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      I snubbed Real Madrid because of their bizarre contract clauses that banned me from going paragliding

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      ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI came close to joining Real Madrid in 2013 – until they slapped a ban on him going paragliding.At the time, the Polish strike sensation was running down his Borussia Dortmund contract.
      Robert Lewandowski, now at Barcelona, had an offer to join Real Madrid in 2013Credit: Getty
      But he would have been banned from various activities – including skiiingCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      Having proved himself as one of the top marksmen in world football, the fact he was going to be available on a free transfer meant there was a fight on for his signature.
      And incredible leaked documents reveal the specific offer Real Madrid put to Lewandowski.
      He was offered around £166,000-a-week to go to the Bernabeu – as well as a hefty £10million signing-on fee.
      However, the offer came with some eye-catching clauses.
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      Should he have joined Real Madrid, Lewandowski would have been banned contractually from skiing, paragliding, climbing, going on a motorboat or even riding a motorbike.
      It’s not totally clear how much those clauses swayed Lewandowski’s decision, but he ultimately ended up signing for Bayern Munich instead.
      Real Madrid’s failure to sign the Champions League winner came back to bite them.
      Over the next eight years, the ripped superstar would score a whopping 344 goals in 375 games for the German giants.
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      And to rub salt into the wounds, he then went on to join their bitter rivals Barcelona last summer.
      Despite now being 34-years-old, his goal scoring exploits have shown no signs of slowing down with 27 goals to his name already this season.
      He went on to join Bayern Munich insteadCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk More

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      Arsenal line up Mikel Arteta replacement as Gunners fear boss could be poached by Real Madrid when season ends

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      ARSENAL could target Brighton chief Roberto De Zerbi if Real Madrid poach Mikel Arteta this summer.The table-topping Gunners reportedly fear Real will pursue Arteta as Barcelona romp towards LaLiga glory.
      Brighton chief Roberto De Zerbi is understood to be on the radar of Prem rivals Arsenal plus Serie A giants Inter MilanCredit: Getty
      Mikel Arteta’s assault on the Prem title is said to have alerted Real MadridCredit: Rex
      Inter Milan are also said to be keen on Italian De Zerbi.
      The ex-Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk manager, 43, has guided the Seagulls to sixth place during his first season in English football.
      Turin-based outlet Tuttosport claim De Zerbi is Arsenal’s preferred option should they lose Arteta.
      The Spaniard has taken the Gunners eight points clear in the Prem as they chase their first title since 2004, although champions Manchester City have a game in hand.
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      De Zerbi would be an intriguing choice after such limited experience in England
      And many fans might point to Graham Potter’s failure after swapping Brighton for Chelsea.
      But the way De Zerbi has seemingly improved the Seagulls since Potter’s exit has attracted many admirers across Europe.
      And Inter might well have a vacancy this summer.
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      Boss Simone Inzaghi is under pressure after slipping to fourth in Serie A.
      But Inter are level at 1-1 going into the home leg of their Italian Cup semi-final with Juventus.
      And more importantly they are in the Champions League quarter-finals, meeting Benfica this month. More

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      Vinicius Jr fires savage insult at ex-Man City ace Ferran Torres during Real Madrid’s 4-0 El Clasico win vs Barcelona

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      VINICIUS JR aimed a brutal putdown towards Ferran Torres as Real Madrid humiliated Barcelona on their own turf.Los Blancos advanced to the Copa del Rey final after battering their rivals 4-0 at the Nou Camp.
      Vinicius Jr fired a brutal putdown towards Ferran Torres after a clash in Wednesday night’s El ClasicoCredit: Getty
      Vinicius and Torres squared up to each other after a coming together in the gameCredit: Alamy
      The match got a little heated and one man at the heart of it all was Vinicius Jr.
      The Brazilian winger, 23, had already been booked – but that didn’t stop him from getting into a handful of scuffles late in the game.
      Vinicius clashed with Ronald Araujo late on, as well as ex-Manchester City forward Torres.
      His Real Madrid team-mates desperately intervened to prevent him from being sent-off.
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      And he escaped punishment for a vicious dig at Torres.
      After a coming together, Mundo Deportivo claim Vinicius said: “Shut up, you’re terrible.”
      After the game, Barcelona ace Araujo hit out at Vinicius’ antics throughout the heated second leg.
      Araujo said: “He is a great player, but my head got a little hot tonight because he kept telling our players this and that throughout the match.”
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      But Vinicius refused to enjoy his side’s victory quietly.
      The Brazilian star posted a series of pictures of Los Blancos’ celebrations.
      He captioned his post: ““Comeback & Final = REAL MADRID”.
      Manchester United whiz Alejandro Garnacho replied to the post to further rile up Barcelona fans.
      The Madrid-born winger wrote “normal” in a clear dig at the Nou Camp side.
      Meanwhile, Real Madrid celebrated wildly in the dressing room after the game.
      And the biggest cheer of the night came after Carlo Ancelotti announced they were getting the day off thanks to their massive win. More

