the game too when fans without tickets piled into the national stadium.
      This led to England receiving a two-match stadium ban.
      Fortunately that seems to have been forgiven by Uefa chiefs.
      Considering Spurs spent £1BILLION on their 62,850-capacity offering, their inclusion could be expected.
      Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium (capacity of 53,400), Newcastle’s St James’ Park (52,305), and Everton’s not-yet-built Bramley-Moore Dock stadium (52,888) are the country’s northern choices.
      Everton’s new £600m stadium has yet to be built but has been selectedCredit: PA
      Aston Villa’s famous old Villa Park stadium has made the cutCredit: Getty
      Aston Villa’s Villa Park is doing the Midlands proud and can house 42,640 fans.
      Wales will have the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium, Scotland the iconic Hampden Park that can cater for 51,866 people.
      Over the water, Belfast’s Casement Park is selected for Northern Ireland, while the 51,700-capacity Aviva Dublin is the venue for the Republic of Ireland.
      The Casement will undergo a huge renovation and feature a bowl-like design to host around 35,000 fans.
      And to comply with Uefa rules, the stadia will have to lose their sponsored names – so the Etihad will be renamed ‘The City of Manchester Stadium’, for example.
      A statement from the Home Nations bid group read: “The UK and Ireland share a proud reputation as world-leading event destinations which have successfully staged some of the biggest global sporting tournaments – backed by strong government support.
      “This includes the recent record-breaking Uefa Women’s Euro 2022.
      “We are delighted that our government partners are fully committed to hosting Uefa Euro 2028.
      “They have signed the relevant tournament guarantees and will ensure the event is fully supported.
      “This will create a welcoming, exciting and safe football experience that players and fans will enjoy in every city and every game.”
      It has also been confirmed that THREE MILLION tickets will be available for the tournament – the highest total ever for the Euros.
      The bid has been backed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf and Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford, who said it would be the “biggest sporting event our islands have ever jointly staged”.
      Sunak added “Football has a habit of creating special memories and in 2028 we want to create new memories for a new generation – across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
      “Our bid promises not only world-class stadia, excellent transport links and the world’s best fans but also the opportunity to build a lasting grassroots legacy.
      “Euro 2028 would be an incredible showcase of all that the UK & Ireland have to offer and another landmark moment in our proud sporting history. I am immensely proud to be backing the bid.”
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      Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and Dublin’s Croke Park were the other locations to miss out.
      And there could be some raised eyebrows that Arsenal’s Emirates was not one to be considered either.
      The Aviva Stadium in Dublin will host games in the Republic of IrelandCredit: Sportsfile
      Hampden Park will once again do Scotland proudCredit: Getty
      Northern Ireland has made sure to get in on the action with the Casement Park – though like Everton it too will undergo huge redevelopmentCredit: Pacemaker Press
      The Principality Stadium in Cardiff is as majestic as they comeCredit: Getty More

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      People are only just realising why England play in white… and it’s all thanks to bitter rivals Scotland

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      EVERYONE knows England play in a white home kit.But people are only just beginning to realise why that is the case.
      England have worn white shirts for as long as anyone can rememberCredit: Getty
      And in actual fact, it is all down to bitter rivals Scotland.
      That’s right – England might not be synonymous with wearing white if it was not for the Scots north of the border.
      The Three Lions played Scotland all the way back in 1872 in the very first international football match.
      And with the Tartan Terriers wearing a full navy kit – the team of 11 Queen’s Park players actually wore their club kit – England had to go for something else to ensure the two teams could be distinguished.
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      It is suggested by the Daily Star that the FA supplied the white kits – which may have been spare cricket tops.
      Either way, there was no kit clash with Scotland for the 0-0 draw at Hamilton Crescent Cricket Ground.
      However, even then England did not immediately sick with white and sometimes players simply had the England badge sewn on to their club kits.
      This then transformed to white collared shirts – bought by Mr Gann and Mr Root – with players sticking with their club shorts and socks.
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      But in the late 1800s, the press pushed for consistency and at long last England stuck with white shirts, navy shorts and white socks – and it remains that way today.
      The navy shorts could have been chosen to differentiate from Germany’s white outfit.
      Ironically, that clash forced England to wear their red away kit for the victorious 1966 World Cup final.
      There have been some variations in recent years – for example, the white shorts of 2009 and the red shorts of 2012.
      England fans will get to see their team in action against Scotland in their iconic white kit at Hampden Park in September.
      The match is to mark the 150th anniversary of that first meeting in 1872 as part of the Scottish FA’s year-long celebrations.
      Scotland will wear a special retro shirt complete with the old-fashioned Lion Rampant.
      And the Tartan Army wasted no time snapping up the “work of art” jersey as they sold out rapidly – despite a staggering £90 price tag.
      England, pictured in 1961, have worn white shirts ever since their first match 151 years agoCredit: Getty
      The Three Lions won the World Cup wearing their red away kitCredit: Getty
      England took on Scotland at Euro 2020 with both teams in their traditional coloursCredit: Getty More

