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      in Soccer

      If you judge Zlatan Ibrahimovic for having sport’s biggest ego, you don’t know the hellish upbringing that forged him

      by

      As football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his tearful retirement speech inside Italy’s iconic San Siro stadium yesterday, a chorus of taunting boos and jeers suddenly erupted from the opposition fans.
      The 41-year-old Swedish superstar abruptly stopped his emotional heartfelt address to his beloved AC Milan supporters, turned, and pointed derisively towards the Verona fans.
      Football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his tearful retirement speech inside Italy’s iconic San Siro stadium yesterdayCredit: GETTY
      The iconic striker has called time on his incredible careerCredit: Getty
      Piers describes Ibrahimovic as one of the greatest footballers in history
      ‘Keep booing,’ he mocked. ‘This is the biggest moment in your year, seeing me.’
      The Milan fans roared, the Verona fans were silenced, and he turned away to continue with his goodbye message.
      It was all classic Zlatan; only he could be loudly booed while announcing he was retiring, and only he would respond in the hilariously taunting way that he did. 
      Make no mistake, Ibrahimovic is one of the greatest footballers in history.
      READ MORE FROM PIERS
      He won 34 trophies including 14 League titles and scored 573 goals in 988 games, with well over 200 assists.
      This sensational record puts him right up there with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

      Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on Sky 522, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 or on Fox Nation in the US

      But there was so much more to Zlatan than just scoring goals.
      Most read in Football
      The guy has the biggest ego ever seen in any sport – and the bar for that accolade is very high – and he’s been a supremely entertaining quote machine who like his equally self-effacing sporting hero Muhammad Ali, liked to talk the talk as much as walk the walk.
      For instance, Zlatan doesn’t just think he’s God-like, he believes he’s actually God.
      Asked whether Sweden would beat Portugal in a 2014 World Cup play-off, he told a journalist: ‘Only God knows.’
      ‘It’s hard to ask him,’ replied the journalist.
      ‘You’re talking to him now,’ said Zlatan.
      This is a guy who makes even me look crippled by low esteem issues.
      ‘I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am,’ he once declared.
      But that jaw-droppingly arrogant self-belief was born out of a very tough poverty-stricken upbringing on a rough housing estate in Malmo, Sweden.
      His cleaner mother, Jurka used to brutally beat him over the head with a wooden spoon until sometimes it broke – then order him to go and buy a new one.
      When his parents divorced, Zlatan ended up spending half his time with his abusive mum, and half with his father Sefik, a Bosnian Muslim caretaker who drank heavily in torment at the unfurling Yugoslav war.
      Zlatan, a consequentially damaged and socially awkward young man who spoke with a lisp, hated his big nose, and was permanently hungry, turned to stealing and vandalism and admits he would probably have become a criminal if it wasn’t for football.
      But his natural ability to kick a ball, brilliantly as it quickly turned out, turned out to be his salvation.
      Zlatan honed his skills, and ferocity, in tough street matches, and as his talent grew so did his size until he ended up a 6ft 5in 15st monster who terrorised defenders all over the world.
      ‘You can take the boy out of the ghetto,’ he said, ‘but you can’t take the ghetto out of the boy.’
      He was physically imperious, a giant of a footballing deity walking among mere mortals, but he was notably patient and courteous to everyone, young and oldPiers on Zlatan
      Zlatan viewed football as he viewed life: ‘It’s a fight.’
      And he knew how to fight, becoming a taekwondo blackbelt.
      He also knew what made him so good.
      ‘I need to be angry to play well,’ he admitted. ‘I need to shout and make some noise.’
      That he certainly did, breaking almost as many opponents’ bones as he broke records in two decades of rage-fuelled kicks, slaps, headbutts, and sneaky punches.
      Zlatan’s tongue was as savage as his feet.
      He once called Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ‘a coward with no balls’, told Romelu Lukaku to ‘go do your voodoo sh*t, you little donkey’ (for which he received a 10-match ban) and branded fellow bad-boy Joey Barton an ‘English p*ssy.’
      Away from football, he was just as reckless, boasting of out-speeding police in his Ferrari or Porsche while ‘driving like a madman’ and reaching 202mph on one occasion.
      But beneath the fire and fury was a more sensitive soul.
      ‘Complex is the best word to describe Zlatan,’ said David Lagercrantz, the Swedish author who co-wrote the star’s autobiography I am Zlatan.
      ‘On the one hand he’s a strong, warrior type who knew he had to be very tough to survive. So, he takes on fights all the time because he’s always had to. But another part of him is vulnerable.
      ‘He’s a guy wounded by his upbringing, who uses all that to create strength for himself. In his position, 99 guys out of 100 would have gone under, but he used his anger to make himself better.’
      It certainly did.
      Ibrahimovic once scored all four of Sweden’s goals in a 4-2 victory over England, and his last goal, a 35-yard bicycle kick, was described by the late great commentator legend John Motson as the best he ever saw.
      But I don’t think it’s even the best Zlatan scored.
      There’s a YouTube clip of a goal he scored for Dutch team Ajax against NAC Breda that is so breathtakingly, dazzlingly magnificent in its panache, verve, and audacity, it almost defies belief. He basically tortures half the rival team with his genius before he scores.
      The only place Zlatan isn’t No1 in his own eyes is at home.
      His wife Helena Seger, a beautiful blonde economics graduate from a smart middle-class background who is 11 years his senior and mother of their two sons, Maximilian and Vincent, was a successful former children’s TV presenter when they met outside a bureau de change at Malmo train station.
      She thought Zlatan, then just 20, was a rude, crude, cocky yob.
      But they soon fell in love, and she is credited with taming the beast.
      Or almost.
      ‘She understands my character and accepts that I am a bit crazy. I was surrounded by chaos when we met. I was out of control. I am calmer today.’
      When asked what he’d bought her for a Valentine’s Day gift, he replied: ‘What do you mean, ‘present?’ She got Zlatan.’
      I’ve only met him once, in Los Angeles four years ago when he was playing for LA Galaxy in the MLS League and scored both goals in the home side’s win.
      Afterwards, to appease my eldest son Spencer who loves him and had come to the game with me, we waited 90 minutes for Zlatan to emerge from his media duties and walk down a line of starry-eyed people wanting to pay homage.
      He was physically imperious, a giant of a footballing deity walking among mere mortals, but he was notably patient and courteous to everyone, young and old.
      He had no idea who I was, but I congratulated him on his performance, he thanked me politely, we posed for a selfie, and then he walked on.
      And I realised that, as with my friend Cristiano Ronaldo, there were two Zlatans: the swaggering cocky iconic beast of a football genius, and the far humbler person away from the pitch and TV cameras.
      He was the main inspiration for Ted Lasso’s Series 3 star signing Zava, the ‘best player on the planet’ who’s a very nice guy away from his chest-beating press conferences.
      And as with Cristiano, it comes down to this: if I needed a team to win a match to save my life, Zlatan Ibrahimovic would one of my first choices.
      He’d snarl, he’d taunt, he’d fight, he’d argue with the referee, he’d gesticulate abusively to the opposition fans, but he’d also score, and win the game.
      Because that’s what Zlatan’s done throughout his life and career.
      ‘I’m very competitive,’ he once said, ‘so the more extreme and the more challenging, the better. I never turn down a challenge. My continued desire to play comes from that inability to ever give up.’
      Now, that desire has finally succumbed to Father Time, but don’t expect Zlatan Ibrahimovic to go quietly into the sunset.
      Whatever he does next though, his legacy is assured.
      ‘Where I come from,’ he said, ‘people were always judging me and telling me, “No, that’s not possible”. I want to show kids growing up like I did that anything’s possible. I’m the living proof that you can succeed.’
      He is.
      Read More on The Sun
      Thanks for all the entertainment, Zlatan.
      You’ve not quite been the greatest ever footballer – that’s Cristiano – but you’ve been the game’s greatest character.
      Over the course of his career Zlatan won 34 trophies including 14 League titlesCredit: Rex
      His wife, Helena Seger, is credited with taming the beast and celebrated with him as he made his speechCredit: GETTY More

