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      Cadiz defender Cala denies calling Valencia’s Mouctar Diakhaby a ‘black s***’ and says he is being ‘publicly lynched’

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      JUAN CALA has denied claims he racially abused Mouctar Diakhaby after a row erupted during Sunday’s LaLiga game between Cadiz and Valencia.The Spaniard, 31, was accused of calling Diakhaby a ‘black s***’ before the Valencia players staged a walk-off.
      Juan Cala has denied claims that he made a racist comment in Cadiz’s game with Valencia
      Mouctar Diakhaby also spoke about the incident on Tuesday
      Los Che later claimed that their players only returned to see out the game after being threatened with a sanction if they abandoned the match.
      And French defender Diakhaby, 24, recommended his team play on having been substituted as he did not want to go back out.
      On Tuesday, Cala held a press conference to strenuously deny the allegations, likening the situation to a ‘public lynching’.
      He told reporters: “I don’t know if Diakhaby made it up, or misinterpreted it.
      “I am in a state of shock. We are playing football without an audience. There are 20-25 cameras, microphones, players, referees… and nobody hears anything.
      “There is no racism in Spanish football. What has been formed is a circus.
      “Since Sunday my lawyer has been collecting the data to start legal action.
      “I have received messages from all over with a lot of support, because I am being lynched right now.
      Diakhaby complained to the referee, who did not hear the alleged commentCredit: EPA
      The Frenchman walked off midway through the first-half of Sunday’s gameCredit: EPA
      “I don’t know what happened to the presumption of innocence. No one deserves this public lynching.
      “I’m looking forward to settling this issue here and starting to prepare for the next game.”
      Ahead of the press conference, Diakhaby provided his own update to thank fans and his club for their support.
      The former Lyon player reiterated his claim that Cala had racially abused him.
      He stated on Twitter: “After two days I am very calm and I want to talk about what happened in Cadiz on Sunday.
      “There is a moment where a player insults me and the words are ‘black s***’.
      “That is intolerable and I cannot allow it, and you have all seen my reaction.
      “My team-mates and I decided to return to the dressing room, which was the right decision.
      Cala has missed a great opportunity to accept his mistake and apologise to Diakhaby.ValenciaClub Statement
      “One of their players asked one of our players that if Cala apologised, would we go back to the pitch? My colleagues and I said no, that you can’t do something and excuse yourself and let it go.
      “I feel good today, but it has hurt a lot. It is life.
      “I hope that LaLiga takes action so that everything is seen and clarified and that’s it. I want to thank Valencia, my team-mates, the coaches, the love and solidarity they have given me and the fans. I want to tell everyone that I’m fine. Thank you so much.”
      Following Cala’s denial, LaLiga side Valencia released a statement criticising his comments.
      It read: “Valencia are deeply saddened by statements made by Cadiz player Juan Cala this Tuesday, in which 48 hours later, he denied racially insulting Mouctar Diakhaby during the LaLiga match played last Sunday at the Ramon de Carranza.
      “Cala has missed a great opportunity to accept his mistake and apologise to the player affected. Instead of doing this, he attacked both Diakhaby and other members of Valencia.
      Valencia has made a show of support for Diakhaby amid the racism rowCredit: AFP

      “Valencia wish to reiterate that we believe our player and back him completely.
      “After the threats made by Cala in his press conference this Tuesday, April 6, the club, president Anil Murthy and Mouctar Diakhaby himself remain firm in the conviction to fight to the end, wherever necessary, on the matter for the good of football and society.
      “Valencia will not stop fighting for an improvement in protocol and in the battle against racism in football.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme vows to replace Zidane with Klopp and re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo