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      Gabby Agbonlahor slams TV companies for amount of subscriptions needed to watch football after missing match

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      GABBY AGBONLAHOR has hit out at the number of subscriptions fans need to watch football.The former Aston Villa star ranted about TV companies after he was unable to watch Scotland’s 2-0 win over Spain.
      Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed TV companies for the amount of subscriptions needed to watch footballCredit: Twitter / @talkSPORT
      The rant came after he was not able to watch Scotland’s win over SpainCredit: AP
      Manchester United star Scott McTominay netted a brace against the Spanish to give his side a famous win.
      However many were unable to watch the game as it was broadcast on Viaplay, which costs £14.99 a month or £11.99 a month if paid for on a 12-month contract.
      And Agbonlahor was left fuming with this as he went on to moan about the number of subscriptions that are needed in order for fans to tune into games.
      He told talkSPORT: “It was a massive result.
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      “But I didn’t get to watch the game as there are so many channels now, that football is on.
      “You’ve got Viaplay £15, BT Sport £30, Sky Sports £24, Amazon £9.
      “I can’t keep up, I went to put it on and I am like ‘I am not signing up to this channel’.”
      And many fans agreed with the former England international as one commented: “Will only get worse at the end of the next TV rights contracts when the likes of Dazn and Disney and possibly Netflix get involved.”
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      A second wrote: “I’ve never agreed with Gabby more, never even bloody heard of Viaplay until last night.”
      A third said: “Finally, a pundit addressing what most of the football-loving public have a grievance about.”
      A fourth tweeted: “It’s ridiculous to need some sort of regulation on this over a £100 month to watch football.”
      While a fifth added: “Don’t always agree with Gabby but he’s spot on here, the good old days were when footy was on normal telly, and they wonder why people don’t pay.” More

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      Sweden manager storms out of live TV interview after accusing ex-Man Utd star of ‘talking c**p’ in blazing row

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      SWEDEN’S manager stormed out of a live TV interview after accusing a former Manchester United star of “talking c**p”.Janne Andersson, 60, spoke to the Viaplay pundits after Sweden thrashed Azerbaijan 5-0 in Stockholm in Euro 2024 qualifying on Monday.
      Janne Andersson, right, and Bojan Djordjic got into a bitter rowCredit: Viaplay
      The gaffer stormed out of the live TV interviewCredit: Viaplay
      🇸🇪 Incredible scenes after Sweden’s 5-0 win over Azerbaijan!Manager Janne Andersson loses it on live TV and has a heated clash with Bojan Djordjic after the former Man United man simply questioned Jesper Karlsson’s game time!It got personal…pic.twitter.com/XUmFr0LkLF— Seb Sternik (@seb_sternik) March 27, 2023

      However, what should have been a routine post-match discussion exploded into a blazing row on air.
      And it culminated in the gaffer angrily gesticulating at the panel, questioning their loyalty to Sweden and then slamming his microphone down on the table and walking off.
      Andersson took exception to former Red Devils man Bojan Djordjic quizzing him on the “too little” game time given to Jesper Karlsson.
      The AZ Alkmaar man got just eight minutes in total against Azerbaijan and Belgium during this international break – although still chipped in with a goal last night before United’s Anthony Elanga completed the rout.
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      Andersson, who took charge of Sweden in 2016, fired back: “We can discuss the choice of players all damn night, excuse me.
      “Who shouldn’t play? I get to pick the eleven, who won’t play?
      “Excuse me, but you can do exactly what you want if you are the national team coach.”
      Andersson insisted playing Karlsson would mean Newcastle’s Alexander Isak or Coventry’s Viktor Gyokeres would need to drop out.
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      He accused Djordjic of “whining” and appeared to question his heritage by asking him: “Who do you represent?”
      Belgrade-born Djordjic – who played for Sweden at Under-21 level but did not earn a senior cap – clearly took offence and responded: “Sweden, of course, why wouldn’t I?