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      in Soccer

      My flat overlooks major football stadium – we can watch every game but there’s an unexpected problem about living here

      by

      FOR die-hard fans, the thought of owning a flat overlooking your team’s football pitch is a dream come true.That was the case for lifelong AFC Wimbledon supporters David Kenwery and Liam Nolan when property adjoining the club’s brand new stadium became available.
      Blocks of flats adjoin the AFC Wimbledon stadium in south west LondonCredit: Rex
      The development was supposed to provide ‘affordable’ homes for people struggling to get on the housing ladder – with the added perk that some flats overlook a football pitchCredit: Olivia West
      The friends bought a fourth floor two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat off-plan built within the grounds of the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Plough Lane – despite the fact neither of them live anywhere near it.
      Offshore wind farm site manager David is based in Hull, while IT consultant Liam, who grew up in the area, now works in Adelaide, Australia. 
      But both men regularly make the trip to south west London to watch the EFL League Two team they have supported for 40 years.
      Flats like David and Liam’s now go for a hefty £570,000 – however David, 60, tells The Sun: “For a football fan, homes built into a ground is about as good as it gets. 
      READ MORE FOOTBALL STORIES
      “How could I resist having a home next to the ground for match days?”
      But living above AFC Wimbledon’s pitch can come with some strange quirks – including one particular rule.
      On a residents forum for the flats, tenants claim they’re forbidden from hanging washing out on their balconies.
      Some of the flats offer a fantastic view of the pitchCredit: Getty
      Residents of the flashy Stadia apartments say the ground rent has rocketedCredit: Cascade News
      And when we visit, some tell us their ground rent – a maintenance fee for house buyers – has DOUBLED since they moved in, making their monthly costs now the same as a typical mortgage.
      Most read in Football
      Some tenants living in the flashy Stadia apartments run by Galliard Homes claim that as well as coughing up £500 a month in fees, they are being asked to pay a whopping £25,000 to use one of the spaces in the underground car park.
      Meanwhile people living nearby the new stadium claim their weekends can be fraught with hassle, with regular traffic jams and fans blocking drives and using their front gardens as a toilet.

      One young couple said they had paid £750,000 for a three-bedroom flat in the new development, where the shared ownership deals on offer meant some buyers only had to pay a portion of their home’s full value.
      The woman, 27, who declined to give her name, said: “Moving here allowed us to buy our first home so we were happy and grateful for that.
      “But they doubled the ground rent after we moved in, from £350 to £700, which was not what we were expecting.
      “We complained and it has now come down to about £500. But that’s still the same amount that some people will spend on their entire mortgage!”
      Like David and Liam’s, the couple’s apartment has a direct view of AFC Wimbledon’s pitch, which means they get a free view of the team’s games when they play – but they “don’t see it as a perk”.
      Some flat owners have moaned they can’t hang washing on their balconiesCredit: Olivia West
      Traffic can be grid-locked on match daysCredit: Olivia West
      The woman’s partner, also in his 20s, adds: “We can see the pitch from our window but – let’s be honest – they’re not the best football team.
      “Another issue is that they’re demanding £25,000 to buy a parking space in the flats, which is completely unaffordable.
      “And it seems that no-one here wants to pay that as the car park is always empty. It’s ridiculous.”
      Before they were unveiled a few years ago, developers Galliard Homes boasted that around a third of the 604 homes would be available through shared ownership, which would provide “luxury living to all levels of buyers”.
      The fact that a number of the apartments overlooked the football ground was also a key selling point – with AFC Wimbledon fans in particular keen to snap up the homes.
      Emotional return
      The Plough Lane stadium’s completion marked an emotional return for a football club that had been torn away from its natural home since 2002.
      That was the year the Football Association agreed the old Wimbledon F.C. could relocate 60 miles north to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire to prevent it from going bankrupt.
      The players were dubbed the ‘crazy gang’ in the 1980s because of their FA Cup winning heroics – upsetting Liverpool in the 1988 final – and the antics of club heroes like midfield hardman Vinnie Jones.
      So morphing into a new team called the MK Dons was never going to be accepted by the majority of supporters.
      Those that boycotted the move created AFC Wimbledon in its place and a window of opportunity emerged when Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium closed in 2017.
      The new AFC Wimbledon stadium is built on the site of an old dog trackCredit: Olivia West
      Planning permission was won for a stadium to be built on the 12-acre site just 250 yards from the club’s original ground that closed down 30 years ago.
      Galliard Homes agreed to stump up £14million for the new 9,300 capacity ground on the proviso that a number of apartment buildings would be erected alongside it.
      The company claimed that with one-bedroom flats on offer from £425,000, it would be affordable for both first time buyers and local parents looking for buy-to-let opportunities.
      But the romantic vision of a small club finally finding a home isn’t shared by some who live in the area.
      Adam Pfeiffer, 52, lives on a small private road opposite the new ground and reminisces about the peaceful weekends he used to enjoy before the club returned.
      Mechanic Adam says: “It’s a nightmare living here now and I don’t even like football.
      “The fans take the p***. They park wherever they want and litter all over the street. I regularly spot people using my front garden as a toilet on weekends.”
      On ‘event days’ you have to pay £3.20 for one hourCredit: Olivia West
      Business owners like Andrew Yeates are getting cheesed off with the new stadiumCredit: Olivia West
      Kris McKnight runs BB Plumbers close to the stadium. He says: “The dogs stadium was falling to bits so I guess they needed to do something, but it’s a shame that they got rid of it.
      “It was the last dog track in England and it was a great night out when you won.”
      Business owners are also getting cheesed off with the new stadium because they are now being made to pay £3.20 an hour for parking on match days.
      Andrew Yeates – director of the local Balloon and Kite Company – says: “The only real impact is the parking restrictions.
      “On ‘event days’ you have to pay and display for one hour and that makes parking more difficult. 
      “We have to pay for the hour when we are working and then move it around, or we have to park a long way away.
      “The biggest complaint I have is that you don’t always know when it’s an event day so you can get caught out. If you don’t know, you get a ticket, it’s that simple.”
      ‘Traffic is gridlocked’
      Roldan Aquino says the new development is a nightmare for traffic in the area, which was already congestedCredit: Olivia West
      Roldan Aquino, 50, helps run a food truck opposite the stadium where gourmet burgers cost £9. 
      He says traffic is frequently gridlocked around the new stadium.  
      “It can be a nightmare some days,” he says. “When there are temporary traffic lights here for whatever reason, it completely kills the business – people can’t get through and a 10 minute drive takes about three hours.”
      But not every business owner is downcast about the new development. Ania Ridley, 40, is landlady at the The Corner Pin pub where a pint of lager costs £5.10.
      She says: “I’ve worked here for 21 years and when the stadium was first built, I was worried because we all know what football fans can be like. 
      “But the ones that come here are really nice and polite – they even apologise if they spill their drinks.
      “And the development has brought in new people and younger people into the area, which is great for the pub.
      “It used to be mainly old people popping in for a drink but we have a younger crowd now and they are more likely to spend money.  
      “I think the new flats have given the whole area a boost.”
      The landlady of The Corner Pin pub, Ania Ridley, has welcomed the new developmentCredit: Olivia West
      A spokesperson for Galliard Homes said: “The Wimbledon Grounds development has been a resounding success, offering significant benefits to the local community.
      “One of the notable achievements of this project was the successful return of AFC Wimbledon to Plough Lane, made possible through our financial support and the generous gifting of land to the football club.
      “The Wimbledon Grounds development was undertaken as a joint venture partnership with The Peabody Trust, previously known as Catalyst Housing Association. Due to this partnership, we were able to achieve a significant increase in the number of affordable housing units, rising from an initial 60 to an impressive 181. These units were subsequently transferred to Catalyst Housing Association, who oversaw the sales and management of them as shared equity properties.

