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      in Soccer

      Man City vs Fluminense LIVE – Fifa Club World Cup final: Treble winners aim for history as they take on Brazilian giants

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      MANCHESTER CITY will face Brazilian giants Fluminense in the final of the Fifa Club World Cup TONIGHT!The Treble winners easily brushed aside Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals, beating the Japanese side 3-0.
      Manchester City beat Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finalCredit: GETTY
      An own goal from Marius Hoibraten and strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva helped City secure their spot in the final without goal machine Erling Haaland.
      Pep Guardiola’s side put aside their recent rocky Premier League form and are in pole position to take home their fifth honour in 2023.
      Copa Libertadores champions Fluminense beat Al Ahly 2-0 to book their place in the last two.
      When is Man City vs Fluminense?

      Man City vs Fluminense will take place TONIGHT – Friday, December 22nd.
      Kick off will be at 6pm GMT.
      King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will host.

      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      What TV channel is Man City vs Fluminense on and can it be live streamed?

      Man City vs Fluminense will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.
      You can live stream the Fifa Club World Cup final on discovery+.
      Alternatively, you can keep up to date with all the action by following SunSport’s live blog.

      Team news
      Manchester City will be definitely without the trio of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Kevin de Bruyne despite travelling with the Man City squad to Saudi Arabia.
      The three are unavailable due to Fifa rules forbidding any player who did not feature in the semi-final matchday squad from playing in the final.
      Julian Alvarez started on the bench for the semi-final, with Pep Guardiola opting to play without a recognised striker, but the Spaniard could bring in the Argentine for the final.
      Most read in Football
      Meanwhile, five-time Champions League winner Marcelo will likely feature for the Brazilians.
      What are the odds?
      Match result

      Man City – 1/4
      Draw – 9/2
      Fluminense – 8/1

      To lift the trophy

      Man City – 1/7
      Fluminense – 4/1

      *Odds courtesy of William Hill and are correct at the time of publication. More

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      in Soccer

      When did Aston Villa last win the league?

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      ASTON VILLA are punching above their weight this season as they are firmly in the Premier League title race – and they could even go all the way!Unai Emery’s side have set a club record of home wins including back-to-back victories against Manchester City and Arsenal.
      John McGinn could captain his side to greatness this seasonCredit: Getty
      And as a result, Villa has gone from battling in the depths of the league to an unexpected title charge.
      But fans want to know when was the last time the Villans lifted top-flight silverware.
      When did Aston Villa last win the league?
      Aston Villa are yet to be crowned kings of the modern Premier League but the Villans last won the First Division in the 1980-81 season.
      The English giants also lifted the trophy six times before then which includes winning it THREE times in a row.
      Read more on Aston Villa
      Below are all of the times Aston Villa have achieved top-flight football success:

      1893/94
      1895/96
      1896/97
      1898/99
      1899/1900

      What else has Aston Villa won?
      It’s been a while since Aston Villa lifted any type of silverware but football fans are aware that they are a sleeping giants.
      The Villans’ honours contain of seven FA Cup wins and five Football League Cup / EFL Cup wins.
      Most read in Football
      Villa have also secured an FA Community Shield to go with their Sherrif of London Charity Shield.
      But some of their proudest moments have come overseas where they have won two European Cups and an Intertoto Cup.
      What has been said?
      Unai Emery has played down Aston Villa’s chances of winning the Premier League this season.
      After the Manchester City triumph, Emery said: “While we are there, we are going to try to keep it.
      “If we are progressing during the season, playing matches and winning like we are doing, maybe we can be a contender but I think we need more time.
      “We can believe but we are not contenders.
      “There are another seven teams and that didn’t change.” More

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      in Soccer

      Why is Erling Haaland not allowed to play in the Club World Cup final?

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      ERLING HAALAND is set to miss out on Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup final clash against Fluminese – but not because of an injury.Pep Guardiola’s Treble winners thumped Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds to book their spot in tonight’s showdown.
      Manchester City cruised into the finalCredit: Getty
      City was impressive as they did it without their goal-machine Haaland who missed out due to a foot issue.
      And just as it seemed the Norweigian was in with a chance of returning to the fold.
      A bizarre FIFA rule has ruled Haaland out from playing – along with teammates Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
      Why is Erling Haaland not allowed to play in the Club World Cup final?
      FIFA rules state that no player who was left out of the 23-man squad squad for the semi-final can play any future matches in the competition.
      Read more on Club World Cup
      And due to Haaland being omitted from the Urawa Red Diamonds contest, he cannot feature in the final against Fluminese.
      It means this will be the fifth consecutive match Haaland has missed after being ruled out for Luton, Red Star Belgrade and Crystal Palace before the Club World Cup.
      Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are also set to miss out on what could be a momentous occasion in City’s history for the same reason.
      What has been said?
      Pep Guardiola prefers to focus on the players he does have for the final and highlighted how important this match is for Manchester City.
      Most read in Football
      Speaking after the semi-final win, Pep said: “The players know how important it is for the club.
      “To be in this final, you have to do incredible things like win the Champions League. This may be the only time we play this in our lifetime.
      “We are there. We will try to win a title we don’t have and finish the circle.”
      When is the Club World Cup final?