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      Inside Real Madrid’s incredible dressing room celebrations after Barcelona win as players go wild after earning day off

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      REAL MADRID celebrated their drubbing of Barcelona with wild celebrations in the dressing room.A Karim Benzema hat-trick inspired the Spanish giants to a 4-0 victory over their El Clasico rivals in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
      Real Madrid players celebrated their victory over BarcelonaCredit: Instagram/@realmadrid
      The 4-0 win put them in a jubilant moodCredit: Instagram/@realmadrid
      A number of stars danced in the dressing roomCredit: Twitter/@realmadrid
      With Carlo Ancelotti also giving the players a day offCredit: Twitter/@realmadrid
      They celebrated by chanting ‘so Madrid wins’Credit: Twitter/@realmadrid
      While music was played later onCredit: Twitter/@realmadrid

      And picture emerging from the dressing room after the game has revealed jubilant scenes from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
      A video on Madrid’s official Twitter page saw Luka Modric mobbed before the whole squad began chanting.
      The chant then evolved into the players singing: “So, so, so Madrid wins!”
      Members of the squad could then be seen dancing to music, with Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Carlos Vinicius the ring leaders of the troupe.
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      Another video shows Ancelotti reward his players with a day off.
      The 63-year-old can be seen smirking as he tells them the news.
      He says: “Listen now, tomorrow is a day off,” with the players then jumping up and hugging one another.
      Ex-Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos joined in with the trolling towards Barcelona as he said: “the new era,” as he boarded the team bus.
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      The result has seen Madrid set up a clash with shock finalist Osasuna.
      While Madrid will be looking to win the trophy for a 20th time, it is just the second time the Pamplona side have reached the final in their history. More

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      Inter Miami ‘set to offer Lionel Messi part-ownership stake in club to snub Barcelona and complete shock free transfer’

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      INTER MIAMI are reportedly set to offer Lionel Messi a stake in the club to try and lure him from Paris Saint-Germain.The Argentine is out of contract in the summer and his future at the club is in doubt.
      Inter Miami are trying to persuade Lionel Messi to join the clubCredit: Getty
      He has several options to choose from but is believed to be keen on playing one more season in Europe.
      But David Beckham’s Inter Miami want to convince Messi to play in MLS and are prepared to offer him an equity stake in the club, according to The Independent.
      The club has spoken to Messi and his representatives about a possible move over the last few months.
      His father Jorge has also spoken to MLS about a potential switch and their plan to make him a key a figure for the league.
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      But Messi, who already has a dream £7m apartment in Miami, could snub their advances as he reportedly wants to stay in Europe for another year.
      He has the option of triggering a one-year extension at PSG but wants reassurances about the direction the club is heading in, including who the manager will be next season.
      Barcelona is another option for Messi, who wants one more crack at winning the Champions League.
      They could make the superstar their highest-paid player alongside Robert Lewandowski, with vice president Rafa Yuste claiming contact has already been made with Messi’s representatives.
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      He said: “We’ve been in contact with Leo Messi’s camp. Leo knows how much we appreciate him and I’d love for him to come back.
      “For sure Messi loves Barça and the city, so we hope to find the right conditions to continue his history here.”
      His return would be hugely popular amongst Barca fans, who chanted Messi’s name in the tenth minute of their clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday. More

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      Barcelona 0 Real Madrid 4 (1-4 agg): Benzema scores hat-trick as Ancelotti’s men run riot to reach Copa del Rey final

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      KARIM Benzema struck a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed arch-rivals and league leaders Barcelona 4-0 to reach the Copa del Rey final in stunning fashion on Wednesday.Barca, who were looking for a fourth successive Clasico victory this season, looked set for the final having edged a 1-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final in Madrid last month.
      Karim Benzema bagged a hat-trick at the Nou CampCredit: Getty
      Vinicius Junior also got on the scoresheet for Real MadridCredit: Getty
      But after dominating the early stages of the second leg they fell apart in unlikely fashion to lose 4-1 on aggregate.
      It came after the Barcelona faithful were heard chanting Lionel Messi’s name in the 10th minute amid speculation over his potential return.
      Vinicius Jr gave Real the lead in first-half stoppage time following a lightning counter-attack.
      And the semi-final was turned on its head when Benzema stroked a shot into the corner five minutes into the second half from a Luka Modric pass.
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      Vinicius was booked after reacting to a bad challenge on himCredit: Getty
      He squared up to Barcelona midfielder GaviCredit: Getty
      Eight minutes later Vinicius was fouled in the area and Benzema thumped his penalty past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
      With jeers echoing around the Nou Camp, Barcelona tried to respond but it was Real Madrid who looked the more likely to add to their tally with Benzema unstoppable.
      In the 80th minute he was again set up by Vinicius to complete his second hat-trick in a matter of days.
      The Frenchman also hit a treble in the 6-0 destruction of Real Valladolid on Sunday.
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      The pair came to blows but only received cautionsCredit: Getty
      Xavi was booked for remonstrating with the refereeCredit: AFP
      The game then became fiery as it drew to a close as Barcelona began to target Vinicius, chopping him down on several occasions.
      It came after Barca boss Xavi had been booked earlier in the game for remonstrating with the referee.
      And the toxic atmosphere saw the Barca fans jeer their own players as they trudged off the pitch at the end of the game.
      Real will fancy their chances of winning the trophy for a 20th time when they face Osasuna.
      Osasuna reached the final after they beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 on aggregate on Tuesday.
      Real Madrid still have the opportunity to win two trophies this season as they are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League where they will face Chelsea.
      But Barcelona look nailed on for the league as they hold a 12-point lead over Real with just 11 games remaining.
      Karim Benzema has now scored 25 goals this seasonCredit: EPA More