      “Parking was offered as an additional cost, due to the limited number of parking spaces available for the private units. Most spaces were held by Catalyst Housing Association for use of the affordable units.
      “The ground rents for the properties were determined in the traditional manner, based on the size of each flat. The initial rate was set at 0.1% of the property price, followed by a nominal peppercorn amount in subsequent years.” More

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      in Soccer

      West Ham legend Julian Dicks reveal eye-popping scrapes including 21-man brawl, Gazza chaos & day Harry Redknapp flipped

      by

      HARDMAN footballer Julian Dicks doesn’t do regrets or apologies.Branded an “animal” by former Tory minister David Mellor and red-carded eight times, the legendary West Ham defender was never one to shy away from trouble in the 1990s.
      Hardman footballer Julian Dicks, in action for West Ham in 1997, doesn’t do regrets or apologiesCredit: Rex
      Julian, at a cafe near West Ham’s ground in 2018, was branded an ‘animal’ by former Tory minister David Mellor and red-carded eight timesCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Julian is applauded at his 2000 testimonial game between West Ham and Athletic BilbaoCredit: Getty
      While other players from that era talk about toxic dressing rooms or bemoan its boozy culture, Julian prefers the no-nonsense approach of the past — and pulls no punches in his new memoir Hammer Time.
      It’s an ode to the days when ­football had a rough edge, and he has no problem with his old boss Harry Redknapp throwing a plate of sandwiches against the wall in rage, ex-manager Lou Macari calling him “fat” or for players getting into punch-ups in training.
      About his former teammate John Hartson kicking his colleague Eyal Berkovic in the head during training, ­Julian says “these things can happen.”
      Off the field he ran naked through a hotel corridor on England duty after being pranked by Paul Gascoigne, branded a team mate with a hot iron and had the plaster cast on his leg cut off so he could get into a nightclub.
      READ MORE ON WEST HAM
      Julian, 54, doesn’t even regret playing on through a knee injury which has left him in so much agony that now he can’t ride a bike with his little daughter.
      Ahead of the release of his book, Julian, who also played for Liverpool and Birmingham City, tells The Sun: “Back then you were concussed, it was, ‘It’s OK, carry on’.
      “You got cut, you got elbowed, my eye socket was cracked in four places. Nowadays it isn’t like that.
      Sly elbow
      “When I played it was the best time. We could go out, we could drink, we had fun.”
      Most read in Football
      Julian, originally from Bristol, learned from a young age that the football pitch was no place for whingers.
      In a youth game when he was 12 he told his dad Ron he was coming off due to a swollen hand, and was ordered to get back on the pitch.
      Just a couple of years later the talented youngster was living in digs in the West Midlands away from his family, and at 16 he started training with senior pros at Birmingham City, who would “kick s*** out of you”.
      Having joined West Ham in 1988, Julian became an instant fan favourite on his debut for pole-axing a winger with a “sly elbow”.
      In the same year he was called up by England’s under-21s — and made the mistake of offering to be Gazza’s room mate during a tournament in Toulon, France, when Dave Sexton was manager.
      Julian says: “No one put their hand up and I went, ‘Yeah, I’ll share with him’. F***ing wrong decision.
      “He would wake up in the night and put his a**e on my face.
      “He put about 20 firecrackers around the rim of the toilet and they started going off and I thought it was a bomb.
      “I’m naked and I am running down the corridor and he’s just stood in the door, laughing his head off.
      “It was funny, although it wasn’t at the time because I was standing in front of Dave Sexton and other people.”
      Julian, who married in the same year and had twin daughters Katie and Jessica, didn’t obey the rule of being in bed by 10pm when he was on international duty. He says: “I was 21 years old. F*** off, leave me alone. I was never going to be that person.”
      Instead, Julian recalls, he would be drinking Jack Daniel’s whiskey and smoking cigarettes the evening before a game.
      He says: “I trained when I was p***ed sometimes. But not during the game, because I loved football too much.”
      On a stop-over in Singapore on the way to a pre-season warm-up in Australia with West Ham, Julian was barred from a nightclub for having his leg in plaster.
      He was undeterred, and recalls: “I went all the way back to the hotel and got the club doctor to cut it off with a carving knife so I could get in the nightclub.
      “From what I can remember it was a good night.” And it turns out Julian wasn’t a much better room mate than Gazza.
      He confesses to scalding team mate Mark Ward with an iron so hot that bits of his skin were left behind.
      Julian suspects it was his reputation for being too aggressive on the pitch that cost him the chance of winning a senior England cap.
      Former England boss Glenn Hoddle had been in charge of Chelsea in 1995 when Julian was accused of stamping on the head of his player John Spencer during a match.
      Julian insists it was an accident.
      He says: “I remember John coming back on with a bandage and he said to me, ‘Did you mean it?’ I said, ‘Mean what?’
      “And he said, ‘Julian, I’ve got eight stitches in my head’, and I said, ‘If I meant it you’d have f***ing 28’.” The public outrage was so intense that even Julian’s daughters were affected.
      He says: “My kids got bullied at school. That crossed a line.
      “What I did on the football pitch shouldn’t interfere with my family life, they were six or seven years old.
      “It’s wrong. I went down to the school and sorted it out.”
      There are very few lines that are uncrossable for the West Ham stalwart. As far as he is concerned, John Hartson was unfortunate to have Sky TV cameras recording the Hammers training session when he kicked team mate Eyal Berkovic in the head in 1998.
      Julian says: “These things can happen. Players have a fist fight in training.
      “There were fisticuffs and people throwing punches in five-a-side. John regrets it, but unfortunately Sky was there.” He also accepts managers giving players the hairdryer treatment — a furious telling off — with Harry Redknapp showing a tougher side than the one viewers saw when he was on I’m A Celebrity in 2018.
      Julian says: “We came in, we’d got beat 4-0 by Southampton. Don Hutchison went, ‘Who wants salmon sandwiches after a game of football?’
      Physically sick
      “And Harry went, ‘F***ing salmon sandwiches’, and he just lugged them at the wall.
      “The managers back then threw pots of tea, cups of tea, stuff like that. It was a common thing.
      “These days you’d probably lose your job for that. But if you lose 4-0 you should be able to b*****k the players and they should be man enough to take it.”
      Unsurprisingly, Julian has little time for players rolling around after receiving the slightest touch, or being booked for thundering into tackles in the modern game.
      He says: “I remember playing against the Crazy Gang (Wimbledon FC) and we had a 21-man brawl.
      “It’s a passionate game. A lot of the passion has gone out of the game. Now you can get booked for using too much force.
      “To me, that’s the biggest load of b*****ks in the world.”
      Julian says he would have been “embarrassed” to have been floored by another player and would have got up as quickly as possible, even if he had been in agony.
      But in 1990 that proved to be a mistake when he went against the advice of a medical assistant and played in a game, despite carrying a serious knee injury.
      He lasted for just 38 minutes of the match and recalls: “When I done my knee the first time and I was told I was going to be out for 14 months I felt physically sick.
      “I could have threw up all over the surgeon.
      “I ended up bordering on being an alcoholic, I felt sorry for myself. I’m going down the pub drinking, going home, going down the pub drinking and doing it all over again.”
      A young Julian at Birmingham City in 1986Credit: BPM
      Julian was accused of stamping on the head of Chelsea player John Spencer during a match, aboveCredit: Sky
      A cheeky Sun Sport headline during Julian’s playing daysCredit: .
      In 1997 came a recurrence of the knee injury — and when Julian was ruled out for the rest of West Ham’s season, The Sun’s then Sports Editor Paul Ridley couldn’t resist writing Swollen Dicks Out as the headline.
      The injury led to Julian’s retire-ment aged just 31 a couple of years later, as well as permanent pain.
      He says: “Basically my legs are f***ed. It stops you doing everything. I can’t ride a bike. I can walk into town with my daughter, but I can’t go on long walks.”
      Julian, who was divorced from wife Kay in 2001, became a dad for the third time two and a half years ago when his partner Lisa gave birth to daughter Eliyanah Grace.
      He says of her arrival: “It was a shock because my partner was told she could never have children. But it was a good shock.” Julian says he never felt down about losing the routine of training, mainly because he hated running.
       Since his playing career ended he has tried dog breeding, owning a pub, playing pro golf and managing other football teams — until a few months ago he was assistant manager at Watford.
      But he admits he would prefer to be playing than standing on the touchline yelling at footballers.
      Even so, he insists he wouldn’t turn back the clock to escape that crippling injury.
      Read More on The Sun
      He says: “People say, ‘Would I change anything?’ but no, everything I got, I got through football. This might be the down side of that, but it is what it is.”

