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      Diego Simeone’s son Giuliano rushed to hospital as ambulance drives onto pitch after horror tackle

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      DIEGO SIMEONE’S son Giuliano suffered a sickening leg injury following a nasty tackle – with an ambulance entering the pitch to take the starlet to hospital.The Atletico Madrid striker collapsed in agony while playing a friendly on loan for Alaves against fellow Spaniards Burgos.

      Giuliano Simeone was in agony, while players on both sides were in shock
      Simeone Junior was clapped off the field on his way to hospital
      The former Real Zaragoza loanee, 20, was tripped as he burst clear on the right touchline near the halfway line in the 86th minute.
      Culprit Jose Matos was booked – but Alaves players were more concerned about Simeone.
      They quickly signalled for medics to rush on as the youngster looked in serious pain lying on his back.
      He kept his left leg raised, with the foot at a distorted angle.
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      Team-mates were in shock, some holding their heads in their hands.
      And an ambulance soon arrived to drive across the field and take the Rome-born ace away.
      Simeone was clapped off the field by players and fans, albeit knowing little about it as he was inside the vehicle.
      The attacking prospect only signed a contract extension at Atletico last month,- keeping him with the LaLiga giants until 2028.
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      Dad Diego, the Argentina legend, has bossed the club since 2011.
      Football.espana suggest Simeone Junior will miss a “huge chunk” of the coming season.
      But the extent of his injury has not yet been revealed.
      One report claims he broke his ankle and that offending left-back Matos went “crying to the locker room”.
      The match was suspended, with Burgos 2-1 up – Simeone having netted for Alaves.
      Simeone looked in huge pain after being tripped More

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      Atletico boss Simeone blasts ‘nobody is bigger than the club’ after Chelsea flop Felix flirts with Barcelona transfer

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      ATLETICO Madrid boss Diego Simeone has hit back at Joao Felix and insisted “nobody is bigger than the club”.It comes after Felix admitted his desire to join Barcelona, causing a commotion with his current employers.
      Diego Simeone says ‘nobody is bigger than the club’Credit: AP
      In an interview with AS, Simeone refused to answer questions about the 23-year-old’s future.
      The Argentine, 53, said: “The main focus is the team. It is normal that in the press the focus is on whether he stays or leaves.
      “I already said that there is no one more important than the club, with no exceptions. It’s impossible to be clearer than that.”
      Portuguese international Felix joined the 11-time La Liga champs for a record-breaking £103million in 2019.
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      He spent the second half of last season on loan at Chelsea, making 16 appearances and scoring four goals.
      During his time at Stamford Bridge, the striker suffered a three-match ban for a tackle on Fulham’s Kenny Tete.
      Although the striker has not played up to his price tag Simeone did not want to blast his style of play.
      He continued: “He has his playing characteristics, he has given his all, he has made an effort to work well with what he has, and what we demanded of him.
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      “I cannot have any complaints about his effort because he has given what he could give
      “He has extraordinary ability, we have talked about it a billion times. You see him and he has a good header, a good shot with the left, with the right, good spin, one on one…
      “Is there time [for Felix to succeed at Atletico]? It’s not up to me, ask him and his representative.”
      In an interview with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano a few weeks back Felix dropped where his dream destination to play would be.
      He said: “I’d love to play for Barca. Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barca. It was always my dream since I was a kid. If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me.”
      A deal with the Spanish giants is highly unlikely at the moment however with Barca still struggling financially.
      Joao Felix spent the second half of last season at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
      Felix has admitted his dream team is BarcelonaCredit: Getty More

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      I’m a Spain striker but have an alter ego called DJ Panda who plays banging tunes topless on TikTok from my living room

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      BORJA IGLESIAS is one of the top strikers in Spain.But when he gets home, his alter ego DJ Panda takes centre stage.
      Borja Iglesias has earned two caps for Spain after impressing for Real BetisCredit: Getty
      At home he transforms into DJ PandaCredit: TIKTOK @ pandachurches
      And he plays banging tunes topless in his living room.
      Iglesias, 30, is the main man at Real Betis and was the club’s top scorer last season as they secured Europa League qualification – a year on from winning the Copa del Rey.
      And the former Celta Vigo and Espanyol star has earned two caps for Spain’s national team – including in March’s Euro 2024 qualifier defeat to Scotland.
      However, he has also gained plenty of attention for his incredible videos as DJ Panda.
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      The name comes from his nickname as a child, Panda, after the song by rapper Desiigner.
      On his TikTok account @pandachurches – iglesia translates as the Spanish word for church – he mixes up his football posts with his musical content, amassing a whopping 2.3million likes.
      And that includes Iglesias filming himself dropping big tracks.
      One of his most recent posts to his nearly 400,000 followers shows the bearded DJ Panda with his headphones on and shirt off, revealing his hairy torso and his houseplants in the background.
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      Iglesias – who recently gifted a personalised Real Betis shirt to his idol British artist Fred Again – produces a mash-up between 50 Cent’s In Da Club and Barbie Girl.
      Fans loved it and flooded the comments with support for the former Valencia and Villarreal youth star.
      One said: “How we love you Panda.”
      Another wrote: “You are a genius.”
      A third added: “You have left me no choice but to follow you.”
      And a final user replied: “10/10.”
      When he records his videos, Iglesias’ fingernails stand out because they are often painted.
      The Spaniard started his trend to support the Black Lives Matter movement and has also used the simple but effective gesture to stand against homophobia and raise awareness for mental health struggles.
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      Iglesias opened up on his own personal battles and heaped praise on Marcus Rashford for his efforts to tackle social issues, especially his attempts to end child poverty.
      The striker also posts social media content with his adorable dog and stunning Wag Maria Valero.
      The TikTok star has amassed 2.3m likesCredit: TIKTOK @ pandachurches
      The footballer often posts content with his adorable dogCredit: Instagram @borjaiglesias9
      Iglesias’ name translates as ‘churches’ in EnglishCredit: Instagram @borjaiglesias9 More