      “What kind of thing is this then? Are you going to say something else?”
      Andersson pointed furiously and waved his hand in disgust at Djordjic, adding: “It is so bad. You stand and talk c**p after a game when we win 5-0.”
      Djordjic then unleashed a stinging response: “You’re talking too much right now, you are being too aggressive. Why?
      “Who else would I represent? What other country? Serbia, did you mean it or not? Is that what you’re trying to say?
      “I represent you as much as anyone else. I will not forget this answer, it’s bad.
      “It’s pretty low for a national team coach to say what you just said. Who do you represent?”
      Presenter Niklas Jihde tried to diffuse the situation by asking how Andersson was satisfied by the 5-0 win.
      ‘IT’S BULLS***’
      But the manager said: “I am not satisfied with anything, it’s bulls***.
      “If I come here and lose 3-0, then I would understand. Then I have to be defensive.
      “If we’ve won 5-0, should I be defensive? There are four of you and you will confront me with questions. Damn, that’s bad.”
      An irate Andersson then plonked the microphone down and headed out of shot to leave the pundits stunned – including ex-Arsenal winger Freddie Ljungberg.
      The national team boss continued his tirade in the press conference when he was asked about his comment to Djordjic’s representation.
      He added: “I don’t know what I said. Don’t talk about Serbia and stuff like that. I can’t stand that kind of s***.
      “I speak to him as a media representative. I may have expressed myself badly.
      “If I said something bad, I can take responsibility and apologise for it. Don’t mix that up, then I get p***** off.”
      Djordjic, 41, joined Manchester United as a youngster in 1999 and spent six years on the books at Old Trafford.
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      The former winger made two senior appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson.
      He went on to turn out for Rangers, Plymouth and Blackpool as well as teams around Europe including in Sweden before finishing his career with a year in India.
      Andersson has been in charge of the national team since 2016Credit: Viaplay
      The pair went at each other live on airCredit: Viaplay
      The Sweden manager questioned the support and loyalty of the punditCredit: Viaplay
      Anthony Elanga completed the 5-0 win in StockholmCredit: Reuters
      Djordjic spent six years at Old Trafford and made two appearancesCredit: Empics More

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      ‘I can’t believe that…’ – Chelsea star Ben Chilwell in awe of Arsenal ace after sensational week with England

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      CHELSEA ace Ben Chilwell “can’t believe” England team-mate and Arsenal star Bukayo Saka started out as a left-back.Saka led the Three Lions to a routine 2-0 victory over Ukraine in their Euro 2024 qualifier at Wembley on Sunday as he set up record goalscorer Harry Kane’s opener and then netted a wondergoal.
      Chelsea star Ben Chilwell praised England team-mate and Arsenal star Bukayo SakaCredit: Rex
      Saka started out as a full-back and turned into a lethal goalscorerCredit: PA
      The winger was named Man of the Match amid a stunning season that has also seen him register a total of 13 goals and 10 assists in 38 matches across all competitions for Arsenal.
      Chilwell has been left in awe of the 21-year-old’s incredible development as he went from a full-back to one of the Premier League’s most lethal goalscorers.
      The 26-year-old Chelsea ace, who also plays as a left-back, sang Saka’s praises as he revealed how important he is to the team both on and off the pitch.
      Chilwell said: “I can’t believe he played at left-back when he can do that.
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      “Bukayo is such a great talent. I think everyone can see what he gives on the pitch but he’s one of the best people I have met in football as well.
      “We see him on a daily basis around the camp and he just brings happiness to everyone.
      “He is always smiling and a good guy to be around, and then he comes out on the pitch and delivers like that for us.
      “An assist and a goal and it ultimately wins us the game. I am delighted for him.”
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      Saka has played a key role in England’s qualifying campaign getting off on the right foot as Gareth Southgate’s side have won both of their first two matches.
      The Three Lions also got a little payback for their loss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
      Southgate’s men defeated the reigning European champions 2-1 in Naples.
      Fellow Group C outfits North Macedonia and Malta are next for in-form England. More

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      Bruno Fernandes risks row with Cristiano Ronaldo as he publicly disagrees with ex-Man Utd star’s Portugal verdict

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      BRUNO FERNANDES risked the wrath of Cristiano Ronaldo after publicly disagreeing with his Portugal captain.Ronaldo, 38, scored twice in the 6-0 thumping of Luxembourg last night.
      Bruno Fernandes defied Cristiano Ronaldo with his comments with PortugalCredit: Getty
      He was also mobbed by a pitch invader wearing an Al-Nassr shirt and combined his two celebrations for an unprecedented new version.
      The result ensured Roberto Martinez continued his perfect start to life as Portugal boss, backing up the 4-0 win over Lichtenstein on Thursday in Euro 2024 qualifying.
      Ronaldo claimed the new manager, who replaced Fernando Santos after the World Cup, brought a “breath of fresh air” to the national team camp.
      Santos was in charge for eight years and led Portugal to Euro 2016 glory, their first major trophy win, as well as the inaugural Nations League.
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      But Fernandes disputed his former Manchester United team-mate Ronaldo’s comments about Martinez.
      The Old Trafford midfielder, 28, said in response: “No, it’s just a new coach, with new ideas.

