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      Salt Bae reveals reason behind ‘pathetic’ pitch invasion after World Cup final and makes promise ahead of next event

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      SALT BAE revealed his thinking behind his “pathetic” World Cup final pitch invasion.And he made a promise ahead of the 2026 tournament that will delight Lionel Messi and football fans alike.
      Salt Bae caused controversy as he made his way on to the pitch after the World Cup finalCredit: instagram
      The celebrity Turkish butcher – real name Nusret Gokce – rose to stardom with his £1,000 gold-plated steaks and signature salt-sprinkling move that has contributed to amassing 52million Instagram followers and a wealth of £60m.
      However, he sparked controversy in Qatar last December when he made his way on to the pitch of the Lusail Stadium following Argentina’s dramatic win against France.
      Salt Bae, 39, pestered Messi for a selfie, bit a winner’s medal, grabbed the iconic gold trophy from Argentina players, kissed it, did his famous gesture over it and lifted it above his head as if celebrating winning the World Cup.
      According to Fifa’s guidelines, only World Cup winners and heads of state are allowed to touch the trophy – with the world football governing body investigating how he was allowed to make his move.
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      Now an “embarrassed” Gokce has explained his cringeworthy actions – and vowed never to repeat his mistake.
      Speaking to The Times, he said: “It was a combination of my love of Argentina and my excitement.
      “I love Argentina, I’ve lived there. I went to support them. Many of [the team] have come to the restaurant. I didn’t feel a stranger.
      “It was a special moment. I can’t do anything about the reason I was there, but I would never, ever step on the World Cup pitch again.
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      “There were two billion people watching the World Cup… how many people are speaking about me? Five billion. The whole world.
      “I didn’t go on the pitch with the purpose of advertising, I just felt like it. Then it was a bit of a surprise.
      “There were at least another 1,000 people on the pitch but when they show the video they make out it was just me.
      “I never, ever wanted to overshadow anything. I didn’t like the attention. I didn’t kick anyone, steal anything.”
      Salt Bae was subsequently banned from a number of sporting events in the US.
      However, the Turkish chef – dubbed a “pest” by Gary Lineker – turned up at the Champions League final this month in his homeland.
      Upon spotting him arriving at the ground, fans flocked to social media.
      One wrote: “Of course! He will be on the pitch lifting the cup with Pep and the boys.”
      Another added: “This guy is so embarrassing.”
      He grabbed the trophy and even bit a winner’s medalCredit: Instagram More

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      Premier League decide AGAINST using World Cup-style technology – but huge changes to VAR are confirmed

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      PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs have decided against using World Cup-style offside technology next season.But extra VAR cameras WILL be brought in at every top flight ground – in a bid to stop two of the blunders that took place last term.
      Extra cameras will be used by VAR next season as the PGMOL seeks to prevent any “blind spots”Credit: Getty
      Fifa’s Semi-Automated Offside Technology used limb-tracking cameras to pinpoint the exact position of every player on the pitch, plus a chip in the ball to determine if it was played by a defender or attacker.
      The cameras were then deployed to provide a computer-generated 3D animation that was shown on stadium big screens and by broadcasters.
      Fifa’s system was a big success, as was Uefa’s use of SAOT – although European chiefs opted to use the version that did not include the chip in ball technology.
      It was expected that the Prem would seek to adopt the system for next season, which is the path that is being taken by La Liga in Spain.
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      But instead the option to bring in SAOT for next term is NOT on the agenda for next week’s Annual Meeting of the 20 top flight clubs in Hampshire.
      Instead, an extra four offside cameras will be used at every game, with Prem bosses and PGMOL agreeing this should prevent a recurrence of two controversial incidents last term, both involving Liverpool.
      Arsenal’s early opener in the 3-2 win over the Merseysiders was allowed because the cameras did not pick up the position of Bukayo Saka when the ball was played forward to him wide on the Gunners’ right.
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      Subsequent footage, not available at the time, suggested the England star had come back from an offside position but with no evidence to overturn the initial offside decision, the goal stood.
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      Liverpool, though, were the beneficiaries of the other incident, in their FA Cup tie at home to Wolves.
      Julen Lopetegui’s team thought they had scored a late winner through Toto Gomes.
      But the goal was ruled out by a late flag determining that Matheus Nunes retreated from an offside position after taking the initial corner.
      Once again, other images, not available to the VAR crew at Stockley Park, suggested the decision should have been overturned but with Nunes in the “blind spot” of the VAR cameras the goal did not count.
      ITV were using the “standard” five calibration cameras and 17 in total for the FA Cup tie, three cameras fewer than typically used in a Prem game.
      But the addition of four extra cameras, which is expected to go through on the nod when the club chiefs meet, is felt sufficient to ensure no repeats.
      League bosses believe they can wait to introduce any version of SAOT and that the evolution of technology will be so rapid in the coming weeks that introducing the system now would be premature as it would soon be rendered out of date. More