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      Barcelona fans all chant Lionel Messi’s name just days after he is BOOED by PSG supporters amid transfer interest

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      BARCELONA fans chanted Lionel Messi’s name in the 10th minute of their El Clasico clash with Real Madrid.Messi, 35, is being heavily linked with a return to the Spanish giants in the summer as his Paris Saint-Germain future remains up in the air.
      Lionel Messi is being linked with a return to Barcelona this summerCredit: Rex
      The Barcelona fans chanted Messi’s name during Wednesday night’s El ClasicoCredit: Reuters
      It was reported last week that Barcelona have “made contact” with Messi in a bid to bring the club legend home.
      And fans of the club made their feelings known at the Nou Camp on Wednesday evening.
      They could be heard singing “Messi, Messi,” in the 10th minute of their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against fierce rivals Real Madrid.
      Messi, who scored 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, wore the No10 shirt for 13 years until he left in emotional circumstances in 2021.
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      And the adulation he received from the supporters was in stark contrast to the treatment he received from the PSG faithful on Sunday.
      Messi’s name was jeered by his own fans before their clash with Lyon.
      Christophe Galtier’s side then went on to lose the game 1-0 as their lead at the top of Ligue 1 was cut to six points over the weekend.
      Messi has contributed 18 goals and 17 assists in 33 appearances for PSG this season.
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      But he looks increasingly likely to exit the club at the end of the season after two years in the French capital.
      Messi is out of contract in the summer as Barca prepare to try and pounce to secure his return.
      Barca vice president Rafa Yuste said: “We’ve been in contact with Leo Messi’s camp.
      “Leo knows how much we appreciate him and I’d love for him to come back.
      “For sure Messi loves Barca and the city, so we hope to find the right conditions to continue his history here.”
      But Messi has also been the subject of a ridiculous £350million-a-year deal from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal. More

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      I played with Lionel Messi at Barcelona but I was more stunned by phenomenal team-mate with ‘brutal talent’

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      YAYA TOURE has singled out Andres Iniesta over Lionel Messi and David Silva as the “brutal talent” he learned most from.The former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder believes the intelligence and concentration of “phenomenal” Iniesta made him unique.
      Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta were part of arguably Barcelona’s greatest generation, winning the Champions League four timesCredit: EPA
      Yaya Toure feels lucky to have played with geniuses like David Silva at Man City, plus of course Messi, Iniesta and Xavi at the Nou CampCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Fellow legend Toure, 39, won LaLiga twice and the Champions League in Spain before three Premier League crowns in eight years at the Etihad.
      World Cup-winning Spaniards Iniesta and Xavi formed an iconic tiki-taka partnership for club and country.
      And for Ivory Coast hero Toure, now a Tottenham academy coach, stylish midfielders were seemingly a larger influence on him than Messi in attack.
      Asked by Marca which player impacted on him most at Barca, he replied:  “Iniesta has been a phenomenon. 
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      “Training with him every day was tremendous luck because I learned a lot. 
      “He was a different player physically, with a brutal talent. 
      “How he thought about the game and the intelligence that he had was something that caught my attention and that in football is very important. 
      “He feels the game and knows how to read it perfectly. He did not lose balls in training and neither in games. 
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      “He had his own way of concentrating. I have always learned a lot from that player and from Xavi.”
      But Toure believes City had their own version of Barca’s three geniuses.
      He said: “I have been with Xavi and Iniesta at Barcelona, ​​but Silva (now at Real Sociedad) was and is terrific. 
      “He is an incredibly talented player. Being able to play for so long with him has been great. 
      “Then there were other stars, like Messi, but they were later and it’s different. Silva has been a differential footballer who sees football like few others.”
      Toure tips seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, 36, whose PSG contract runs out this summer, to return to Barca.
      He said of the 2022 World Cup winner: “I only see Messi finishing his career in Barcelona.” More