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      REAL MADRID presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has vowed to appoint Jurgen Klopp as the club’s new manager and re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo if he wins the upcoming elections.Long-time president Florentino Perez last week called for an election to be held in a bid to win himself a fifth term in office.
      Enrique Riquelme wants to replace Zinedine Zidane with Jurgen KloppCredit: GETTY
      The 32-year-old also wants to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the BernabeuCredit: AP
      The 74-year-old won the club’s last two elections uncontested, but this time around he’ll face competition from Cox Energy CEO Riquelme.
      And the 32-year-old Riquelme has big plans for Los Blancos if he successfully defeats Perez, which includes axing current manager Zinedine Zidane.
      During an appearance on El Partidazo de COPE, Riquelme said: “Zidane would not be my coach.
      “The Sports Directorate thinks of another profile with another strategy.
      “I personally like Klopp a lot and Raul is doing very well. It would be to value him […].”
      Bringing back Ronaldo, Real’s all-time leading goalscorer, would also be one of Riquelme’s main priorities.
      He said: “I put on the table that we repeat Cristiano, because he has represented a lot for football and for Real Madrid.
      “There are no old or young players, there are good or bad players.”
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      Ronaldo, 36, left Madrid in the summer of 2018 to join Italian champions Juventus but has continuously been linked with a move back to the Spanish capital.
      Riquelme’s audacious plans were revealed before the first leg of the Spanish champion’s Champions League quarter-final tie with Liverpool at the Bernabeu.
      The prospect of managing Real was put to Klopp ahead of tonight’s match, with the German insisting he’d be more than content with his career if he didn’t end up coaching Los Blancos.
      Jurgen Klopp says he’d have no regrets if he ended his career without managing Real MadridCredit: AFP

      The Reds chief said: “If at the end of my career I had only three clubs, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, then that’s not too bad, eh?
      “I would not regret it.
      “You asked if I would regret not managing Real Madrid, that is the question? I don’t think so.
      “But when I came off the plane today, I regret already that we don’t live here, because the weather is so much better here!
      “We were freezing, I have a gilet with me! You are blessed living here. We do it the hard way [in England]!”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Real Madrid star Raphael Varane tests positive for coronavirus hours before Liverpool clash in Champions League

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      RAPHAEL VARANE has tested positive for coronavirus hours before Real Madrid face Liverpool.The Los Blancos players were checked on Tuesday morning ahead of tonight’s clash.
      Raphael Varane will miss the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool with coronavirusCredit: Getty
      And the club confirmed in a statement the result for their Frenchman.
      Varane – a transfer target for Manchester United – was named in Real Madrid’s 21-man matchday squad for the match on Monday afternoon.
      But he will now be forced to sit out of the first-leg quarter-final clash at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
      It also puts his availability to face Barcelona in a crunch El Clasico on Saturday night into major doubt.
      Zinedine Zidane is without both of his first-choice centre-backs against the six-time champions.
      Sergio Ramos was ruled out after picking up a calf injury during the international break.
      That meant he could not continue his rivalry with the Reds and specifically Mo Salah following the 2018 Champions League final.
      Dani Carvajal is also out meaning it is expected to be a back four of Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho and Ferland Mendy.

      Jurgen Klopp has plenty of defensive woes of his own with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip long-term absentees.
      Ben Davies is yet to feature for the club with on-loan Ozan Kabak expected to partner Nat Phillips in defence – although Fabinho could be dropped deeper to fill in.
      Kick-off in Madrid is at 8pm – 9pm local time – with the game live on BT Sport 2.
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      Lionel Messi given framed Barcelona shirt in front of Antonella Roccuzzo and kids after breaking appearance record

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      LIONEL MESSI was handed a framed Barcelona shirt after breaking the club’s appearance record.The Argentine great, 33, received a special gift before Monday’s LaLiga win over Real Valladolid.
      Lionel Messi was presented with a framed shirt after breaking Barcelona’s appearance recordCredit: Twitter @FCBarcelona
      Lionel Messi’s family joined him on the Nou Camp pitch for the special presentationCredit: Reuters
      The Argentine shares a kiss with Antonella RoccuzzoCredit: Rex
      Messi made his 768th appearance in the famous Barca colours – having broken a record set by fellow club legend Xavi before the international break.
      His partner Antonella Roccuzzo and their three sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro joined him on the Nou Camp pitch before kick-off.
      A special message for Messi was displayed on the pitch, too, which read ‘touching the sky’.
      Ousmane Dembele scored an injury-time winner as Barcelona edged past Valladolid 1-0 on Monday night.
      The victory took them within one point of LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid with nine games to play.
      Messi, meanwhile, has scored an incredible 663 goals for the Catalan giants in a glittering career that could be coming to an end.
      He was set to leave the Nou Camp last summer before backing down in his row with the club.
      Messi tried to leave his boyhood side after 16 years at start of the season, but stayed to avoid a drawn out court battle.
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      Ousmane Dembele scored a dramatic late winner against Real ValladolidCredit: Rex
      Barcelona celebrate moving within one point of LaLiga leaders Atletico MadridCredit: Reuters

