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      Real Madrid draw Barcelona in huge Copa del Rey semi-final El Clasico… but you probably won’t be able to watch it

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      REAL MADRID and Barcelona are set to square off in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.The two rivals drew each other after Los Blancos eliminated Atletico Madrid and Barca knocked out Real Sociedad in the quarter-finals.
      Real Madrid and Barcelona will face each other in the Copa del Rey semi-finalsCredit: Getty
      British fans won’t get to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid in the Copa del ReyCredit: EPA
      That sets up an exciting El Clasico between the two sworn enemies amid an intense LaLiga battle – with Los Blancos only five points behind Xavi’s leaders.
      But British fans may not be able to watch it as no TV channel on these shores has bought the rights to the Copa del Rey.
      That is why no one got to see the exciting Madrid derby, in which Real equalised in the final few minutes and turned the game on its head during extra-time with a 3-1 win.
      This comes as a major surprise considering that Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime and Viaplay combined cost more than £1,000 per year.
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      The two rivals have faced off twice already this season and are scheduled to meet once more in LaLiga.
      Real beat Barcelona 3-1 in the league back in October at the Santiago Bernabeu.
      Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo led Carlo Ancelotti’s side to a comfortable victory with Ferran Torres scoring a consolation goal.
      But the Blaugrana returned the favour with the same score three weeks ago in the Spanish Super Cup final.
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      Gavi, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri sealed the win for Barcelona with Benzema putting the Madrid giants on the scoreboard in Saudi Arabia.
      The two rivals’ upcoming cup clashes will take place on February 28 in Madrid and April 4 at the Nou Camp. More

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      Ex-Arsenal star Hector Bellerin close to leaving Barcelona… but transfer could be scuppered by Spurs at last minute

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      BARCELONA right-back Hector Bellerin could reportedly have a loan transfer to Sporting Lisbon scuppered by his old club Arsenal’s rivals, Tottenham.Bellerin, 27, joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Arsenal last summer, but he has been limited to just seven appearances so far this season.
      Hector Bellerin’s loan move to Sporting has been scuppered after Tottenham failed to sign Pedro PorroCredit: Getty
      He has less than six months remaining on his contract, but the LaLiga giants are open to offloading him before the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
      The Athletic reported that Bellerin was on his way to Portugal.
      Sporting were close to signing the Spaniard on loan until the end of the season.
      Bellerin was supposed to act as a replacement for Pedro Porro, who before Monday was on the verge of joining Tottenham in a £40million transfer.
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      But Sporting moved the goalposts and the deal is now OFF.
      The Portuguese club tried to change the terms of the deal at the last minute leaving Porro devastated, according to The Athletic.
      That could see Bellerin’s transfer scuppered by old rivals Spurs, leaving him stranded at the Camp Nou.
      Sporting had originally planned to sign Tariq Lamptey on loan, however Brighton were unwilling to let him leave on a temporary basis.
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      Bellerin spent 10 years at Arsenal before joining Barcelona last year.
      He fell out of favour at the Emirates Stadium in 2021 and consequently joined Real Betis on loan.
      The Gunners then decided to terminate his contract so he swapped North London for the Nou Camp.
      Barcelona sit at the top of the LaLiga table, six points clear of rivals Real Madrid. More

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      Inaki Williams’ insane run of 2,468 days without missing a game for Athletic Bilbao comes to an end

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      INAKI WILLIAMS’ insane run of 2,468 days without missing a game for Athletic Bilbao has come to an end.The Ghana international, 28, was not involved in Sunday’s LaLiga 1-0 defeat against Celta Vigo after suffering a muscle injury.
      Inaki Williams’ record run of consecutive LaLiga appearances has endedCredit: Getty
      And it saw his astonishing record of 251 consecutive matches come to a sorry end.
      Williams’ amazing streak started on April 7, 2016.
      He set a new record for the most consecutive Spanish league appearances in October 2021 after 203 straight games.
      And in April last year Williams made it a stunning six years without missing a match.
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      The Spain-born forward almost saw his run come to a dramatic end in August when he picked up an ankle injury.
      It was set to bring the record to an end after 236 games.
      But Williams managed to make a miracle recovery after docs initially feared he could miss several months of action.
      Unfortunately for the Bilbao icon, it finally came to an end on Sunday after 251 games.
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      And fans paid tribute to Williams’ record, which is unlikely to be broken for some time.
      One supporter said: “Unreal athlete, to maintain that level of fitness for six years is ridiculous.”
      Another declared: “I’m sad, I invested in that record, I’m pretty sure it kept him motivated to keep pushing even further.”
      One declared: “What a record, never going to be broken for a long time.”
      Another joked: “Start him and sub off after one minute to keep the streak going.” More