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      I was ‘the next Xabi Alonso’ and have £26m in career earnings but I flopped at Real Madrid and now I’m unemployed at 33

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      ASIER ILLARRAMENDI is now a free agent after leaving his boyhood club Real Sociedad.The Spain international’s contract with the LaLiga giants expired following the end of the 2022/23 season.
      Asier Illarramendi is a free agent after turning down a new contract with Real SociedadCredit: EPA
      The Spanish midfielder was tipped to be the next big thing at Real Madrid but failed to shineCredit: GETTY
      Illarramendi, 33, was expected to extend his second stay at the Estadio Reale Arena after Sociedad chiefs offered him a new contract.
      But the defensive midfielder – who drew comparisons to club icon Xabi Alonso – has decided to move on to pastures new.
      He said: “I never imagined getting as far as I have, there is a lot of my work behind it.
      “Look how far I have come, it is not easy to get here, stay and even be captain.
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      “I have done the best I could.
      “I have tried to transmit the values that I learned from Aranburu and Xabi Prieto.
      “I may have been wrong on occasions, but the intention was always the best and I am proud of all of that.”
      Illarramendi – who is understood to have made close to £26million during his career – began his footie adventure in Sociedad’s academy and graduated to the first team in 2010.
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      His stellar displays in the 2012-13 campaign earned him a big-money move to Real Madrid.
      But he failed to make an impact at the Bernabeu and ended up leaving after two seasons.
      Sociedad snapped up their academy product when Real made it clear he was surplus to requirements.
      Illarramendi went on to make a further 197 appearances for his boyhood club and scored 11 goals before deciding to leave. More

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      Real Madrid to use incredible loophole to register Jude Bellingham to make space for new transfer after passport demand

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      REAL MADRID are looking to use an incredible loophole to register Jude Bellingham this season.The Spanish giants would make space to register a new signing after making a passport demand for their English midfielder.
      Real Madrid could use a loophole to register Jude Bellingham for next seasonCredit: Getty
      Bellingham completed a £115million move to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer.
      Ahead of his first season in Spain, Los Blancos are looking into a loophole as they prepare to register him for the upcoming campaign.
      According to Marca, Real Madrid are hoping to avoid registering Bellingham as a non-EU player.
      The club are waiting for confirmation that the 20-year-old has been issued an Irish passport.
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      If the application is successful, it would mean Bellingham can be included as a European Union player.
      LaLiga’s registration rules limit each club to just three non-EU players in their squad.
      Bellingham is eligible for an Irish passport through his paternal grandmother, according to his dad Mark.
      Mark previously shared a snap of Bellingham wearing an Ireland shirt as a child.
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      Jude Bellingham could have played for Ireland through his paternal grandmotherCredit: Twitter
      He went on to play for England instead of Ireland, though, and has already won 24 caps for the Three Lions.
      Real Madrid have previously used a similar loophole to register new signings as EU players in the past.
      The club secured Spanish citizenships for Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Eder Militao after they moved to the Santiago Bernabeu.
      British players have to be listed as non-EU in Spain following Brexit.
      Other European countries, including Italy, have given British players a special status to allow them to be registered.
      By registering Bellingham as Irish, Real Madrid will also be free to sign another non-EU player before the end of the transfer window.
      However, the move will not impact on their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe this summer.
      Mbappe would not count towards their non-EU quote, with France still being a part of the European Union.
      Jude Bellingham has already played for England at the Euros and the World CupCredit: Rex More

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      Barcelona thump Real Madrid 3-0 in Texas-sized El Clasico as Carlo Ancelotti critiques ‘sleeping’ stars