       Hammer Time: Me, West Ham And A Passion For The Shirt, by Julian Dicks, is published on Thursday.

      Since his playing days ended he has tried dog breeding, owning a pub, playing pro golf and managing — until a few months ago he was assistant manager at WatfordCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Julian pictured at the pub he ran for a whileCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Hammer Time: Me, West Ham And A Passion For The Shirt, by Julian Dicks, is published on Thursday. More

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      How Luton Town and Coventry City have an embarrassing thing in common as they face off in £200m Prem battle

      by

      THE biggest-money game in football isn’t the Champions League final for the top clubs in Europe – it is the one to get in to the Premier League.And on Saturday afternoon two teams who couldn’t be further removed from the glamour of Manchester City or Italy’s Inter Milan will battle to triumph in a match estimated to be worth more than £200million to the winner.
      Coventry City keep getting evicted from their troubled stadium
      If they win Premiership status, Luton Town will have to knock down one side of their dilapidated 118-year-old ground to meet top flight standardsCredit: Reuters
      Away fans have to enter Luton Town’s ground through Victorian terraced houses – with residents saying their homes shake when goals are scoredCredit: Damien McFadden
      Luton Town, who will have to knock down one side of their dilapidated 118-year-old ground to meet top flight standards, will face Coventry City, who keep getting evicted from their troubled stadium.
      If Luton win, they will be the first side to go from the non-league up to the Premier League. On the other hand, Coventry were just 15 minutes away from going out of business a decade ago because they didn’t have anywhere to play.
      As former Manchester United striker Mark Robins, 53, who manages Coventry, says: “It’s one for the romantics.”
      Premier League fans have been shocked by the prospect of watching the beautiful game at Luton’s Kenilworth Road. The turnstile to the cramped away end goes through Victorian terraced houses.
      READ MORE ON PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF
      Multi-millionaire stars such as Man City’s Erling Haaland will make their way to the tiny dressing rooms via a potholed car park and a door under a concrete bridge.
      This week the club’s chief executive, Gary Sweet, joked about the way in under people’s homes, saying: “Haaland isn’t going to walk through that entrance, he’ll go through the other s*** entrance we’ve got.”
      Coventry City’s star striker Viktor Gyokeres will be hoping to fire his side to the Premier LeagueCredit: PA
      Luton Town striker Carlton Morris’s goals helped the Hatters to third place in the Championship and a Playoff finalCredit: Getty
      Away fans hoping their section of the ground is going to be redeveloped will be disappointed.
      The club plans to knock down the neighbouring Bobbers Stand, containing executive boxes, and put up a temporary one in 14 weeks at a cost of £10million to fit in cameras and pundits.
      Most read in Football
      The headache faced by Coventry isn’t much better.
      Their stadium is owned by retail magnate Mike Ashley, 58, much hated by Newcastle United fans when he owned their club.
      Ashley, who isn’t part of Coventry’s football set-up, bought the Coventry Building Society Arena in November last year. He is now leasing it to the football club for five years.
      Whatever happens with the stadiums, fans of both sides will just be excited by the prospect of a return to the big time for two teams that were at their peak in the 1980s.
      Coventry pulled off one of the greatest FA Cup final shocks in 1987, beating Tottenham 3-2.
      A year later Luton defeated Arsenal by the same score­line in the League Cup final.
      The past two decades have been a struggle for survival for both clubs.
      Twenty years ago, Luton was taken over by chairman John Gurney, whose pie-in-the-sky plans included build­ing a Formula One racetrack around a 70,000-capacity stadium over the M1 motorway.
      He held a Pop Idol-type vote for a new manager, charging fans 50p to take part, and talked about merging with rivals Wimbledon.
      Coventry City manager Mark Robbins used to play for Man UtdCredit: Rex
      Luton Town manager Rob Edwards will be hoping to do the unthinkable by taking the Hatters up to the top flightCredit: Damien McFadden
      Even though the fans wrestled back control of the club from Gurney, their problems were far from over. In 2006 their then-manager Mike Newell promised to tackle a “bung scandal” in the game, which led to an investigation of the club’s dealings with players’ agents.
      Two years later, they were deducted ten points “for paying agents via a third party”, then docked a further 20 points for being in administration, when they had no money but those put in charge believed they had a chance of saving the business.
      They started the 2008-2009 season in the fourth tier with minus 30 points — then the worst penalty ever handed down by the Football Association. Their then-manager Mick Harford was unable to pre­vent relegation to non-league status.
      But former England striker Harford, 64, who played in Luton’s League Cup final, saw it as the moment the Bedfordshire club was reborn, because it was in the hands of devoted fans. He told The Sun: “I said to the players, this is the time the new Luton Town starts.”
      The club had so little money that the players trained on a public field where locals complained when balls hit their dogs.
      Midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, 29, who has been with Luton since their non-league days, recall­ed: “We were on a dogs’ field with a few Portakabins.”
      He was part of the team that won promo­tion back into the football league in 2014 and will be the first player to climb up all the divisions with one club if Luton win today.
      Locals know how much Premier League action will mean to the team and the town.
      Coventry City were FA Cup winners in 1987Credit: Getty
      Luton Town won the League Cup in 1988Credit: Getty
      The stadium’s wooden boards that make up some of the stands rock when the fans roar.
       Musamoth Lucky, who lives in a housing asso­ciation property over the ground’s entrance, felt the walls shake when the team won the home clash that put them in the play-off final. She said with a smile: “My living room was vibrating.”
      The town council owns Luton’s Kenilworth Stadium and is considering plans for a new 20,000-capacity ground which would be owned by the club.
      All the shareholders are local businessmen and Luton Supporters’ Trust has a one per cent share.
      Kevin Harper, from the trust, says: “It will be sad to leave, but if we are to have any chance of competing in the Premier League we need a bigger stadium.”
      Coventry City appear to be a cautionary tale for any club thinking of a stadium upgrade.
      In 2001 there were plans for a 90,000-capacity ground with a retractable roof, but that was soon scaled back.
      In the top flight for 34 years until May 2001, rising debts from the new ground forced Coventry to sell their best players.
      Before the stadium was even finished, it was sold by the club in 2005 to property developers and rented back at a high cost.
      Coventry City super fan will hope to see his team back in the big timeCredit: PA
      It would be a dream for Luton Town supporters to be in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      In 2013 the club was forced to ground share with Northampton Town following a rent row.
      Supporter Ian Davidson, 70, says: “I was told we were 15 minutes from going out of business before we went to Northampton.”
      The club have had points deduct­ed for going into administration and failing to fulfil fixtures due to the state of their pitch, which they used to share with Wasps rugby club. In 2017 they were relegated to lowly League Two, before climbing back up the leagues.
      Premier League status would be a much-needed boost for Luton. It is estimated that half a billion pounds has poured into Brighton since they made it into the world’s richest football league in 2017.
      Nearly a third of all children in Luton live in poverty, and its jobless rate of 8.5 per cent is almost twice the national average.
      Gary Sweet praised the local community, saying: “It’s an indus­trial town, tough, hard-working and kind-hearted. More is don­a­t­ed to charity than anywhere in the UK.”
      Neither Coventry nor Luton have splashed cash in the promotion push. Their wage bills are in the lowest three in the Championship.
      Gary claimed: “A couple of Championship clubs spent more on agents fees than we did on players.”

      For that reason their rise has been described as a fairytale.
      Mick Harford, who is in charge of recruitment at the club and is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, concludes: “They should make a film out of it if we win.”
      Coventry fan Ian Davidson, 70, says: ‘I was told we were 15 minutes from going out of business before we went to Northampton’Credit: Supplied
      Luton Town supporter Kevin Harper says: ‘It will be sad to leave, but if we are to have any chance of competing in the Premier League we need a bigger stadium’Credit: Damien McFadden More

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      How Erling Haaland is morphing into Cristiano Ronaldo – including £2k PJs, bizarre pre-match habit and £50K home gadget