      Manchester City’s Club World Cup final against Fluminese will take place TONIGHT – Friday, December 22.
      It is scheduled to get underway at 6pm GMT – 9pm local time.
      King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is the allocated arena for this huge match and it can host 62,345 fans.
      Real Madrid won their fifth title against Al Hilal in the 2022 final. More

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      in Boxing

      Daniel Dubois’ net worth, career earnings and boxing record explained

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      Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois is a heavyweight champion from London.Here’s what you need to know about Dubois’ net worth — and his boxing record. 
      Daniel Dubois will be fighting Jarrell Miller during the Day of Reckoning card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, 23 December.
      What is Daniel Dubois’ net worth?
      Some estimate Dubois’ net worth at between $2 million — $5 million.
      Dubois earned £1.75 million for another fight when he faced Joyce in 2020.
      His career earnings are thought to be in the region of around £5m.
      He began earning six-figure sums when he took on Richard Lartey in April 2019.
      Read more on Daniel Dubois
      But since facing Joyce, Dubois pulled in a further £1.8m across four fights.
      Although he failed to defeat his opponent Usyk in August 2023, Dubois went away with one of his biggest cheques yet: £1.6 million.
      It’s not yet been confirmed how much he stands to take away from his fight against Jarrell Miller on the Day of Reckoning undercard, on Saturday, 23 December, 2023.
      The anticipated Christmas mega-card will see headliner AJ facing Otto Wallin.
      Most read in Boxing
      What is Daniel Dubois’s boxing record?
      Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois’ boxing record stands as 19–2–0.
      He’s had a total of 72 bouts, and has a KO rate of 95%.
      Dubois has seen some serious success: he held the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title from 2022 to August 2023.
      He’s also held the British and Commonwealth titles from 2019 to 2020.
      His first pro fight was against Marcus Kelly in 2017, which he won by a KO, and his fourth fight won him the WBC Youth heavyweight title.
      The former WBA heavyweight champion could have his work cut out as opponent Jarrell Miller will be heading into the Day of Reckoning card fresh from a sixth-round stoppage win vs Australian Lucas Browne.
      In a bizarre turn, Miller said of his opponent Dubois:
      “I guarantee if we cut his head open his brain will be the size of a shrimp. You know what I mean? The IQ of a walnut.”
      Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, has described the fight as a “must win” for the London champ.
      He said: “There is so much riding on this for Daniel. This is must-win.
      “He could have won his last fight but something was just lacking at the end and he needs to address that, and this is the fight to do it.
      “Whether it’s self-belief or what, Daniel has to go out there and impose himself against Jarrell and get himself back to the big table.
      “Otherwise he has a long road back.”
      Dubois said: “I’m ready to go, let out all of that emotion that I’ve built up from the Usyk experience and turn it into a positive.
      “Come through this big show with a win.
      “I want to punch holes in Jarrell, whatever it takes to win, for me it’s important to win in style and put all of that [Usyk loss] behind me,” he said.
      Miller’s career has been marred by doping scandals after a failed drugs test saw a 2019 fixture against AJ cancelled at the last minute.
      The match will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is the chosen venue for this tasty event and it can host approximately 26,000 roaring fans.
      Daniel is one of eleven children fathered by Dave Dubois, a former Camden Market street trader.
      Read more on The Sun
      His sister, Caroline, is also a boxer. More