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      Huge summer sporting event has NO TV deal sparking ‘concern’ with bosses

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      BBC and ITV are under pressure to announce a TV deal for the Women’s World Cup after the governments of the Big Five European markets weighed into the ongoing row.Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer was among the five signatories stating their “concern” at the lack of agreement with just seven weeks until kick-off in Australia and New Zealand.
      Some broadcasters are yet to claim rights for the Women’s World Cup despite the success of Euro 2022Credit: Getty
      ITV and the Beeb are understood to have made a £9m joint bid which Fifa is expected to accept.
      But broadcasters in France, Germany, Italy and Spain are said to have proposed “derisory” offers of a fraction of the bids for the men’s tournament.
      They have been strongly criticised by Fifa President Gianni Infantino, who is reluctant to dig further into the world body’s funds.
      And now the governments have pledged to put on the big squeeze.
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      In a joint statement by the senior sports ministers of all five countries, the governments said: “We have acknowledged with concern that until now, no television rights have been attributed for the matches broadcasting in our countries.
      “We are aware of the legitimate interests and budgetary constraints pressuring both assignees and independent broadcasters, who need a viable economic model for each of them. 
      “And we also recognise the specific organisational constraints that are likely to affect the ‘market value’ of the European broadcasters’ rights, such as the hours of broadcasting.
      “However, we are convinced that the media coverage of the Women’s World Cup will be decisive in improving the global visibility of women’s sports in our European countries. 
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      “Media exposure to women’s sports has indeed a highly significant impact on the development of women’s and young girls’ sports practices. 
      “Because of the high potential of the Fifa Women’s World Cup and the sport and social issues at stake, we consider it our responsibility to fully mobilise all stakeholders, for them to quickly reach an agreement. 
      “These are decisions for Fifa and broadcasters to take independently, but we know that discussions are in progress and we are confident in Fifa and independent broadcasters’ capability to find a common path toward fair development.” More

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      Tottenham chase Manor Solomon transfer as Shakhtar fume at Fifa for allowing Fulham loan star to move for FREE

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      TOTTENHAM are in the hunt for Manor Solomon – who is set to be available for nothing this summer.The Israeli has been at Fulham on a year-long deal after suspending his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk, following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. 
      Manor Solomon has impressed at Fulham this termCredit: Getty
      Fifa have ruled that he can leave Shakhtar for free this summer, sparking interest from a number of clubs across Europe.
      In amongst them are Spurs, as well as Fulham who would like to sign him permanently. 
      Winger Solomon, 23, has netted five goals in 23 appearances for the Cottagers this term in all competitions. 
      All five strikes came in consecutive games during a particularly hot streak in February and early March.
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      Shakhtar chief Sergei Palkin has criticised Fifa’s decision to allow their players to move abroad for nothing.
      He said: “The over-reaching measures applied by Fifa led to massive loss of player transfer income and a depletion of essential Club revenues.
      “We believe the extension of Annex 7 continues to place clubs like FC Shakhtar in Ukraine in a seriously disadvantaged position with zero protection and threatens our very existence.”
      Fulham have defied expectations that they would be in a relegation battle this term following promotion.
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      Marco Silva’s side have secured tenth place and can reach a whopping 55 points if they win at Manchester United on Sunday.
      Spurs, meanwhile, will begin the final day in eighth after a disastrous run of form.
      Should they win at relegation-threatened Leeds and Aston Villa fail to beat Brighton, however, Ryan Mason’s side would scrape into the Europa Conference League for next season. More

