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      Ex-Manchester United starlet John Cofie who bagged £1m deal in court accused of rape

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      A FORMER Manchester United wonderkid appeared in court yesterday accused of rape.John Cofie, 29, was the youngest footballer to bag a £1million deal when Sir Alex Ferguson signed him for the youth team aged just 14.
      Cofie is charged with raping a woman in Trafford, Gtr Manchester, in 2019, alongside co-accused Nathan StuartCredit: CHRIS NEILL
      Cofie is charged with raping a woman in Trafford, Gtr Manchester, in 2019, alongside co-accused Nathan Stuart.
      Cofie, who is still close pals with ex-Red Devils Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, signed in 2007 for the huge sum.
      But the Ghanaian-born player failed to make a single appearance for United and left in 2013.
      He retired two years ago and has since worked as a mentor for kids enrolled in a footie programme in Lancashire.
      Read More on Manchester United
      Cofie denies the charge.
      The trial at Manchester Minshull Street crown court continues. More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo and Will.i.am dragged into legal battle involving Italian restaurant

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      SPORTS legends and celebrity icons including Cristiano Ronaldo, Tyson Fury and Molly-Mae Hague have been dragged into a legal battle involving one of their favourite Italian restaurants.They are among high-profile names that appear in court papers lodged at the High Court by dining hotspot Cibo in a bid to stop a rival trading under its name.
      Cibo is a regular haunt for sports stars and celebrities – who have been named in legal papers issued by the restaurantCredit: Zenpix
      Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is said to have attended the dinerCredit: AFP
      Other stars mentioned include Will.I.Am, Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United legends Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Liverpool stars Mohammed Salah, Alison Becker and Darwin Nunez.
      They are all regulars at Cibo Hale and Cibo Wilmslow which raked in £4.25million last year.
      The luxury restaurants have featured in ITV2’s Real Housewives of Cheshire and was where Solskjaer and Manchester United’s then chief Ed Woodward met to thrash out a permanent managerial deal over a £10.50 spaghetti bolognese.
      But furious bosses are locked in a bitter feud with three other nearby restaurants who they accuse of using its name without consent.
      READ MORE CRISTIANO RONALDO
      They are suing Cibo Manchester, Cibo Liverpool Road, and Cibo Great Northern, along with four of its directors, over claims they have been trading off its celebrity credentials and reputation.
      In a highly unusual move the bosses of Cibo named some of their celebrity clients in court papers submitted to the High Court and obtained by the Sun on Sunday.
      They read: “The Claimants’ exceptional level of service, stylish décor and reputation has helped to attract high profile and celebrity customers to their restaurant.
      “The Claimants’ customers include a range of high profile individuals and celebrities from across the UK, many of whom are known worldwide.”
      Most read in Football
      But they claim their reputation is being damaged by the use of their name at eateries just 11 miles away.
      Baffled customers have also left bad reviews including one which read: “Not as good as the Cibo in Wilmslow.”
      It went on: “We expected the same good food but unfortunately not.
      “My starter came out very quickly but was somehow cold. In the future we will use the Wilmslow restaurant or try somewhere else in Manchester.”
      One Tripadvisor review stated: “Waitress was miserable. Food was basic. One toilet working…nothing like Cibo in Wilmslow…. Disappointing.”
      Another fumed: “I love CIBO in Wilmslow and hoped for the same…. The lasagne was a poor standard. It had barely any meat in it at all… the fries were undercooked and hard. Not somewhere I would look to go back to.”
      Other customers tried to present discount vouchers – including Groupons and Meerkat Meals – to pay for their meals.
      The court papers continue: “The Claimants have suffered and continue to suffer loss and damage.
      “The goodwill, and the associated reputation, of the Claimants is likely to be damaged by wrongly being associated with provision of the Defendants’ services.
      “The defendants have made misrepresentations to the public that are calculated to lead, have led, and/or likely to lead to the public being deceived.”
      Read More on The Sun
      They even claim that their rivals pinched their signs and changed their interior to look similar in “a deliberate campaign” to confuse customers.
      Cibo is seeking damages and an injunction to stop the other restaurants from using the name.
      US music star Will.i.am is also named as a visitor to Cibo restuarantCredit: Getty More