      by

      THEY are two of the biggest names in world football with millions of adoring fans across the globe. But scoring a tonne of goals isn’t the only thing Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo have in common. 
      In recent months, Haaland and Ronaldo have shown some striking similaritiesCredit: Instagram / @erling.haaland
      The pair’s common interests seem to go beyond the pitchCredit: Instagram / @cristiano
      From their love of designer £2,000 pyjamas to lookalike girlfriends and quirky match rituals, all signs show that the pair are truly twinning. 
      Here, we look at seven signs that prove that Manchester City’s title winner is slowly but surely becoming the Premier League’s next Cristiano Ronaldo. 
      Matching fashion 
      The two men are known for their love of fashion and luxury designer brands. 
      Haaland, 22, has been spotted in pricey designer gear from fashion houses such as Dolce and Gabbana and Burberry, while Ronaldo, 38, enjoys the designs of Gucci and Jacob & Co. 
      READ MORE FOOTBALL FEATURES
      Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted in a pair of pricey Louis Vuitton PJs in 2020Credit: Instagram
      Haaland’s love for the fashion trend has been well documentedCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The Norwegian wore PJs to celebrate Manchester City’s EPL victoryCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      The pair have also made headlines for wearing luxury pyjamas out and about.
      This week, Haaland celebrated Manchester City’s win by wearing light blue PJs. 
      He owns a vast collection including a Mojolica print that set him back over £2,400 and a Burberry set that costs £1,680. 
      Ronaldo has also dabbled in the pyjama fashion craze – he was spotted on a luxury yacht in a £1,800 Louis Vuitton set in 2020. 
      Most read in Football
      Ice breakers
      Ronaldo is known for his rock-hard abs which he maintains with cryotherapyCredit: https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/
      Haaland also splashed £50,000 on a cryotherapy chamber to stay in perfect conditionCredit: INSTAGRAM/ERLING HAALAND
      The key to their perfectly toned bodies appears to be their shared love for hi-tech ice chambers. 
      In 2021, it was reported that Ronaldo had a £50,000 cryotherapy chamber shipped from Turin to Manchester to help keep him in shape. 
      He reportedly likes to spend three minutes in the chamber at a temperature of -160C. 
      Last year, it was claimed that Haaland had also splashed the same amount on a cryotherapy chamber to help stay in top condition. 
      Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a cryotherapy session in his pantsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/cristiano/
      He is said to have ordered the walk-in ice pod to his home in Cheshire. 
      Cryotherapy has been noted to have a number of benefits including pain relief, muscle healing, aiding weight loss and reducing inflammation.
      Copycat diet
      Haaland copied Ronaldo’s diet
      Haaland follows a strict diet and does not drink alcohol or go to nightclubs, although he had admitted that he enjoys a glass of pina colada. 
      His diet changed when he was playing for Red Bill Salzburg and consists of mostly fish. Apparently, he was convinced after hearing it was one of the factors keeping Ronaldo in perfect physical condition in his mid-30s. 
      Dad Alf-Inge Haaland said: “He was told a story by Patrice Evra about a lunch he had with Ronaldo and Cristiano had fish, nothing else.
      “Erling now tries to do the same things because Ronaldo is still at the top of the game, so it shows the value of doing the right things.”
      Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo likes to keep himself disciplined with customised meal plans recommended by a personal dietician. 
      His diet typically consists of “six high-protein, high-grain, low-fat mini-meals a day.”
      He is also a big fan of cheese, ham and low-fat yoghurt for breakfast, with a preference for fish and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. 
      Ronaldo also stays away from alcohol and sugary drinks and snacks and only drinks alcohol.
      Lookalike girlfriends 
      Georgina Rodriguez has been dating Ronaldo since 2017Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfOydu7sJaK/
      Haaland’s girlfriend, Isabel Johansen is also a football player
      Both Ronaldo and Haaland have glamorous, lookalike girlfriends who seem to have set themselves apart from the average WAG. 
      Georgina Rodriguez, 29, has managed to establish herself as a businesswoman and socialite and has her own Netflix reality show. 
      With close to 50million people following her, she is the most followed WAG on Instagram.
      The former Gucci ship worker, who has been dating Ronaldo since 2017, has now become a model and a brand ambassador in her own right. 
      Isabel, 19, is Haaland’s girlfriend who left her home country of Norway to live with him.
      But she’s not just the girlfriend of one of the best players in the world – she’s also a footballer herself, with the couple said to have met through the sport.
      When Erling made the move to City, student Isabel – who has played for local Norwegian club Bryne – was granted permission to study remotely so she could be with him.
      Pre-match habit 
      Fans spotted Haaland standing on his tiptoes
      Fans have previously pointed out that Ronaldo has done it throughout his career
      This month, eagle-eyed fans were sent into overdrive when they concluded that Haaland and Ronaldo appear to have one odd pre-match habit in common. 
      When Haaland posed for pictures alongside his teammates before their semi-final clash with Real Madrid, many fans saw that he was standing on his tiptoes. 
      The pose has been a favourite of Ronaldo’s for years, especially when posing with a group of people. 
      A fan pointing it out on Instagram made the comment: “You’re already the tallest in the team”.
      One fan replied: “Bros trying to be like his idol Cristiano”.
      Another added: “He is copying Ronaldo in every single thing”.
      Record setters 
      Ronaldo has had two stints at Manchester UnitedCredit: AFP
      Haaland joined Manchester City in the summer of 2002Credit: Rex
      There’s no denying that Haaland and Ronaldo are two of the best players – they have both played for Manchester-based clubs and have impressive track records to show for it. 
      Ronaldo spent six seasons at Manchester United between 2003 and 2009 before returning in 2021, while Haaland joined Manchester City in the summer of 2022.
      Ronaldo holds the record for most international goals, according to UEFA, having scored 122 times for Portugal since making his debut in 2003. 
      He also holds the record for the most appearances in the Champions League, having played in the tournament 183 times. 
      Meanwhile, Haaland has been busy building his own impressive legacy – the Norwegian this year broke the record for the most goals in a Premier League season. 
      After scoring his 35th goal against West Ham, he moved past Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole, who have 34 goals between them. 
      Many have pointed to Haaland being one of the few players to break the records set by Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. 
      Last year, Haaland’s Manchester City teammate, Bernardo Silva, who has had the chance to play with both spoke about how they stack up against each other. 
      He said: “I was speaking with a few friends the other day and I said [Haaland] is the only player who gets close to Cristiano in terms of knowing where the ball will land inside the box.” 
      Read More on The Sun
      And this year, he said: “[Haaland] has definitely got the same mentality as Cristiano, always wanting to be in the box, always wanting to score. 
      “He doesn’t care if he touches the ball one or two times, when he touches he scores. He’s just a proper striker.”  More

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      I live at entrance to major football stadium – fans queue up outside my front door but not for the reason you’d expect

      by

      WANDERING along Ellerslie Road, the attractive Victorian terrace homes are typical for this affluent area of west London.But halfway down the street, sandwiched between grand entrances to end-of-terrace properties, lies the entrance to Championship side Queens Park Rangers’ football ground.
      The stadium is sat behind a row of Victorian terrace houses in West LondonCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Donna’s dog Misty is loved by fans who like to stop and take pictures of her on match dayCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      The bright blue gates provide access to the Stanley Bowles Stand within the Loftus Road Stadium, with a huge sign reading “Welcome to the Loft”.
      While it might be a football fan’s dream to live a stone’s throw from a major ground, locals have mixed feelings about the 18,000 fans who descend on their street every week.
      But one resident who loves match days is two-year-old German Shepherd Misty – who has become the club’s unofficial mascot.
      Owner Donna Fitzgerald, whose garden backs onto the stadium, says her pooch enjoys watching the crowds of fans from the window or the front garden.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL STADIUMS