      “There’s no breath of fresh air at all.
      “It’s just a transitional period. The atmosphere in the national team has always been good.
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      “There are new dynamics, a new coach and we have to assimilate his ideas.”
      It is not the first time Fernandes has made his feelings about Ronaldo known.
      When CR7 arrived at the Portugal camp ahead of the World Cup, Fernandes appeared to snub his captain with a frosty reception – just days after the explosive interview with Piers Morgan was released.
      Roberto Martinez replaced Fernando Santos in the dugoutCredit: Getty More

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      Fans all say the same thing as Cristiano Ronaldo does unprecedented ‘combined’ celebration with Portugal running riot

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO left fans baffled with his new and unprecedented ‘combined’ celebration.The Portugal superstar captained his country in their thrashing of Luxembourg in Euro 2024 qualifying.
      Cristiano Ronaldo was delighted to get another two goals for PortugalCredit: AFP
      He jumped into his trademark celebrationCredit: EPA
      Ronaldo mixed up the landing by crossing his hands over his chestCredit: Reuters
      Portugal ran out 6-0 winners away against LuxembourgCredit: Reuters
      The 38-year-old got the 2016 champions off to a perfect start, breaking the deadlock after nine minutes.
      Chelsea loanee Joao Felix and Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva had made it 3-0 by 18 minutes before Ronaldo grabbed his second and Portugal’s fourth just after the half-hour mark.
      Otavio and Rafael Leao completed the 6-0 mauling late on.
      But it was after CR7’s early opener that he caught the attention of viewers watching on in his record-extending 198th cap.
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      Ronaldo raced away towards the corner as usual before taking off with his trademark ‘siuuu’ jump and spin.
      But rather than landing with his arms straight down by his sides, he mixed it up.
      Instead, he went straight into his other celebration, crossing his hands across his chest – a slight variation on the interlocking fingers.
      And a few fans were loving the radical shake-up.
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      One said: “Cristiano Ronaldo really combined both of his celebrations. 😭”
      Another wrote: “Nah Ronaldo actually combined two celebrations together 😂😂 WATCH everyone copy this as well. His influence is massive man.”
      A third added: “Ronaldo did the Siuu and the peace celebration together, New celebration just dropped 🐐”
      One fan commented: “This double celebration of Cristiano Ronaldo is gonna take over the world again.”
      And a final user joked: “Cristiano Ronaldo keeps breaking football records everyday… 💯. The first footballer ever to do a 2 in 1 celebration 🎉 💪.”
      Later on in the game, the Al-Nassr forward appeared delighted as a fan – wearing a shirt for the Saudi club – mobbed him on the pitch.
      The invader burst on to the field and was desperate to get close to his idol, who responded with a wink and a thumb up. More

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      Leeds key man Wilfried Gnonto emotionally hobbles off with ankle injury for Italy in huge relegation blow

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      LEEDS will be sweating over the fitness of star man Wilfried Gnonto.That’s after the forward went off injured in Italy’s Euro qualifier against Malta.
      Leeds star Wilfried Gnonto went off injured in Italy’s game against MaltaCredit: Getty
      Gnonto twisted his ankle after running past a defenderCredit: AP
      Gnonto, 19, has developed into a key player for Leeds since his move from Zurich in September.
      The former Inter Milan academy star has chipped in with four goals this season.
      And his Lionel Messi-esque style has made Gnonto a smash hit with the Elland Road faithful.
      However, Leeds risk being without their talismanic teen for Saturday’s trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal.
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      Gnonto lined up for Italy in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta on Sunday, winning his 10th cap in the process.
      Roberto Mancini’s men stormed into a 20th minute lead through Mateo Retegui, and went on to win 2-0.
      But moments later Retegui’s goal, Gnonto was forced off the field after appearing to twist his ankle while dribbling past a defender.
      The wing wizard looked to be in some pain as he bravely tried to hobble on.
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      And Gnonto soon signalled to the bench that he could no longer continue.
      The Leeds star limped off the pitch as Mancini watched on with concern.
      But it will be club boss Javi Gracia who could be dealt the bigger blow.
      Leeds are languishing in 14th place after just six wins this term.
      They are only ONE points above the dreaded drop zone.
      And to make matters worse, 18th-place West Ham still have a game in hand on them.
      Gnonto will now be hoping he can spring back into action for next weekend’s crunch game at the Emirates.
      But it remains to be seen how long he remains in Yorkshire for, with Serie A giants Juventus reportedly plotting to bring him back to Italy this summer.
      Gnonto may have options in England too, with Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea all admirers. More