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      Jermain Defoe ditched girlfriend Donna and their dog for his now estranged wife who is also called Donna

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      FOOTIE ace Jermain Defoe ditched a woman called Donna-Louise with a dog called Defoe before moving  on to date wife Donna.Donna-Louise Boyle, 34, was left heartbroken when the former Spurs and England striker, 40, brushed her off.
      Jermain Defoe ditched a woman called Donna-Louise with a dog called Defoe before moving on to date wife DonnaCredit: instagram
      Donna-Louise Boyle was left heartbroken when the former striker brushed her off, having shared a pet Chow Chow dog together
      The pair were so close they even shared a pet Chow Chow dog called Kai Lion Defoe, which has its own Instagram account.
      Snaps of telly pundit ­Defoe with the dog can still be seen on his public social media profile.
      They include one of him petting Kai outside in May 2021, three months before he proposed to  now estranged wife Donna Tierney.
      Both women are from Glasgow where Defoe played for Rangers at the time.
      READ MORE SUN EXCLUSIVES
      Defoe and mum-of-one Donna, 40, married in a lavish £200,000 ceremony paid for by OK! magazine last summer.
      They hooked up after he messaged on social media and met when she asked him for a signed Rangers shirt for a charity event.
      A source said of Defoe’s split from Donna-Louise: “It was a really bad time in her life. She loved Jermain and it hit her for six.
      “It was a bitter pill for Donna-Louise to swallow, but she’s moved on from Jermain now.”
      Most read in Football
      Scot Donna-Louise is the boss of Cocoberry chocolate shop in Glasgow and is still believed to live with Kai.
      Snaps of telly pundit Defoe with the dog can still be seen on his public social media profile
      The Sun on Sunday told last week how Defoe had shacked up with influencer Alisha LeMay, 31, following his split from “wife” Donna.
      There is no record of Defoe’s marriage to her at the local register office.
      OK! splashed the wedding across 14 pages and front cover, but did not have a reporter or snapper there, using pics the couple gave.
      No images of anyone marrying them were published.
      We told in October how Defoe had messaged a nurse begging for sex just weeks after his wedding.
      The former West Ham, Portsmouth and Sunderland ace, who scored 227 career goals, tried to lure her for a romp in his Range Rover.
      Donna-Louise declined to talk when contacted.
      The Sun on Sunday told last week how Defoe had shacked up with influencer Alisha LeMay after his split from wife DonnaCredit: Instagram/@alishalemayx
      We told in October how Defoe had messaged a nurse begging for sex just weeks after his weddingCredit: Getty More

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      Leicester City furious as drones were used to spy on training sessions ahead of Premier League clash

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      LEICESTER City chiefs were left ­furious after drones were used to spy on first-team training sessions days before a Premier League clash.Camera-bearing devices were flown over top players including England star James Maddison and manager Brendan Rodgers as they worked on secret drills this week.
      Leicester City chiefs were left ­furious after drones were used to spy on first-team training sessions – pictured England star James MaddisonCredit: Getty
      Camera-bearing devices were flown over top playersCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Manager Brendan Rodgers was also seen being spied on by the devicesCredit: Getty
      Security guards at the club, who play Brighton & Hove Albion tomorrow, confronted the drone operator outside the club’s training base.
      He told them he was entitled to fly them above the facility from outside the perimeter.
      Footage later emerged online of the club’s security boss threatening to call cops and clips of the players training and planning set-pieces.
      A source said: “The man was insistent he wouldn’t leave.
      READ MORE ON DRONES
      “He filmed drills which are supposed to be kept confidential.
      “They’re a key part of team tactics and opponents finding out about them before a game would be a huge problem.
      “After the session the squad discussed it.
      “We’ve since been told the club are taking it further as similar things have happened before and to rivals.
      Most read in Football
      “Some footage has already been on YouTube and TikTok. Who knows where else it goes?”
      Former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted sending a club employee to spy on Derby County in training before a Championship match in 2019.
      The club was fined £200,000 by the English Football League who said the move was unsporting but not illegal.
      The EFL introduced a law forbidding viewing opponents’ training sessions in the 72 hours before a match. More