      She tells us when we visit: “Everybody stops to say hello to Misty. She loves a match day.
      “She’s famous among the fans, they all stop to take photographs of her in the doorway.”
      There is one issue that drives residents who live next door to the football ground mad – literally.
      “It’s s*** living here sometimes,” Donna admits. “I often can’t take my car out on match days, which is a joke because I pay for a parking permit and council tax, so I should be able to come and go as I please.
      Most read in Football
      Houses on the street can sell for up to £1millionCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      The main entrance to the Loftus Road stadiumCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      “The fans can be awful. I’ve had fellas wee outside my door, and they all drop rubbish.
      “That said, I’m a Chelsea supporter, so I’m not QPR’s biggest fan.”
      The parking issue is a gripe shared by many Ellerslie Road residents – especially given they have to fork out £119 a year to park their car on the road. If they have two vehicles, that shoots up to £497.
      Council tax for the properties starts from £870 and can go up to £2,612 according to the Hammersmith and Fulham local authority’s website.
      On match days the road is closed to traffic to allow fans to be corralled into the stadium – which holds up to 18,439 supporters – by police.
      Residents at one end are not allowed to leave their cars on the road outside their homes, as it’s needed for a control marquee to manage fans.
      Fines
      Greg has been fined several times for leaving his car on the road by his houseCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      Greg lives close to one of the stadium entrances which fans use to access the standCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      It’s left a sour taste in local resident Greg’s mouth, as he has been hit with fines for not moving his motor.
      The 41-year-old, who did not wish to give his surname, said: “The stadium is not fit for purpose any more, and [the council] know that.
      “If I leave my car outside my house on match day, I get fined up to £130 a time.
      “I pay council tax and for my permit, so I don’t see why I have to move it. It’s ridiculous.
      If I leave my car outside my house on match day, I get fined up to £130 a time. I pay council tax and for my permit, so I don’t see why I have to move it. It’s ridiculousGreg, Ellerslie Road resident
      “They set up a chicken coop style thing in the bays outside my house to control the fans, but I don’t think they do it that well.
      “Once upon a time we used to get a free ticket through the letterbox to a game, but that’s not happened in years. It would be nice to get it back.”
      The stadium was built in 1904 and later The Stanley Bowles stand, accessed from Ellerslie Road, was opened in 1972 to replace the old tin-roof grandstand.
      It is said to be the loudest stand, as it has 237 rail seats that allow club supporters to stand up during the game.
      ‘Nice atmosphere’
      Not all residents resent the football ground; Judith, who has lived on the street for 40 years, likes the bustling atmosphere it creates.
      She says: “I think the club manage it all pretty well. They clean the street after any home games, and I’ve never had a problem with any of the fans wandering down the road.
      “It’s quite a nice atmosphere, and I don’t mind hearing them shout when their team score.”
      It’s quite a nice atmosphere, and I don’t mind hearing them shout when their team scoreJudith, Ellerslie Road resident
      Houses on the normally quiet road sell for upwards of £1million and flats regularly go for £500,000 – despite being next to the roaring stadium.
      New homeowner Cleo admitted the stadium was a concern for her and her boyfriend when they purchased their, flat but say they’ve not had many issues.
      The social worker, 31, says: “We’ve been here for eight months and have never really had an issue living next to the stadium.
      “We did have reservations about buying the flat knowing where it was, but the flat is just so lovely.
      “It’s a bit annoying that we have to move the car sometimes, but when we’ve left it on the street there hasn’t been any damage done to it or anything.
      “We’ve also been very kindly let out the barrier on match day by the police, which was really nice of them.”
      Cleo adds that when the trees are bare in winter, they can see a section of the pitch, but not enough to watch a full game.
      ‘Bring back free tickets’
      Anin is a big fan of football and wishes the club would start giving out free tickets againCredit: JOHN McLELLAN
      The stadium is surrounded by houses in West LondonCredit: Google Earth
      At the other end of the road Anin, 72, is a big fan of living by the stadium.
      He says: “Parking used to be a problem, but now they’ve put in restrictions it isn’t.
      “We used to get free tickets, but they stopped about 15 years ago, which is a shame. I’d like them to start again.
      “The fans are alright, and it’s only about two and a half hours, and then it’s quiet again.
      “It’s a really nice family friendly atmosphere around a home match.”
      Another fan of the stadium being just behind their home is student Fahim, 26.
      He and his flatmates live on the end of a row, right next to an entrance for the stand.
      He says: “My flatmates and I try to support QPR, as they’re right behind us.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Living next to the stadium, it doesn’t really make that much of a difference to us generally.
      “The road gets closed twice a week during the season, but it doesn’t bother me much as I don’t drive, and we can get in and out on foot.”
      Fahim tries to support his local teamCredit: JOHN McLELLAN More

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      Inside Man City WAGs’ glamorous lives as Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne’s partners steal show at title celebrations

      by

      THEY say that behind every successful man there stands a woman. It certainly appears to be the case with the Manchester City team, who were crowned Premier League champions after a win over Chelsea over the weekend.
      Ilkay Gundogan is married to model Sara Arfaoui, one of the most popular WAGSCredit: Instagram @sarabenamira
      Most of their WAGS joined them on a night out to celebrate winning the prestigious trophy for an incredible three consecutive seasons – and stole the show in the process.
      Here, we take a look at the luxurious lives of some of the other halves of the Manchester City squad.
      Sasha Attwood
      Sasha Attwood has been dating Jack Grealish since they were 16Credit: Instagram @sasha__rebecca
      Their relationship has been highly scrutinised due to his bad boy reputationCredit: sasha_rebecca/Instagram
      Thanks to her relationship with winger Jack Grealish, Sasha Attwood has become one of Britain’s most talked about WAGS.
      They are childhood sweethearts and have been together since they were 16.
      READ MORE SPORTS FEATURES
      Keen to build a legacy of her own, she has forged a career in the modelling industry and has been scooped up by beauty giant L’Oreal.