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      Ex-Arsenal star Hector Bellerin helps Tottenham land dream Pedro Porro transfer as he closes in on Sporting Lisbon move

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      BARCELONA right-back Hector Bellerin is on the verge of joining Sporting Lisbon on loan, according to reports.Bellerin, 27, joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Arsenal last summer, but he has been limited to just seven appearances so far this season.
      Bellerin is on the verge of joining Sporting LisbonCredit: Getty
      He has less than six months remaining on his current contract, but the LaLiga giants are open to offloading him before the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
      And according to The Athletic, he could now be on his way to Portugal.
      Sporting Lisbon are close signing the Spaniard on loan until the end of the season.
      Bellerin would act as a replacement for Pedro Porro, who is understood to be on the verge of joining Tottenham in a £39million transfer.
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      Sporting had originally planned to sign Tariq Lamptey on loan, however Brighton were unwilling to let him leave on a temporary basis.
      They have since shifted focus to Bellerin, who has been struggling to find form in recent months.
      The Spaniard spent 10 years at Arsenal before joining Barcelona last year.
      He fell out of favour at the Emirates Stadium in 2021 and consequently joined Real Betis on loan.
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      The Gunners then decided to terminate his contract so he swapped North London for the Nou Camp.
      Barcelona currently sit at the top of the LaLiga table, six points clear of rivals Real Madrid. More

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      Man Utd boost as Ousmane Dembele is set to miss both Europa League clashes after Barcelona star suffers injury

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      BARCELONA winger Ousmane Dembele could miss both legs of the club’s upcoming Europa League play-off against Manchester United due to a thigh injury.The Frenchman, 25, was forced off during Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Girona on Saturday.
      Ousmane Dembele has sustained a thigh injuryCredit: Getty
      The Frenchman was forced off during Barcelona’s match against GironaCredit: Getty
      He was seen clutching his leg midway through the first half, raising concerns for Xavi and his coaching staff.
      And a post-match statement from the club confirmed that he had sustained an injury to his quadricep.
      The statement read: “Tests carried out this evening on Ousmane Dembele have shown that he has a rectus femoris injury in his left thigh.
      “He is out and his recovery will determine his availability.”
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      According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, he will be sidelined for five-to-six weeks as a result.
      Consequently, the winger will miss both of Barcelona’s upcoming Europa League games against Man Utd.
      The La Liga giants are due to face the Red Devils twice next month in a play-off which will determine who progresses to the round-of-16.
      Dembele could also miss up to six La Liga games due to the injury.
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      Barcelona currently sit at the top of the league table, six points clear of rivals Real Madrid.
      But, the absence of Dembele could hinder the club’s title charge.
      The Frenchman has re-established himself as a crucial first team player for Barcelona this season, with eight goals and seven assists in 28 games so far. More

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      Diego Simeone hints he could QUIT Atletico Madrid after 12 years with club 16 points off Barcelona in LaLiga

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      DIEGO SIMEONE has hinted he could QUIT Atletico Madrid after 12 years at the helm.The Argentine made the stunning revelation after crashing out of the Copa del Rey to Real Madrid this week.
      Diego Simeone has hinted it could be his final season at Atletico MadridCredit: EPA
      And with Barcelona 16 points ahead in the title race, Atleti fans could be witnessing the final days of their beloved boss.
      Simeone, 52, has been in charge of the capital club since December 2011 after spending five years there as a player.
      During his time in charge, Atletico have won two titles, two Europa Leagues and two Copa del Reys, while also reaching two Champions League finals.
      However, this season has been a struggle for Simeone in all competitions.
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      Atletico were first knocked out of the Champions League group stage after finishing bottom of the pile.
      And a shoddy run in LaLiga sees them sit in joint-fourth, 10 points off Real and 16 behind leaders Barcelona.
      Atletico don’t even have the Copa del Rey to play for after Real beat them 3-1 in Thursday’s quarter final.
      And it means Simeone’s future is under the spotlight just a week after signing Barcelona’s Memphis Depay.
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      Sacked Spain boss Luis Enrique is reportedly being lined up as Simeone’s successor by Atletico chiefs.
      Meanwhile, ex-Chelsea gaffer Thomas Tuchel is targeting a top LaLiga job as he learns Spanish,
      But Simeone himself has now fanned the flames by admitting his future rests on how Atletico – who have nothing left to play for – “finish the season.”
      He declared: “My contract depends a lot on how we finish the club. Every season finale we get together to see how we continue.
      “This year will not be the exception. It is more complex than what you suggest. You will find out when the season ends what will happen.” More