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      Match of the Day prankster Dan Jarvis who tricked Gary Lineker with porn noise reveals how he did it

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      SEX noise prankster Daniel “Jarvo” Jarvis told how he beat security by marching into a football stadium with TV crew — and even helped himself to beers in a hospitality box.He and a pal later activated a £20 phone — one of the world’s loudest — to pump moans around the live Match of the Day studio.
      Notorious UK prankster Dan Jarvis was behind the Match Of The Day stuntCredit: Dan Charity
      Gary Lineker was in stitches at the moaning noises started playing in the backgroundCredit: BBC
      The stunt had BBC host Gary Lineker in stitches and stunned millions watching Tuesday’s Wolves v Liverpool FA Cup replay.
      YouTuber Jarvo, 30, wore black jeans and coat to blend in as he and the pal followed a TV crew into Wolves’s Molineux stadium a day before kick-off, nodding at security who let them pass unchecked.
      The pair used double-sided tape to stick the gold Yepen mobile to a 7ft wall on set, and changed the ringtone to the raunchy soundtrack.
      Jarvo told The Sun: “These things are all about confidence.“We got in because we made it look like we were meant to be there, so no one bats an eyelid.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      “If you hesitate, then you’ll get asked questions. But people from Wolves thought we were with the TV, and vice versa.
      “TV crews don’t dress particularly smartly so I fitted right in. There were about four staff working in the studio. We tried not to speak to them much, just saying ‘How are you?’
      “Our plan was to strap it under a chair or the table, but they might’ve got suspicious if we started moving stuff around.
      “So we strapped it to the top of the wall and because of the colour no one could see it. We had a cheers with the beers afterwards then it was a waiting game, hoping no one had found the phone.”
      Most read in Football
      A YouTube video posted during Tuesday’s match showed Jarvo call the phone to trigger the X-rated noise.
      He added: “I was at my cousin’s and couldn’t believe it worked. It was hilarious. We’ve tried this before and it didn’t work. But this must’ve been the magic of the FA Cup.”
      Jarvo and his mate spent 90 minutes inside Molineux. They filmed a jokey interview in the mix zone and posed in the dugouts.
      A YouTube video posted during Tuesday’s match showed Jarvo call the phone to trigger the X-rated noiseCredit: Ruckas
      Pal of Jarvo’s recording of BBC man scrambling to find noise source behind Ince and Lineker
      Gary Lineker tweeted exactly where the noise was coming fromCredit: @GaryLineker
      Jarvo, known as Jarvo69 online, added: “Staff didn’t say anything. I was tempted to jump in the home changing room ice bath but didn’t have a towel. I also used the toilet in the away dressing room, which is terrible — it’s like a PE changing room from the ’90s. After we planted the phone, we had a beer and got out.”
      Jarvo rang the phone at 1am on Tuesday to check it had not been found. He then buzzed it around 12 times from a burner device after the BBC went live at 7.30pm.
      The noise drowned out Lineker as he cut to the commentary team.
      He could barely be heard saying: “It is toasty in this studio. I am not sure if someone is sending something on somebody’s phone.”
      Jarvo streamed his calls, cracking up with laughter while ringing his mate who was inside Molineux recording the studio reaction.
      It showed pundit Paul Ince pointing to the noise’s source, while crew searched for it to no avail.
      Jarvo, of Gravesend, Kent, said: “There is a short delay with the TV so I was worried it didn’t work, but the camera went back to Lineker at the perfect time.
      “Those situations are so funny because no one has been in it before. You could see they were panicking but Lineker is such a pro and handled it really well. Everyone seems to have loved it. I feel like we’ve cheered up the nation a bit at a bad time.”
      Jarvo tried to prank BT Sport’s coverage of Fulham v Tottenham in 2021 but was let down by that phone’s sound quality.
      The incident also sparked a police alert.
      Daniel ‘Jarvo’ Jarvis told how he beat security by marching into a football stadium with TV crewCredit: Dan Charity
      This time he bought five phones after searching for the world’s loudest mobiles.
      Man Utd fan Jarvo said: “This Yepen worked a treat. We’ve still got a few so TV and the Premier League better watch out!”
      Police have said it was not a criminal offence.
      The BBC apologised to viewers who may have been offended but Lineker said the corporation had nothing to say sorry for.
      He shared a picture of the phone after it was discovered and said: “As sabotage goes, it was quite amusing.”
      Liverpool won 1-0 and Lineker said at half-time: “Harvey Elliott’s goal was a screamer . . . which was not the only one we’ve had tonight.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Yesterday talkSPORT pundit Ally McCoist joked he’d never heard such a noise in his life, adding: “I’ve been doing it wrong for 40 years!”
      Jarvo added: “This prank will go down in history. I’ve always got things planned. I can’t tell you what’s next.” More

