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ITALIAN football is blessed with stunning female TV presenters.The brilliant Diletta Leotta has made DAZN her own through the years with their Serie A coverage.
Italian football is blessed with stunning female TV presenters like Floriana MessinaCredit: floriana_messina instagram
Messina raises temperatures as host of Tutti in Campo on Canale 9Credit: floriana_messina instagram
While Barbara Francesca Ovieni hosts the popular Rabona show – and has wowed fans through the years with her sultry looks and knowledge of the beautiful game.
But over in Naples, it’s Floriana Messina who is raising temperatures as host of Tutti in Campo on Canale 9, reporting on Serie A.
Because she is the spitting-image of one of the world’s most famous celebrities – she has earned the nickname the ‘Kim Kardashian of Vesuvius’.
And she too got her big break on reality TV.
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Big Brother is watching you
Messina, 33, first caught the eye of Italian TV viewers when she appeared on Big Brother in her homeland in 2011.
Then she was just a student with aspirations of fame and fortune – and was the 19th to be evicted.
She is half-Colombian and half-Italian – and is an avid Napoli supporter.
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No doubt, she would have been very disappointed by the club’s sale of Kalidou Koulibaly – that left fans rioting.
But she is clearly a die-hard fan – once taking a visit to Napoli’s favourite son Diego Maradona’s mural in the city and sharing a video online.
Although her Instagram is private, she has amassed almost 790,000 followers.
Gossip weekly Chi even labelled the influencer “the erotic dream of Napoli fans and footballers”.
Napoli fans have christened Messina the ‘Kim Kardashian of Vesuvius’Credit: floriana_messina instagram
Reality TV show Big Brother gave Messina her big breakCredit: floriana_messina instagram

Lineker out
Amusingly, British football fans stumbled across Floriana, famed for wearing low-cut tops, online.
And some were adamant they wanted her to present Match of the Day instead of Gary Lineker last year.
Fan Tommy Potts said: “I’ve always liked Italian football, honest.”
Frank Doran said: “Yeah but at least we can concentrate on the footy.”
Rattman Ratten added: “I bet she doesn’t present it in her boxers like Gary did.”
Tom Simpson joked: “She’s no Kamara though.”
James Morton said: “Absolutely stunning.”
David Johnson went with: “Beautiful yes but has she got the timing, wittiness or that twinkle in the eye of a Lineker or a Jeff Stelling doubtful.”
Messina has amassed 790,000 followers on InstagramCredit: floriana_messina instagram
British football fans called for Messina to replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day hostCredit: floriana_messina instagram
Napoli fan Messina in all her glory presenting Tutti in Campo on Canale 9Credit: floriana_messina instagram
Draggan Kacanski gave a staunch defence of the former Barcelona player and wrote: “Gary Lineker was the best English striker in the World Cups.
“She has nothing to do with football. I rather watch and listen to Lineker when I’m watching games than her.”
Floriana saw the funny side and shared a screengrab of the post on her Instagram story. More

AT the age of 31 one of Europe’s best centre-backs is heading to our shores.Senegalese star Kalidou Koulibaly has agreed terms with Chelsea ahead of a £34million move from Napoli.
Kalidou Koulibaly became one of Europe’s top defendersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Koulibaly credits his parents with helping him achieve his dream of football stardomCredit: Vosges Matin
It’s a move to England that’s been a long time coming, having been linked with Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal and more in the past.
But it’s the Blues who desperately needed the giant defender after losing the aerial prowess of Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid.
However, Koulibaly’s journey to the top didn’t come without its sacrifice for his parents – who he has to thank for his football career.
“My parents were migrants and I experienced first hand the challenges they had to overcome,” Koulibaly once revealed.
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“If they hadn’t decided to seek a better life elsewhere, I could never have aspired to become the person I am now.”
Early struggles
Koulibaly was born in the French commune, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, 50 miles southeast of Nancy to African parents who migrated from Senegal to France in hope of a better life.
His mum was a cleaner, taking on as many jobs as she could to support her family on minimum wage.
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While dad cut up logs into lumber in a sawmill, again for a pittance.
Koulibaly attended Vincent Auriol Elementary school, where he excelled as a pupil.
“Kalidou was a good student who was diligent, practical and pleasant,” former teacher Phillippe Pisso told LifeBlogger.
“His success does not surprise me, after all he had always talked about becoming a professional footballer and worked towards achieving it at school.”
At school he fell in love with football and joined local amateur team SR Saint-Die when he was just eight.
“Whenever I got home, I’d hurry to complete my homework and then play football in front of our house,” he revealed.