      Still, former manager Pep Guardiola at Man City and PSG are waiting in the wings for a potential free transfer.
      New club president Joan Laporta has vowed to keep Messi at the club, following the Argentine’s bombshell transfer request last summer.
      The Messi camp know all too well the financial problems the club are in.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      West Ham offered out-of-favour Atletico Madrid winger Vitolo in £8.5m transfer having scouted him before signing Lingard

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      WEST HAM have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid outcast Vitolo as a possible alternative to Jesse Lingard.The Hammers were linked with a move to sign the 31-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, but opted instead to bring in Lingard on loan from Manchester United.
      Atletico Madrid have reportedly offered West Ham the chance to sign Vitolo in the summerCredit: Rex
      But with Lingard shining at the London Stadium, it remains to be seen whether his temporary stay will be turned into a permanent deal.
      SunSport understands that due to Lingard’s surprising resurgence in form, United have doubled his asking price to £40million.
      And should the Hammers be priced out of a move for the England international, they could reignite their interest in Vitolo, according to Fichajes.
      The news outlet states that Atletico have offered David Moyes’ side the chance to sign the Spanish star in the summer.
      It has been claimed that the player could be available for just £8.5m having fallen dramatically down the pecking order under Diego Simeone.
      And they add that a deal could potentially be reached before the end of the campaign should West Ham look to bring him to England.
      Vitolo has featured in just 12 matches in all competitions this term, with the winger making just one LaLiga appearance since December 5.
      But West Ham’s priority is to keep Lingard at the club, and hope he will remain with them should they secure European football.
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      Speaking prior to the clash against Wolves, Moyes declared: “I’m sure at this moment in time we will say yes, we’d love to have Jesse, because of how well he’s doing.
      “But we’ve still got nine games to go to judge and assess Jesse, just like United will have a period to think about do they want to sell or keep him?
      “That would be a decision we would all need to get to but, no, there’s nothing in place at the moment.”
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      Martin Odegaard ‘will consider Liverpool transfer offer’ if Real Madrid cash in with Arsenal loanee ‘tempted by Klopp’

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      MARTIN ODEGAARD would be tempted by a Liverpool move this summer, according to reports.The 22-year-old Norwegian playmaker is on loan at Arsenal from Real Madrid until the summer.
      Jurgen Klopp and Martin Odegaard embrace after Liverpool’s win over ArsenalCredit: Reuters
      The Gunners are still trying to sign him from the LaLiga giants on a permanent deal after his loan ends.
      But reports in Spain say he could be tempted by Jurgen Klopp if an Arsenal move doesn’t materialise.
      AS claim the Norwegian is comfortable in England and would consider a move to Merseyside.
      He has two more years on his Real Madrid contract.
      Fans joked that Klopp was trying to ‘tap up’ Odegaard after Liverpool’s win at the Emirates.
      The Reds smashed Arsenal 3-0 on Saturday and Klopp and Odegaard had a warm embrace on the pitch afterwards.
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      One Gunners fan tweeted: “Klopp tapping Odegaard up at the end lmao could that game get any worse?”
      Another said: “Klopp adding insult to injury by tapping up Odegaard.”

      And another said: “Klopp trying to get Odegaard to Liverpool.”
      One remarked: “As if that humiliation wasn’t enough, Klopp is tapping up Odegaard.
      “No way he goes to Arsenal and Arteta after that.”

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Man City ahead of PSG in Lionel Messi transfer hunt but Argentine could stay at Barcelona if they overhaul squad

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      MANCHESTER CITY are ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in the transfer race to land Lionel Messi, according to reports.But the Argentine great could end up staying put at Barcelona after all.
      Manchester City lead Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign Lionel Messi this summerCredit: Rex
      According to Mundo Deportivo, the competitiveness of the Premier League is thought to be an appealing factor for Messi as he considers his next step.
      Manchester City are on course to win their third title in four years but the strength of the league makes playing in it an exciting prospect.
      PSG, meanwhile, may be struggling to win the Ligue 1 title this year but have won seven of the last eight campaigns.
      The chance to play under Pep Guardiola again would also attract Messi to the Etihad.
      He credits the former Barca and Bayern Munich boss as the best coach he has worked under – alongside Luis Enrique.
      PSG, meanwhile, have a strong Argentine contingent with Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and gaffer Mauricio Pochettino to go alongside superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
      Di Maria is desperate to play with his international team-mate at club level.
      The ex-Manchester United winger told beIN Sports: “From my whole career, from everything I’ve seen, I think Leo is from another planet. To have him as a team-mate would be wonderful.
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      “But he is a Barcelona player, he has a contract. After that, we’ll see.
      “I talk a lot with him and I always tell him that the important thing is his happiness and that of his family. It’s hard to say anything else.”
      Messi sensationally tried to quit Barcelona last summer before a dramatic U-turn agreeing to see out the final year of his contract.
      But in a season that has seen Joan Laporta return as president and with the possibility of a league-cup double still on the cards, there is a chance Messi will remain at the Nou Camp beyond this summer.
      The report adds an overhaul in the Barcelona squad could convince him to sign a new deal.