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      Gary Lineker laughs off Match of the Day ‘porn noise’ scandal & enjoyed half-time analysis with sex-filled innuendo

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      GARY Lineker yesterday laughed off the Match of the Day “porn noise” scandal — and said he took great pleasure filling his half-time analysis with sex-filled innuendo.The presenter said the BBC has had to look at its security measures following YouTuber Daniel “Jarvo” Jarvis’s stunt.
      Gary Lineker laughed off the MOTD ‘porn noise’ scandalCredit: BBC/UNPIXS
      The presenter said he enjoyed his half-time analysis with sex-filled innuendo – pictured The Sun’s coverage of the story
      But Gary, 62, who memorably had an on-pitch “accident” during England’s 1990 World Cup opener, joked: “If you told me yesterday morning that I’d be on the front page of The Sun, involved with a porn ­scandal, I’d have s*** myself — again!”
      Gary added: “I thought it was funny, and the YouTube prankster has shown his work.
      “It was that loud that I couldn’t really hear myself think, or what the other guys were saying, and realised people could probably hear it at home so I knew I had to both keep it together, whilst also addressing the matter.
      “In these situations, you have to keep your head.
      Read More on Gary Lineker
      “Yes, it’s funny but you can’t overwhelm the show — you can’t ignore it.
      “But, and after the studio manager had located the strap-on phone, I started to have a bit of fun with it all.
      “So at half-time every question I asked about the analysis, my comments were some kind of reference to it.
      “Things like ‘Wolves huffed and puffed’ or ‘the only goal was a screamer — and not the only screamer we had’, and ‘Liverpool pressed really hard in trying to get behind them’ — all that kind of thing.
      Most read in Football
      “It was daft but it really did amuse me. And once I realised it was a prank, I knew that if I started laughing I probably wouldn’t have stopped.
      “It was the most surreal and one of the strangest things I’ve ever encountered in broadcasting.”
      Prankster Jarvo, a serial pitch invader, had broken into the studio and activated a sexy sounds ring tone on a mobile phone, which he hid on the set.
      He then called the phone during Gary’s studio segments at the Wolves v Liverpool FA Cup replay at Molineux on Tuesday.
      The BBC later issued a po-faced apology.
      But Gary questioned that decision.
      He said: “I’m not sure why the BBC apologised because it’s not our fault obviously.
      “It’s a security issue, and there is a serious side to it; if someone can do that, they can do something else with something that could be more dangerous.
      “But, in this instance, I felt that universally people were finding it really funny.
      Read More on The Sun
      “And actually I have to agree with them, even if it was at our expense.
      “It was enjoyed, I think . . . much like those people on that phone!” More

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      Pele is set to be honoured in Brazil with a statue at Congress and could have Maracana named after him

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      FOOTY legend Pele is to get a statue at the Brazilian Congress, The Sun can reveal.Known as “O Rei” or the King of Football, Edson Arantes do Nascimento died aged 82 last month after battling colon cancer.
      Pele is set to get a statue in his honour after his death last month. He is pictured during a ceremony in Milan in 1990Credit: AFP
      Pele’s wife Marcia Aoki (C) is seen near his coffin during his funeral ceremony in DecemberCredit: Getty
      The whole of Brazil observed three days of national mourning following his passing.
      Now the three-time World Cup winner’s business manager says the country’s authorities are preparing to honor him with a statue at the National Congress building in Brasilia.
      Joe Fraga, 51, told The Sun: “There’s a conversation of putting a statue of him in the legislative area in Brasilia where they have other statues.
      “We’re talking with the Secretary of State who deals with those matters.