      Sasha has starred in social media campaigns for the brand, thanks to her 173,000 followers on Instagram.
      On her social media pages, Sasha often posts about her holidays to places such as Mykonos, Santorini, Dubai, and California.
      Her relationship with Jack, 27, has come under scrutiny in the past due to his bad boy reputation, but they appear to be stronger than ever these days. 
      Most read in Football
      Isabel Haugseng Johansen
      Isabel Haugseng Johansen hilariously dressed in boyfriend Erling Haaland’s trademark PJs as they celebrated at a nightclub this weekCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      She is said to have moved away from Norway to be with himCredit: Getty
      Isabel, 19, is the girlfriend of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and left her home country of Norway to live with him.
      But she’s not just the girlfriend of one of the best players in the world – she’s also a footballer herself, with the couple said to have met through the sport.
      When Erling, 22, made the move to City, student Isabel – who has played for local Norwegian club Bryne – was granted permission to study remotely so she could be with him.
      He is said to be totally “smitten” with Isabel and the pair have enjoyed many luxurious holidays, including a vacation to a villa in Marbella last year.
      During City’s title win party, the love birds were snapped celebrating by wearing matching silk blue pyjamas.
      Michele Lacroix
      Michele turned heads when she showed up to Manchester City’s celebrations in a see-through topCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      She has been married to Kevin De Bruyne since 2017Credit: .instagram/lacroixmichele
      Michele Lacroix, 29, and Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne have been married since June 2017 after meeting when he was playing for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.
      The couple share three children – sons Mason Milian, Rome, and Suri, who was born in September last year.
      Michele regularly shares steamy bikini pics of herself and has amassed a following of 383,000 on Instagram.
      Although she’s not a regular at his games, they have been spotted enjoying some quality time together at holiday destinations such as the Maldives.
      Glamorous Michele made headlines this week when she went braless in a see-through top as the WAGs joined their partners to celebrate.
      Taylor Ward
      Taylor is the daughter of reality TV star Dawn Ward and ex-footballer Ashley Ward
      She married Riyad Mahrez in a secret Islamic law ceremony in 2021
      Model and socialite Taylor, 24, is the wife of winger Riyad Mahrez.
      She’s one of the most popular WAGS on social media and has a staggering 2.5million followers on Instagram. Her mother is Dawn, the reality star who is married to football star Ashley Ward.
      After months of speculation, they confirmed their relationship on social media in October 2020 and tied the knot in a secret ceremony in 2021.
      They have confirmed that they are planning another wedding in the UK so their union can be legally recognised as the first one was under Islamic law.
      In July last year, Taylor and Riyad confirmed that they have welcomed their first child together.
      The blonde beauty certainly has a taste for the finer things in life and has been spotted holidaying at destinations such as the Bahamas, Maldives, Dubai, and Lake Como.
      She also decks herself in pricey designers such as Dior, LV, and Chanel. 
      Sara Arfaoui
      Sara is a model and TV personality who has fronted several reality showsCredit: Instagram / @sarabenamira
      She’s been married to Ilkay Gundogan since 2022Credit: Instagram / @sarabenamira
      Sara Arfaoui, 28, has been married to German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, 32, since last year.
      They tied the knot at a registry office in Denmark before holding a lavish ceremony at Lake Como.
      She was born in France but moved to Italy at a young age and has carved out a successful career as a model and television personality and has hosted several reality shows.
      Like many of her fellow WAGS, she enjoys the highlife and has been spotted holidaying at exotic locations.
      Unfortunately, she hasn’t taken too well with British cuisine since moving from Italy and has written about the “horrible food” on her Instagram page.
      The couple welcomed their first child in March this year, a day after City’s Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
      Olivia Naylor
      John Stones is said to have left his childhood sweetheart when he met Olivia NaylorCredit: Instagram @olivianaylor
      The pair welcomed a son in January this yearCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      John Stones met his girlfriend, former beautician Olivia Naylor, at a nightclub.
      The self-professed “brows, lash line, lip blush and microblading” expert is a mother of two – one from a previous relationship – while John also has a daughter with ex Millie.
      In January this year, the couple welcomed a son, their first child together.
      Olivia, 33, has a successful beauty career and owns her own salon near her home in Cheshire.
      She recently showed off helped to shed light on the condition of a two-year-old boy living with leukaemia.
      Rebecca Cooke
      Rebecca is extremely private and likes to keep away from the limelightCredit: Getty
      She has two kids with midfielder Phil FodenCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      Rebecca is the long-term partner of midfielder Phil Foden, 22 and the pair are said to live together in a £3.2million mansion.
      She became a mother at 18 when she gave birth to their son, Ronnie.
      Reflecting on his birth, Phil said: “I was there for the birth. I walked out of the room, gave it a little tear and then went back in like nothing happened.
      “I’m not one for crying in front of people. I like to be on my own, but I was there in the room, watched it happen and it was a special moment. Your life changes.”
      They welcomed a daughter in 2021 but her name has not been made public.
      Ines Tomaz
      Ines Tomaz and Bernando Silva announced their engagement in 2022
      She’s environmentally conscious and likes to support brands with the same ideology
      Lisbon-born Ines, 24, has been with Bernardo Silva since 2020 and announced their engagement in 2022.
      She often posts herself in swimwear on Instagram where she has over 100,000 followers and promotes brands that support the environment.
      The pair met shortly before the Covid lockdowns and stayed with friends in a large house not far from Lisbon.
      They moved to a new house in Manchester last year and recently announced they’re expecting their first child together.
      Lais Morares
      Lais Morares has been married to goalkeeper Ederson since 2014Credit: Instagram @ederson93
      She’s been seen cheering her husband on in the stands at the EtihadCredit: Getty
      Lais has been married to goalie Ederson, considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, since 2014.