“I can still remember how my mother would shout my name out of the window because I was playing football late at night and had school to attend the next day.”
FC Metz
By the age of 12, Koulibaly was already drawing attention from professional club’s scouts.
After first getting snubbed by FC Metz, he resigned for the French club in 2009Credit: Getty
France legend Lilian Thuram was Koulibaly’s inspirationCredit: Getty
FC Metz were the first to offer him youth football – although his gangly frame failed to impress their coaches, who felt he lacked the ability to bring the ball out of defence.
He was released in 2006, heartbroken, but wasn’t going to give up.
Setting himself a target to improve on his distribution out from the back he watched hero Lilian Thuram’s commanding displays for France and tried to copy him.
“He’s the player who inspired me,” Koulibaly said in 2014.
“He gave me a lot of joy, alongside other stars who won the World Cup in 1998. Thuram was an example on and off the pitch, and I hope to reach his level.”
It worked
As fate would have it, FC Metz came back for Koulibaly.
It was at the second division club he cut his chops – helping their U19 team win the 2009–10 Coupe Gambardella after the team defeated Sochaux 5–4 on penalties in the final.
He also appeared 15 times in the Championnat de France Amateur, as Metz were crowned champions.
In 2010, he signed a professional contract and was swiftly handed his first team debut against Vannes.
Across two seasons Koulibaly appeared 46 times for FC Metz, but couldn’t stop their relegation to the third tierCredit: Getty
Koulibaly struggled with his confidence at FC MetzCredit: Getty
But, in truth, he struggled with his confidence.
“Every mistake made him lose his focus for the rest of the game,” coach Dominique Bijotat once said.
He appeared 46 times over two seasons, but couldn’t stop Metz from relegation to France’s third tier.
Genk bring the best out of him
In 2012, Koulibaly left France to join Genk for a fresh start.
Within a year, he helped his new club win the Belgium Cup.
A swagger about his play, with his new found confidence, began to emerge.
Off the pitch he may have been shy, but on it he was excelling as a leader.
“We haven’t had such a talented centre-back in our league since Vincent Kompany,” his former team mate Julien Gorius once claimed.
It was that short spell at Genk that allowed him to flourish – alerting scouts from Italian clubs, including Napoli.
In Belgium at Genk Koulibaly began to show his promiseCredit: Getty
Amusingly, Koulibaly hung up on Rafa Benitez three times when the ex-Napoli boss rang him to join the clubCredit: AP:Associated Press
Rafa Benitez, who was the Serie A giants’ coach at the time, was suitably impressed.
However, what transpired next could have scuppered a move to Italy for Koulibaly.
Prank call
Spaniard Benitez personally called Koulibaly on the phone – asking him to join him in Naples.
Alas, the player thought he was the victim of a prank call.
“I hung up on Benitez two or three times,” he told Oranje Blog.
“I thought it was a friend of mine pulling a prank. I didn’t believe he would call me, but it was true. I was so embarrassed and kept apologising.”
Napoli paid £6.5million to prise the 6ft1in star away from Genk in 2014, as he began a new adventure in Serie A – where defending is an art form.
Under numerous managers he flourished.
He was indispensable for Maurizio Sarri – appearing 42 times in 2015-16 season as Napoli just missed out on the title.
Koulibaly’s distribution from the back has improved through the yearsCredit: Alamy Live News
Former Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti said Koulibaly is one of the best he’s worked withCredit: AFP
Koulibaly will link up with former team mate Jorginho at ChelseaCredit: Getty
His performances earned him a place in the coveted Team of the Year – which he would appear in four years in a row.
Carlo Ancelotti replaced Sarri as manager in 2018 – and he would work with Koulibaly, nicknamed ‘The Wall’ by his adoring Napoli fans, for one season. But that was enough to recognise his qualities.
“Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the best I’ve ever coached, along with the likes of Maldini, Nesta, Cannavaro, Ramos, Thuram and Terry,” he said.
But, despite his loyalty to Napoli and their insistence on keeping him – once rejecting a reported £100million bid from Man Utd – silverware alluded both parties.
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In his eight seasons and 317 appearances there’s a just an Italian Cup to show for all his brilliance.
Chelsea and Koulibaly will be hoping that luck changes next season. More

MENTION the name Gian Piero Ventrone to those who have been put through their paces by him and it will send a shudder down their spines.The 62-year-old fitness coach from Naples is Antonio Conte’s right-hand man – charged with making Tottenham’s stars stronger physically and tougher mentally.
Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone is the hard taskmaster getting Spurs stars in shapeCredit: Getty
Harry Kane hunched over before being sick after Ventrone’s session on Tottenham’s South Korea pre-season tourCredit: MBC LIVE
Son collapsed to the floor after Ventrone’s hard drillCredit: @thespursweb
Taking on the role of drill sergeant, this week one of his famed sessions on Spurs’ pre-season tour in the humidity of South Korea saw talisman Harry Kane puke his guts up on the pitch at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Local hero Son Heung-min was seen collapsed to the ground on the side of the pitch.
‘The Marine’, as he is known in his homeland, just looked on with a wry smile on his face.
Ventone made the squad do up to 42 laps of the 105metre-long pitch, with those coming back late from international duty doing 30.
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That was after they had an hour and a half of training drills, rondos, one 10 vs 11 two-touch match and then an 11 vs 11 game.
But that’s what football’s leading stars have come to expect when they’ve worked under Ventrone.
First-hand experience
Conte, a hard-working midfielder in the 1990s, first encountered Ventrone as a player at Juventus.
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“He was great at understanding his limits,” Ventrone said in an interview with FourFourTwo.
“To compensate, he would always apply himself to the utmost with hard, focused training.
“Every year he was called into question, but in the end he stayed at Juventus and became their captain. He won it all for himself with work and sweat. He took that experience into his coaching.”
When French legend Zinedine Zidane agreed to join the Serie A giants in 1996, he asked international team-mate Didier Deschamps what he could expect in Turin.
The current France manager was quick to warn Zizou about Ventrone before his arrival.
“Deschamps did tell me about the training sessions but I just didn’t believe they could be as bad as all that,” he told the Italian media.
“Often I would be at the point of vomiting by the end, because I was so tired.”
Zidane, who won his only Ballon d’or while at Juve, has credited those drills for his physical transformation.
But amusingly, Gianluca Vialli wasn’t as convinced.
The former Chelsea star was once so incensed with Ventrone following one particular session, he reportedly locked him in a cupboard and called the police.
It might have been his methods that the Italian striker didn’t agree with.
Antonio Conte first encountered Ventrone when he was a player at JuventusCredit: Getty
Ventrone has several mottos, including ‘die but finish’Credit: Getty
‘Bell of shame’
Ventrone’s mottos sum up what he believes a player needs to do to get the best out of himself.
“Work today to run tomorrow”, “die but finish” and “victory belongs to the strong” are just some statements he will repeat to Tottenham’s cohorts during drills.
Back in his Juventus days, he would hang a ‘Bell of shame’ wherever the club trained, even in pre-season when they travelled further ashore.
The idea was it had to be rung by the first player who had to give up during a session.
It’s Ventrone’s theory that such a tool would provide “a stimulus to overcome one’s limits”.
Classical music also comes in – with Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries played loudly through a speaker during moments when training hits fever pitch.
It’s no secret that Tottenham’s fitness levels markedly improved last season under Conte, with Ventrone supported by fellow fitness coaches Costantino Coratti and Stefano Bruno, as they pipped rivals Arsenal to a top-four finish.
Next season, expect them to be even fitter as Conte and Ventrone get a full pre-season to work with their squad.
Ventrone has earned the respect of players like Son Heung-Min for his gruelling sessionsCredit: Getty
Conte, Ventrone and Costantino Coratti will push Spurs’ stars to their limits during pre-seasonCredit: Getty More

FORGET David and Victoria Beckham, it’s their kids that are making waves in the world.On Sunday, Romeo Beckham, 19, showed he was a chip off the old block – scoring a brilliant free-kick for Inter Miami reserves.
David and Victoria Beckham’s kids are making their own way in the world
While Brooklyn Beckham, 23, is trying his hand at becoming a professional chef – leaning on dad’s pal Gordon Ramsay for cooking tips.
Cruz Beckham, 17, appears to be the pin-up of the siblings – and has set his sights on becoming a pop star just like his mum.
And Harper Beckham, now 11, appears to be following Victoria’s footsteps as a fashion queen.
These kids are alright.
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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}GET YOUR GOSS .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Harry Kane to Bayern Munich shut down, Dembele to ‘COMPLETE’ new Barca deal
Brooklyn
Born in London, he was famously named Brooklyn after his mum revealed he was conceived in New York.
At 15, he refused to live off the family name – working in a coffee shop at weekends to make a bit of extra pocket money.
He initially looked at playing football – training at the Arsenal Academy. However, he left in 2015 after failing to receive a scholarship.
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Andy Murray gave him some tennis lessons, but Brooklyn wasn’t going to pursue that as a career.
But it was magazine culture that soon caught his eye, modelling for the likes of  Vogue China, Miss Vogue, Interview, L’Uomo Vogue – and getting snapped by famed photographers including  Bruce Weber, Terry Richardson, Daniel Jackson and Alasdair McLellan.