      Barca are in financial disarray so he would need to take a pay cut in any contract extension.
      But Messi wants to win the Champions League again with his boyhood club – he last did so in 2015.
      Bringing in new recruits to add to the young talents of Frenkie de Jong, Sergino Dest, Pedri and Ansu Fati could bolster the team enough to challenge in Europe again while Messi is still at the peak of his powers.
      The worry for the Argentine is if the club are reliant on waiting for the next generation to progress, it may be too late for the club captain.
      Barcelona are chasing Erling Haaland as their No1 transfer priority – along with some of the other top clubs in Europe.
      David Alaba, Eric Garcia, Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay all continue to be linked with Ronald Koeman’s side as well.
      Pep Guardiola is dreaming of a reunion with his Barcelona star at the Etihad next seasonCredit: EPA

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      Valencia players WALK OFF after Mouctar Diakhaby accuses Cadiz defender Juan Cala of racist abuse

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      THE LaLiga game between Valencia and Cadiz on Sunday was temporarily suspended after racism allegations prompted a walk-off.Mouctar Diakhaby of Valencia was left incensed at the allegedly racist nature of comments made by Juan Cala during the first-half at Estadio Ramon de Carranza.
      Valencia star Mouctar Diakhaby was left incensed after claiming to have been racially abusedCredit: EPA
      The defender and his team-mates walked off the pitch as Cadiz’s game with Valencia was temporarily suspendedCredit: EPA
      Both players were handed yellow cards by the referee as team-mate Gabriel Paulista attempted to calm the angry French defender down.
      But the seriousness of the allegations was evident as Diakhaby, 24, walked off the pitch in disgust.
      Los Che players followed their colleague off before Cadiz players also returned to the dressing rooms and the game was temporarily suspended.
      Valencia delegate David Rangel was seen talking to central defender Cala, 31, as the game was halted for several minutes.
      The Cadiz team began to return to the pitch as the visitors agreed to resume the match, which they claim came after the threat of a punishment.
      Diakhaby did not play on however, and was substituted for centre-back Hugo Guillamon.
      𝗡𝗢 𝗧𝗢 𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗠 ✊🏽✊🏿The team have held a meeting and decided to continue the game, in order to fight for the honour of the club, but denounce racism of any kind.#CádizValencia— Valencia CF 🦇🍊🌊 (@valenciacf_en) April 4, 2021

      Before the second kick-off, with the clock at 29 minutes and the scores tied at 1-1, the team released a statement condemning racism.
      Valencia tweeted: “No to racism.
      “The team have held a meeting and decided to continue the game, in order to fight for the honour of the club, but denounce racism of any kind.”
      Club captain Jose Gaya said after the game, which ended 2-1 to Cadiz, that the team were told to return to the pitch or face forfeiting the result.
      He said: “Diakhaby told us that he was insulted and at Valencia we condemn that.
      “We left the pitch because of that but they told us that we had to go back out, that if we did not they would take three points and maybe more off us.
      Valencia claim they were told to continue or risk a LaLiga sanctionCredit: EPA
      “Diakhaby told us to go back out and that is why we went out. He wanted us to go out, without his permission we would not have done it.
      “He wasn’t ready to play on. He was sunk. It’s a very ugly insult, I’m not going to repeat it.”
      Cadiz boss Alvaro Cervera insisted he ‘believed his player’ after Cala was accused.
      But Valencia coach Javi Gracia criticised the handling of the situation from the LaLiga authorities.

      He stated: “They told us that we could be sanctioned [if refusing to play] and at that moment we spoke with Diakhaby.
      “He said that he did not feel ready to play but that he understood that we had to go out to play to avoid the possible punishment.
      “I want to take this opportunity to say that the referee had no record of what happened, neither he nor his assistants heard what had really happened and, in this situation, they were forced to continue the game.
      “We are very sorry for the situation and we all condemn these incidents.”
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