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      in Boxing

      Joseph Parker: net worth, career earnings and boxing record explained

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      HE’S a top New Zealand heavyweight and a family man outside of the ring.Here’s all you need to know about Joseph Parker’s net worth, and his boxing record. 
      Parker will face Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker on the Day of Reckoning card on Saturday 23, December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
      What is Joseph Parker’s net worth? 
      Joseph Parker has an estimated net worth north of $5 million, or £3.9 million, thanks to his career in the boxing ring. 
      But some estimate Parker’s career earnings of more than $20 million, considering he had a $13.1 million payday for his world title fight against Anthony Joshua in 2018, despite not winning. 
      Parker’s 2018 fixture against Dillian Whyte saw him earn significantly less than his fight against AJ, at around £1 million. 
      Reports also suggest that Parker went away with £2.5 million after his 2021 fight with Derek Chisora. 
      read more on boxing
      But estimates for Parker’s purse on the much-anticipated fight against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia on the Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin undercard stand at around $2–3 million, although unconfirmed. 
      Parker has four daughters to look after, with his long-term partner, Laine Tavita, with whom has been with since he was a teenager. 
      The heavyweight boxer has Samoan heritage— although born in New Zealand, his mother is from the main Samoan island of Upolu. 
      What is Joseph Parker’s boxing record?
      Joseph Parker’s heavyweight boxing record stands at 33–3–0
      Most read in Boxing
      He made his debut in 2012 against Dean Garmonsway winning with a TKO. 
      Parker lost against Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua, both by unanimous decision, in 2018, and another loss came in 2022 in a fight with Joe Joyce, by KO. 
      Parker competed at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, winning a silver medal, and at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, where he placed 5th.
      He’s received many awards throughout the course of his career, from New Zealand Pacific Island Sports Emerging Talent Award in 2011, to the Order of Merit of Samoa in 2016, and the 2017 Counties Manukau Sporting Excellence Sportsman of the Year.
      Ahead of his fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday, 23 December 2023, close pal Tyson Fury has given Parker some advice. 
      Fury, who’s beaten Wilder twice, and drawn once said: “Don’t get hit in the face with one of them big KO right hands. You’ll be alright.
      “Avoid the right hand! That’s my tip for Parker.
      “What more else can you say? Don’t get hit by the right hand and you’ll win the fight.”
      Read more on The Sun
      At the top of the bill, AJ — who is looking for a third win in a row after losses to Oleksandr Usyk — is facing Swedish boxer Otto Wallin, who left Tyson Fury needing 47 stitches after their encounter.
      Wilder vs Parker will be broadcast LIVE on DAZN pay-per-view. More

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      in Soccer

      What clubs have agreed to be in the European Super League?

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      FANS are up in arms as the European Super League could be on the cards again – but not everyone is against it.The breakaway competition was knocked back in 2021 following a mass outrage.
      Fans are fuming at the Euopean Super LeagueCredit: AP
      Fans think it is the end of footballCredit: AFP
      However, the European Court of Justice determined that FIFA and UEFA acted against competition law when they blocked the formation of the Super League two years ago.
      And now the tournament could be revived but with a whole new format which a couple of footballing giants are firmly behind.
      What clubs have agreed to be in European Super League?
      Spanish titans Real Madrid and Barcelona have committed themselves to the European Super League.
      And they are the driving force behind A22 – the group behind the controversial league.
      Read more on Super League
      Madrid President Florentino Perez rubber-stamped his clubs backing of the competition.
      He said his club ‘welcomes with great satisfaction the decision’ of the European Court of Justice.
      What teams are against it?
      Manchester United have released a statement confirming that they will only be joining UEFA competitions.
      The statement reads: “Our position has NOT changed.
      Most read in Football
      “We remain fully committed to participation in UEFA competitions, and to positive cooperation with UEFA, the Premier League, and fellow clubs through the ECA on the continued development of the European game”.
      Since then, several other clubs have said that they are against the European Super League:

       Bayern Munich
       Borussia Dortmund
       PSG
       Atletico Madrid
       Sevilla
       Real Sociedad
       Monaco
       Roma
       Inter
       Feyenoord

      What is the European Super League?
      The European Super League will consist of four clubs being split into three divisions.
      There is set to be a top tier “Star” division that will have 16 clubs in two leagues of eight.
      And the second tier “Gold” division, will have the same while the third tier “Blue” will see 16 teams in four groups of eight.
      That means 14 games – seven home, seven away – in each of the group phases.

      The top four clubs in each of the leagues in the top two tiers will go through to two-legged quarter-finals, followed by two-legged semis and a one-off final in a neutral venue.
      It means the overall winners will play 19 games, six more than in the current Champion League and two more than the maximum number required under the revamped “Swiss model” system coming in next year.
      However, in the Blue tier, the top two in each league will go to the last eight.
      The bottom clubs in the Star leagues will be relegated and replaced by the two Gold finalists. Likewise, the two bottom sides in Gold are replaced by the Blue finalists.
      Up to 20 of the 32 Blue teams will be replaced by teams earning spots through domestic performances.
      Read more on The Sun
      The number of places for each nation and quotas for the tiers have yet to be determined. More

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      in Soccer

      What is A22 Sports Management?