Brooklyn became fascinated by photography – snapping a campaign for Burberry BRIT, starring models Ben Rees, Carvell Conduah, Eliza Thomas, Liv Mason Pearson and Maddie Demaine.
He enrolled on a photography degree at Parsons School of Design at the New School in New York – then released his first book with Random House called What I See, and interned for Rankin.
Most recently, Brooklyn has turned his hand to becoming a professional chef – and has taken cooking tips from family friend Gordon Ramsay.
His online video series Cookin’ With Brooklyn cost a reported $100,000 (£84,000) to make – drawing criticism for needing a crew of 62 to make.
If he’s yet to find his vocation in life, he’s certainly found his love.
This year, Brooklyn married US actress Nicola Peltz, 27, in a glitzy £3million Palm Beach, Florida Jewish ceremony.
Photography is one of Brooklyn’s passionsCredit: Rex Features
In 2017, Brooklyn released his own book ‘What I See’Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Most recently, Brooklyn has caught the cooking bug and wants to be a professional chefCredit: INSTAGRAM/BROOKLYN BECKHAM
This year, Brooklyn married American actress Nicola PeltzCredit: Getty
Romeo
Also born in London at private Portland Hospital, Romeo has David’s sporting gene.
From a young age it looked like he would become a pro footballer.
Between 2014-2015, he played in Arsenal’s Academy – and he’s a massive Gooner, often seen sitting in the stands at the Emirates alongside his dad.
But getting released by the Gunners left the youngster heartbroken, and he turned his back on football for five years.
In the interim, he played tennis like Brooklyn – and also got guidance from two-time Wimbledon champ Murray.
In 2020, Romeo said he was giving football another go – which was met by support by David, who soon replaced the tennis court at the family home with a football pitch instead.
Last year, he joined Inter Miami – the MLS team owned by his dad – and plays in their reserves – also earning himself a five-figure sponsorship deal with Puma.
He made his competitive debut against Toronto FC in a 2-2 draw, alongside David’s former team mate Phil Neville’s son, Harvey.
Romeo Beckham has modelled for Yves Saint Laurent
However, it is in football where Romeo has a burgeoning careerCredit: Getty
Last year, Romeo joined dad’s team Inter Miami and plays for their reservesCredit: Getty
Puma have signed Romeo up to a longterm sponsorship dealCredit: Mega
Cruz
Blessed with good looks, Cruz is clearly going to break a few hearts as he grows up.
He was born in Madrid, when his father played in LaLiga for Real Madrid.
Unlike Brooklyn and Romeo, football has never been on Cruz’s agenda.
Instead, it’s mum Victoria he is seemingly most like – with a burgeoning music career in the works.
At the age of 11, he released his first single – the Xmas song If Everyday Was Christmas which peaked at No7 in the iTunes chart.
He has now signed to Tap Music – who helped launched the career of Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding and Lana del Ray – and has been compared to pop superstar Justin Bieber.
Next task will be to find himself a record deal and start releasing his own songs.
Cruz Beckham, posing for I-D magazine, is the pin-up of all the kidsCredit: Cruz Beckham photographed by Steven Klein for i-D Issue 367
Like mum Victoria, Cruz fancies himself as a singerCredit: instagram
Most recently, Cruz was signed by Tap Music who launched the career of Dua LipaCredit: Getty
Cruz didn’t want to try his hand at football growing upCredit: Instagram
Harper
The youngest of the brood, Harper is clearly doted on by David – who regularly shares Instagram snaps of them together.
Now she’s turned 11, she is beginning to find her own style too – and looks like mother Victoria’s love of fashion has rubbed off on her.
She celebrated her birthday in a £1,600 designer gown from Zimmerman – matched with Nike trainers.
Former Spice Girl Victoria often uses Harper as her muse – dressing her in the VB Fashion range.
While, summer dresses and Doc Martens boots are also staples when it comes to her style.
There’s no doubt that this kid has the most enviable wardrobe of any 11-year-old.
And it might be in fashion where Harper lands on her feet. She has accompanied her mum to Paris Fashion Week regularly – appearing dazzled by the creations on show.
Like mum Victoria, Harper is the fashionista of the family – modelling a Lous Vuitton x Supreme hoodie
Harper regularly joins her famous mother at fashion shows around the globeCredit: Instagram
She often acts as a muse for Victoria’s VB Fashion range
Already blessed with a designer wardrobe to envy, Harper could find herself working in fashion in the future
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A possible future career as a designer is definitely in the offing.
For now, though, the world is Beckham’s kids’ oyster. More