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      Ex-Man Utd star Herrera pokes fun at himself on Instagram after team-mate’s brutal snub in Athletic Bilbao celebration

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      NICO WILLIAMS jokingly claimed he was “going blind” after he hilariously snubbed Athletic Bilbao team-mate Ander Herrera in a goal celebration.The shocking cold shoulder came after they travelled to Valencia last night in the Copa del Rey quarter-final.
      Ander Herrera was ready and waiting with a hug for Nico WilliamsCredit: Rex
      The goalscorer raced straight past his Athletic Bilbao team-mateCredit: Rex
      Iker Muniain gave the visitors the lead before an Oscar de Marcos own goal levelled the scores.
      However, just seconds before the half time break, 20-year-old attacker Williams fired Bilbao back into the lead.
      The Spanish international raced off in celebration after his strike towards pal Herrera.
      Former Manchester United midfielder Herrera, 33, raised his arms high and wide to hug the scorer.
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      But he was left red-faced as Williams raced straight past him and left him standing.
      Mikel Vesga converted a penalty later on to seal a 3-1 victory and a place in the semis.
      And Herrera seemed to see the funny side as he posted a snap of Williams snubbing him on Instagram afterwards.
      He captioned it: “When you expect Nico Williams to celebrate the goal with you, but you are completely ignored. We are in the semifinals! Zorionak, guys!”
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      The likes instantly started mounting, and soon Williams himself dipped into his response to offer his tongue-in-cheek response.
      He wrote: “HAHAHAHA I think I’m going blind.”
      Herrara spent five seasons at Old Trafford, racking up 189 appearances, following his move from Bilbao in 2014.
      But he left the club in 2019 when his contract expired for Paris Saint-Germain before returning to Bilbao on a season-long loan last summer. More

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      Disgraceful scenes as fans hang Vinicius Jr effigy from bridge ahead of Copa del Rey Madrid derby

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      ATLETICO MADRID supporters hung a disgusting effigy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr from a bridge ahead of tonight’s derby.Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti’s sides collide at the Bernabeu with a spot in the Copa del Rey semis at stake.
      Atletico Madrid fans hung an effigy of Vinicius Jr from a bridge ahead of tonight’s derbyCredit: Getty
      And there is little love lost between fans of the Spanish capital heavyweights, with Atleti looking to avenge September’s 2-1 defeat in LaLiga.
      However, some supporters engaged in disgraceful behaviour yesterday by hanging an effigy of Vinicius Jr off a bridge in the city.
      An accompanying banner read: “Madrid hates Real Madrid.”
      And LaLiga chiefs are demanding swift action be taken against those responsible, with Vinicius Jr also racially abused by some Atletico fans during September’s game at the Wanda Metropolitano.
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      A statement read: “LaLiga strongly condemns acts of hatred and intimidation against Vinicius Jr. 
      “LaLiga, as in the past, will press for an investigation into the matter by relevant state security forces and bodies, seeking convictions for those responsible and requesting the most severe sentences.”
      Atletico condemned the “despicable” behaviour, saying: “Acts like this are absolutely repugnant and inadmissible and embarrass society. Our condemnation of any act that attacks the dignity of people or institutions is resounding and unmitigated.
      “The rivalry between both clubs is at the highest level, but so is our respect. No individual, whatever his intentions or his colours, can stain the coexistence between different clubs. It is everyone’s responsibility to avoid it.
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      “We do not know the instigator or instigators of this despicable act, but their anonymity does not avoid their responsibility. We hope that the authorities are able to clarify what happened and that justice helps to banish this type of behaviour.”
      Meanwhile, a Real Madrid statement added: “Real Madrid would like to thank you for the support and expressions of affection received after the regrettable and repugnant act of racism, xenophobia and hatred against our player Vinicius.
      “We would like to express our strongest condemnation of these acts, which are an attack on fundamental rights and the dignity of people, and which have nothing to do with the values that football and sport represent.
      “Attacks such as those suffered by our player, or those suffered by any sportsperson, have no place in a society such as ours.
      “Real Madrid trusts that those who have participated in such a despicable act will be held accountable.”
      Vinicius Jr himself previously called for racist fans to be banned for life, saying in October: “If you hurt other people, you must pay.
      “It’s hard to say that [racism in football] will end with so many people still doing it. But I like to believe that there are more good people than bad.
      “All the racist people must pay in some way, if they like to watch soccer, so those Atletico Madrid fans [who abused me in September’s game] should never be allowed to step foot in a stadium again.
      “That will make them suffer the consequences and reflect about their actions.” More