      She keeps her life extremely private but is said to be a hands-on mum to the couple’s three children.
      Lais has been seen cheering on her husband from the stands at the club’s Etihad Stadium. More

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      From Arsene Wenger to Jose Mourinho, the world’s sexiest football manager has been crowned – do you agree?

      by

      MANCHESTER United may have fallen short of winning the league – but their manager Erik ten Hag has still trounced all rivals.The 53-year-old boss has been ranked the hottest manager of all time in a new survey, backed by science.
      Wag Nicola McClean gives her verdict on each fellaCredit: Getty
      Sports boffins at ticket site SeatPick used the geometric “golden ratio” theory of attractiveness to come up with their Sexiest Footie Bosses league table, with experts using AI to analyse their faces for sexiness.
      Their ratings also take into account managers’ net worth, as well as their height and the number of tweets referring to them as “sexy”.
      Dutchman ten Hag topped the table, scoring 7.78 out of ten in the sexiness stakes, with Arsenal gaffer Mikel Arteta, 41, bagging second place with a score of 7.35.
      Man City’s Pep Guardiola, 52 — who turned heads this week when his team demolished Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final — shares third place with Chelsea’s former “Special One” Jose Mourinho, 60.
      Read More on Football
      Perhaps more surprising additions include ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, 73, and former Newcastle United manager and mullet fan Kevin Keegan, 72, who beat heart-throb Frank Lampard, 44, and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, 55, to make it into the top ten.
      Here we list the top ten and their golden ratio score.
      And Wag Nicola McClean, wife of former footballer Tom Williams, gives her verdict on each fella.
      1. Erik ten Hag Man Utd, 7.78
      THE Red Devils leader is the full package – handsome, looks good in a suit and his managerial skills make him attractive.
      Most read in Football
      I can see why he topped the chart.
      Man Utd’s Erik ten Hag topped the chart with 7.78Credit: Getty
      I prefer men with hair but I get why women think he’s fit.
      He looks domineering, which is appealing too.
      2. Mikel Arteta Arsenal, 7.35
      I CAN’T say anything nice about Arsenal, they’re my least favourite team.
      But Mikel is the best looking manager.
      Mikel Arteta is the best looking managerCredit: Getty
      He is my type – dark and handsome.
      And it looks like he joined me in Turkey for those teeth. A great smile.
      3  . Pep Guardiola Man City, 7.07
      A MAN who makes ladies swoon, class Pep has it all – and I like his facial hair.
      Fans’ eyes will be glued to the pitch when his lads play the Champions League final, but I’m sure the ladies won’t be able to take theirs off him.
      The ladies won’t be able to take their eyes off Pep GuardiolaCredit: Getty
      3 . Jose Mourinho Roma, 7.07
      THE Special One is like Marmite but I love an arrogant, confident man.
      I could listen to his voice all day.
      Jose Mourinho is an arrogant, confident manCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He’s the most intriguing of them all – and he’s my number one.
      5. Carlo Ancelotti Real Madrid, 7.02
      JUST no. Unless you want a rich sugar daddy, I have no idea how any woman could choose him.
      What is he even doing here?
      Carlo Ancelotti looks like a rich sugar daddyCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      He makes Keegan look like David Gandy.
      6. Steven Gerrard ex-Aston Villa, 6.77
      I LOVE Gerrard. His wife Alex is one of the best Wags ever too.
      Any bloke whose wife loves dancing on tables must have good banter, which is also very attractive.
      Steven Gerrard has good banter which is attractiveCredit: Getty
      7. Arsene Wenger ex-Arsenal, 6.76
      I DON’T like Arsenal and I don’t like Arsene. He’s grumpy, which is unattractive.
      The stress of managing Arsenal has aged him.
      The stress of managing Arsenal has aged Arsene WengerCredit: PA:Press Association
      A bit of Botox wouldn’t go amiss, either.
      8. David Moyes West Ham, 6.46
      HE manages my team and when we go to matches he is very entertaining.
      He is passionate on the sidelines and not afraid to question the referees.
      David Moyes is passionate on the sidelines and not afraid to question the refereesCredit: Getty
      Is he good looking? No.
      But he has a lot going for him and is one of my favourites.
      9. Rafael Benitez ex-Everton, 6.24
      HOW on earth has this guy made it?
      There is nothing attractive about the ex-Everton and Liverpool boss. I’m speechless.
      There is nothing attractive about Rafael BenitezCredit: Getty
      It really shows that beauty is in the eye of the beholder if Rafael is in the top ten and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp isn’t.

      10. Kevin Keegan ex-Newcastle, 5.60
      I AM seriously shocked – but he did make the hideous mullet famous back in the day so he deserves a medal for that.
      I’d give him an eight out of ten for nostalgia, and in my fantasy fitties league he’s above Wenger and Benitez.
      Kevin Keegan made the hideous mullet famous back in the dayCredit: PA:Press Association More