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      A22 SPORTS MANAGEMENT has risen to the fore after plans to resurrect the European Super League are back on.The sports marketing company’s mission is to “sponsor and assist” in the “creation of the European Super League”.
      A22 has been created to push through a new European Super League after the first plan attracted widespread protests from football fansCredit: Getty
      But what is A22 and how has it become such a prominent player in the future of football?
      We have you covered here.
      What is A22 Sports Management?
      The Madrid-based company was specifically created in September 2022 with the aim of pushing through legislation for the ESL in the aftermath of the failed attempt in 2021.
      The firm was created in tandem by Euro powerhouses Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus who were the loudest proponents of the breakaway league.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL

      Juventus have since officially left the project after they were threatened with expulsion from the Champions League, although are still believed to be supportive of it.
      After he was appointed, CEO Bernd Reichart claimed the European Super league would be “relaunched within three years”.
      The firm took meetings with various bodies and released a manifesto in February 2023, with changed plans.
      While reception to the idea has been muted, especially in England and Germany, a major court ruling has once again opened the door to a new-look ESL.
      Most read in Football
      The European Court of Justice has overturned the previous ruling – which blocked the formation of the ESL – and stated that Fifa and Uefa acted against competition law.
      Reichart, a former senior executive for German broadcaster RTL, described the ruling as an “historic day for football” that ends “Uefa’s monopoly over European club football”.
      However, despite the news, A22 appears to face a long fight to push through their changes, with numerous clubs quickly moving to reject the proposals.
      How will A22 Sports Management’s New European Super League look?
      The latest European Super league plans will see a THREE-tier competition, complete with promotion and relegation, with 64 teams in total.
      The first two tiers – dubbed the Star League and the Gold League – are made up of 16 teams each.

      The remaining 32 teams will compete in the Blue League.
      A22’s plans state that participation will be based SOLELY on sporting merit, with no permanent members.
      Promotion and relegation will be decided annually, while promotion into the Blue League is based upon domestic league performance.
      There will be groups of eight teams, playing home and away, making a minimum of 14 games per season.
      After the group stage there is then a knockout stage to determine champions, promotion and relegation.
      The plans state that there will be no additional calendar days to those that already exist, while midweek fixtures will not clash with current domestic calendars.
      What have clubs said about the new European Super League?
      While it is clear that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are supportive of the plans, there was concern from other fans about the stance of their clubs.
      However, many have moved to assure fans that they do NOT approve of A22’s second draft for the European Super League.
      At the time of writing, the following clubs have already released formal statements to say they do not support the new plans:

      Manchester United
      Bayern Munich
      Borussia Dortmund
      Paris Saint-Germain
      Atletico Madrid
      Sevilla
      Real Sociedad
      Monaco
      Roma
      Inter
      Feyenoord

      Other clubs may, or may not, release their own statements in due course.
      The Premier League also released a statement: “Today’s ruling does not endorse the Super League — and the Premier League continues to REJECT any such concept.
      “Supporters are of vital importance to the game and they have time and again made clear their opposition to a ‘breakaway’ competition that severs the link between domestic and European football.
      Read more on The Sun
      “The Premier League reiterates its commitment to the clear principles of open competition that underpin the success of domestic and international club competitions.
      “Football thrives on the competitiveness created by promotion and relegation, the annual merit-based qualification from domestic leagues and cups to international club competitions and the longstanding rivalries and rituals that come with weekends being reserved for domestic football.” More

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      in Soccer

      How to watch European Super League and can it be watched for free?

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      FOOTBALL could be changing in front of our very eyes as the European Super League has resurfaced and it has taken a huge step in going ahead.On Thursday, December 21, 2023, the European Court of Justice stated that FIFA and UEFA acted against competition law when they blocked the plans from happening in 2021.
      The European Super League have revealed how fans can tune inCredit: Reuters
      As a result, orchestrators of the European Super League now have the green light for it to potentially take place.
      And CEO of the breakaway league Bernd Reichart has even gone a step further and revealed how fans can watch it.
      Will the European Super League be free to watch?
      Reichart has confirmed that fans will be able to watch the European Super League for FREE.
      It has also been announced that the breakaway league will create a streaming platform called UNIFY where a paid option will allow users to remove ads.
      Read more on Super League
      The CEO said: “We have won the right to compete. UEFA’s monopoly has ended. Football is free.
      “Clubs will no longer suffer threats and sanctions. For the fans: we are going to broadcast all Super League matches for free.”
      What is the European Super League?
      The European Super League will consist of four clubs being split into three divisions.
      There is set to be a top tier “Star” division that will have 16 clubs in two leagues of eight.
      Most read in Football
      And the second tier “Gold” division, will have the same while the third tier “Blue” will see 16 teams in four groups of eight.
      That means 14 games – seven home, seven away – in each of the group phases.
      The top four clubs in each of the leagues in the top two tiers will go through to two-legged quarter-finals, followed by two-legged semis and a one-off final in a neutral venue.
      It means the overall winners will play 19 games, six more than in the current Champion League and two more than the maximum number required under the revamped “Swiss model” system coming in next year.
      However, in the Blue tier, the top two in each league will go to the last eight.
      The bottom clubs in the Star leagues will be relegated and replaced by the two Gold finalists. Likewise, the two bottom sides in Gold are replaced by the Blue finalists.
      Up to 20 of the 32 Blue teams will be replaced by teams earning spots through domestic performances.
      The number of places for each nation and quotas for the tiers have yet to be determined. More