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      XAVI’S Barcelona has walked away from Texas with their second-straight El Clasico win on US soil.Barca and Real Madrid faced off in front of over 80,000 Texans in attendance at AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
      Dembele was one of the stars of the show on SaturdayCredit: Getty
      England star Jude Bellingham (R) hit the woodwork before being subbed for Joselu in the 73rd minuteCredit: Getty
      The game may have technically been little more than a friendly, but you would have been hard-pressed to notice as much in the first half.
      Both Xavi and Carlo Ancelotti sent out full-strength sides for the first 45 which had the feeling of a true El Clasico.
      After just three minutes, former Southampton man Oriol Romeu hit the woodwork for Barca before Real came close to taking the lead thanks to Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo.
      After fourteen minutes Ousmane Dembele gave Barca the lead.
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      This came courtesy of a well-worked free-kick routine which saw ex-Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan clip the ball back to Pedri who slipped it in neatly for the Frenchman who snuck behind Madrid’s defense unnoticed.
      But just five minutes later, Real were handed a golden opportunity to even the odds with a penalty following a Ronald Araujo handball.
      Unfortunately for Los Blancos fans, Vinicius Jr. slammed the crossbar.
      The end-to-end game continued with tensions clearly rising as halftime drew nearer before a Frenkie De Jong foul led to a clash between players in the center of the park.
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      By comparison, the second half was relatively tame, feeling far more like a prototypical friendly as the game began to slow.
      Two late goals ultimately sealed the deal for Barca with Femin Lopez netting an excellent volley in the 84th minute while Ferran Torres chipped Thibaut Courtois en route to the game’s third goal just six minutes later.
      The game was far from as one-sided as the scoreline would suggest, with Vinicius Jr. in particular having come close on multiple occasions.
      Unfortunately for him and Madrid, the woodwork was their best friend and worst enemy on the night as they failed to find that much-needed clinical finish.
      Reflecting on the loss, Ancelotti said after the game that he felt “we played really well for most of the time.”
      However, he also felt that “we were sleeping in some situations…in the free kick when we conceded the first goal, and at the end, we didn’t have the balance that we needed in that kind of situation.”
      A true El Clasico in the first half, and a relatively tame second, both have plenty of positives to take away from an enthralling afternoon in Texas.
      Both Dembele (L) and De Jong (R) impressed at AT&T StadiumCredit: AP
      Ancelotti’s response to their loss was mixedCredit: Getty More

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      Uefa hint Barcelona could be BOOTED OUT of Champions League amid claims they paid refs’ chief £6m

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      BARCELONA could be KICKED OUT of the Champions League next season as Uefa investigate allegations of payments to referees.Uefa announced in March that it was opening an investigation into the Catalan giants.
      Barcelona are being investigated by UefaCredit: Alamy
      This came after it was reported they had paid just shy of £6MILLION to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees committee.
      The payments are claimed to have been made between 2001 and 2018.
      Uefa’s appeals body confirmed the club had been granted provisional access to the 2023-24 Champions League but acknowledged: “A future decision on admission/exclusion from the Uefa club competitions is reserved.”
      Uefa said four months ago that ethics and disciplinary investigators had been appointed to look into “a potential violation of Uefa’s legal framework” in relation to this case.
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      The appeals body said on Thursday: “The investigators in charge of the case are invited to continue and finalise their investigation and to send a further report to the appeals body if and when they consider that the admission/exclusion of FC Barcelona should be assessed.”
      Barcelona deny any wrongdoing in the case.
      Xavi’s men are set to enter the competition as a Pot 1 side after they won the LaLiga title last season.
      And they will be hoping to avoid a third straight group-stage exit.
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      Last season, Barca finished third in their group behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
      They dropped down to the Europa League but were swiftly eliminated in the play-off round by Manchester United.
      Barcelona have reached just one Champions League semi-final in eight years – which came in 2019 when they spurned a 3-0 aggregate lead to lose to eventual champions Liverpool 4-3 in a remarkable tie. More

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      Man Utd flop ‘to RIP UP Valencia contract as he targets third club in three years on free transfer’

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      FORMER Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani is set to rip up his Valencia contract as he eyes a move to Boca Juniors, according to reports.The Uruguayan forward, 36, left Old Trafford last summer after two seasons with the club, netting 19 goals in 59 appearances.
      Edinson Cavani scored just seven goals for Valencia last seasonCredit: Getty
      He penned a two-year deal with Spanish side Valencia back in August.
      But he managed just seven goals in 28 matches as he continues to slow down during the twilight years of his career.
      Now, according to TYC Sports, he is preparing to pay his way out of the final 12 month of his deal.
      It will reportedly cost him around £1.28m, but he is keen to do so as a move to Boca Juniors is in the works.
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      The Argentine side are understood to be offering him an 18-month contract.
      Speaking about Cavani’s situation, his brother Christian said: “The termination of the contract with Valencia is being fixed.
      “Although we want it to be done quickly, we’ll see how the Valencia thing ends and if he reaches an agreement with Boca.
      “I have a good feeling that his arrival in Boca will be achieved.
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      “This time is different from the others. His return to South America is all more on track.
      “Boca has a lot of history. I dream of seeing him with the shirt. I want him to arrive as much as the people who write to me. I’ve said it to him. I love that idea.”
      Cavani has played for a host of top European clubs including Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Man Utd and Valencia.
      He has scored a sensational 379 goals in 673 club appearances.
      And at international level, he has 58 goals in 136 caps for Uruguay – a tally topped only by Luis Suarez. More