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      Fans rage as Fifa reveal simplistic World Cup 2026 logo that ‘took less than a minute to design’

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      FIFA may have held a glitzy LA ceremony last night to unveil the branding for the 2026 World Cup, but the new logo definitely fell short.The official logo for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, is already being slammed by fans.
      This marks the first time the World Cup trophy has been used in the official logoCredit: AP

      The design, which was unveiled by Fifa President Gianni Infantino and two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo Nazário, has been denounced as “basic”.
      It features a simple image of the trophy in the foreground and the numbers “2” and “6” stacked vertically in the background.
      Traditionally, the World Cup logo has been designed to reflect the culture of the host nation(s) in some way, but that is not the case here.
      Football fans took to social media to vent their frustrations with the uninspiring logo for the biggest tournament in sport.
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      One said: “Is that it? Just 26 with the cup? What a failure”.
      Another added: “That’s the worst logo I’ve ever seen in my life”.
      Others questioned the credentials of the graphic designers: “I could have made that in about 2 minutes on my phone”.
      One fan comically made a 60 second video showing how long it took him to create it.
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      A fifth fan joined in: “That’s it? A PNG file image of the trophy over 26. Anaemic”.
      Another declared: “It should have been something that would represent the 3 countries. Come on”.
      Fifa President Infantino stated: “We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive Fifa World Cup ever”.
      But the branding has failed to meet these high expectations.
      However, it was also revealed, that every host city will eventually release a logo and colour scheme that is specific to each venue.
      The event to launch the World Cup was hosted by former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas and Telemundo journalist Ana Jurka.
      The competition, which will feature 48 teams for the first time, will be the first World Cup in North America since 1994.
      Despite the lacklustre logo, the ceremony was attended by a host of stars.
      Brooklyn Beckham was joined by the likes of musicians Kelly Osbourne, Angelina Jordan and Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernandez.
      Brooklyn Beckham and Victor Montagliani were sat together at the event in LACredit: Getty More

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      Why are no Man Utd players playing at the Under-20 FIFA World Cup?

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      THE U20 FIFA World Cup is set to get underway NEXT WEEKEND in Argentina.Some of the world’s best young footballers will battle it out for the trophy.
      England players celebrate after defeating Venezuela 1-0 to win the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017Credit: AP
      Ukraine were the winners last time out in 2019, beating South Korea in the final in Poland.
      England won the U20 World Cup back in 2017 with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring the winning goal against Venezuela in the final.
      Why are no Man Utd players playing at the Under-20 FIFA World Cup?
      Manchester United and Juventus have blocked youngsters from playing at the U20 FIFA World Cup.
      The footballing giants have all refused their scarlets to go to Argentina as the Premier League and Serie A will still be running during the beginning of the tournament.
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      Meaning United winger Alejandro Garnacho will not be involved in his native country.
      According to reports, the 18-year-old wonderkid was willing to miss the Red Devils clash with rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final to be at the U20 World Cup.
      Garnacho is reportedly close to returning from an ankle injury he suffered against Southampton in March.
      When is the Under-20 World Cup?

      The thrilling Under-20 World Cup will begin on Saturday, May 20 and conclude on Sunday, June 11.
      Group stage matches are scheduled to kick off at 7pm or 10pm UK time.
      While the knockout rounds start times alternate between 6:30pm and 10pm.
      There is set to be four different cities in Argentina which will host the games: La Plata, Mendoza, San Juan and Santiago del Estero.
      Hosts Argentina open the tournament against Uzbekistan while England feature for the first time on Monday, May 22 at Tunisia.