      “Pele is one of the most iconic people that ever lived on the planet and the biggest ambassador Brazil has ever had.
      “I don’t think there’s ever going to be anyone bigger than Pele to represent Brazil.
      “They’re also talking about naming the Maracana field in Rio de Janeiro after him and putting his face on a coin or maybe even a bill.
      “I don’t know what denomination it would be, we are just in the infancy of that conversation.
      Most read in Football
      “The government has approached me about a tribute stamp too.”
      This isn’t the first statue to the soccer star. A Pele statue has also been erected at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemeteryCredit: Getty
      Fraga said he has also been contacted by the local governments of Sao Paulo, Santos – where Pele made his name as a player – and Gaurujá where he lived regarding statues and the naming of parks after Pele.
      Earlier this month Pele was laid to rest at Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium.
      Some 230,000 mourners including the new Brazilian president Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva filed past his coffin to pay their respects.
      A huge mass was held at the stadium before the coffin was draped in a Brazil flag guarded by army soldiers this morning for the procession through the city.
      Pele’s coffin was carried through the streets and passed in front of the home of his 100-year-old mother, Celeste.
      The burial took place at the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica in Santos and only his family attended.
      Pele is said to have chosen the burial site on the ninth floor of the cemetery to allow him to “watch over” the Santos stadium.
      His final resting place is in a “vertical cemetery” in a 14-floor building that includes 14,000 vaults, a waterfall and a car museum.
      Pele burst onto the global stage in 1958 and helped Brazil win back-to-back World Cups four years later.
      His success in 1970 ensured he became and remains the only person to win three World Cup tournaments as a player.
      At club level Pele enjoyed 18 years at Santos, the team he made his debut for aged 15.
      Read More on The Sun
      Overall, he scored a staggering 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, which is recognised as a Guinness World Record.
      He also managed a remarkable 77 goals in 92 games for the Brazilian national team.
      The whole of Brazil observed three days of national mourning following his passing. An aerial view of the streets during Pele’s funeral procession in Santos, BrazilCredit: Getty
      Earlier this month Pele (pictured in 2015) was laid to rest at Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadiumCredit: Getty More

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      England ace Harry Maguire snaps up beachfront villa on Caribbean resort loved by Wayne Rooney and Gary Lineker

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      ENGLAND ace Harry Maguire has snapped up a beachfront villa on a Barbados resort loved by Three Lions heroes Wayne Rooney and Gary Lineker.The Manchester United defender’s four-bed pad has a pool and overlooks an 18-hole golf course.
      England ace Harry Maguire has snapped up a beachfront villa on a Barbados resort loved by Three Lions heroes Wayne Rooney and Gary LinekerCredit: Reuters
      Harry, 29, and his wife Fern, 28, wanted somewhere private to escape with their two childrenCredit: Alamy
      Man United legend Rooney regularly holidays at the exclusive Royal Westmoreland resort with wife Coleen, 36, and their four kidsCredit: PA:Press Association
      Match of the Day host Lineker, 62, still visits after selling a property there in 2010Credit: Colorsport
      A source said Harry, 29, and wife Fern, 28, wanted somewhere private to escape with their two children.
      They added: “It’s been a tough year.
      “Harry’s struggled on the pitch and been targeted off it.
      “They need somewhere they can unwind.”

      Man United legend Rooney, 37, regularly holidays at the exclusive Royal Westmoreland resort with wife Coleen, 36, and their four kids after buying a £5million villa during his playing days.
      Match of the Day host Lineker, 62, still visits after selling a property there in 2010.
      Sir Cliff Richard and Denise van Outen are also regulars in the swish clubhouse.
      Maguire, a late sub in United’s dramatic 2-1 win over City in the Manchester derby, picked up the Barbados property during Covid.
      Most read in Football
      He has also invested in a farm close to his family in Mosborough, South Yorks.
      A source said: “Harry is from Mosborough.
      “When he retires, that will be his long-term home.” More