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      Who is in the England U20 squad?
      Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton & Hove Albion), Matthew Cox (Brentford), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea)
      Defenders: Callum Doyle (Coventry City, loan from Manchester City)*, Ronnie Edwards (Peterborough United)*, Bashir Humphreys (Paderborn, loan from Chelsea), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Coventry City, loan from Arsenal)*, Daniel Oyegoke (Brentford), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Imari Hines-Samuels (Brighton & Hove Albion)
      Midfielders: Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea), Alfie Devine (Tottenham Hotspur), Sam Edozie (Southampton), Darko Gyabi (Leeds United), Aaron Ramsey (Middlesbrough, loan from Aston Villa)*, Alex Scott (Bristol City), Harvey Vale (Chelsea)
      Forwards: Liam Delap (Manchester City), Daniel Jebbison (Sheffield United), Mateo Joseph (Leeds United), Dane Scarlett (Tottenham Hotspur) More

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      Huge sporting tournament at risk of TV BLACKOUT unless broadcasters stump up more cash

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      FIFA President Gianni Infantino has threatened Lionesses fans face a BLACKOUT of this summer’s Women’s World Cup.But BBC and ITV are understood to remain confident they will agree a deal to ensure Sarina Wiegman’s side are on our screens when they play in Australia.
      Gianni Infantino has warned there could be a UK blackout if broadcasters fail to agree a dealCredit: AFP
      Infantino made his warning as it emerged that Fifa has still to agree broadcast deals with ANY of the Big Five countries – England, France, Spain, Germany or Italy.
      That is despite the tournament kicking off Down Under in just 11 weeks’ time.
      The Fifa President said: “To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
      “Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair, we will be forced not to broadcast the Fifa Women’s World Cup into the ‘big five’ European countries.
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      “Broadcasters, especially public broadcasters funded by taxpayers’ money, should put their action behind their words.
      “They rightfully criticised football organisations for not paying equally women and men or not having the same prize money.

      “We need to generate these revenues and they should help us because otherwise we will simply not sell these rights to them at these undervalued prices.
      “Then the European public will not be able to watch the women’s World Cup which after the success of the last tournament and the Euros will be really a pity, a slap in the face for the women’s game.”
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      England go into their opening game against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22 as European champions and the inaugural holders of the “finalissima” trophy after beating South American title-holders Brazil at Wembley.
      But while the broadcast deal for the UK has yet to be confirmed, it is understood that negotiations for split coverage by the BBC and ITV are advanced and are expected to be of sufficient value to ensure there is no blackout of the tournament.
      There is big interest in the World Cup and ticket sales broke the 500,000 mark in January. More

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      Female footballer Sydney Leroux demands FIFA ‘deflate her boobs’ after making character too ‘chesty’

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      FEMALE footballer Sydney Leroux has called on FIFA to “deflate my boobs” after taking issue with her “chesty” in-game character. Leroux, 32, has enjoyed a long career playing in North America after beginning her journey with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2005.
      Striker Sydney Leroux has played for a number of clubs in North America, including the Seattle Sounders, Kansas City and Orlando PrideCredit: Getty
      Leroux was not at all convinced by her video game likenessCredit: EA Sports FIFA 16 via Twitter / @sydneyleroux
      FIFA has included women players since 2016 and went a step further with FIFA 23 by including the Women’s Super League and French Division 1 Feminine.
      A recent update has also seen the women’s Champions League and the National Women’s Soccer League, the top flight of football in America, added to the popular video game.
      But Leroux, who currently stars for Angel City FC, believed her animated character did not accurately represent her.
      She said on Twitter: “They had the headband, the braid, the neck tattoo, the overly plucked brows and someone even made me CHESTYYYY!!!!
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      “Deflate my boobs a bit and put a different jersey on.”
      But she added: “I’ll keep the brows at this point.”
      Fans weighed in with their thoughts of her botched game character.
      One admirer said: “No video game render can ever capture the grace and beauty of Sydney Leroux…”
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      While another said: “The eyebrows are in point for LA! I agree, let’s keep them!”
      Leroux is not the first player to hit out at the game’s 3D models since the new leagues were added.
      Houston Dash defender Caprice Dydasco and Liverpool striker Katie Stengel have both been left unimpressed with their depictions.
      This is set to be the last FIFA game in its current guise after game developers EA Sports split from the governing body. More