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      Terry Venables death updates — Lineker, Shearer & England pay tributes as legend dies aged 80 after long illness

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      TRIBUTES have flooded in following the death of English football icon Terry Venables aged 80.Venables had a long and successful career in European football both as a player and coach, managing England, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur during his time in the game.
      As a coach Venables would begin an era of success for Barcelona, where he earned the nickname ‘El Tel’, winning La Liga and the European Cup, while as manager of Spurs, he would win the FA Cup in 1990.
      Speaking about Venables’ time as England coach, current Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate, said: “Terry opened my eyes to things that no one else has. He has fantastic tactical awareness. Every senior player in the group went away having learnt a lot from him, which is an achievement.”
      In a statement, Terry’s family said: “We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness. We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives.”
      Read our live blog below for the latest news and updates…
      Venables – ‘A great football man’
      Mark Crossley has hailed Terry Venables and said that Brian Clough is waiting for him in heaven.

      Inside Venables’ former hotel
      Terry Venables once owned a hidden Spanish hotel – complete with a lawn doubling as a football pitch.
      “El Tel” fell in love with Spain after taking the helm at Barcelona in 1984.
      Venables and his wife Yvette returned to Spain after he retired from football management.
      The couple opened La Escondida hotel and restaurant in Penaguila near Alicante in 2014.
      Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      United pays tribute to Venables

      Carragher spots Pep picture
      Jamie Carragher has spotted a picture of a young Pep Guardiola looking at Terry Venables.
      The snap was taken after Venables led Barcelona to victory over IFK Goteborg in the semi-final of the 1985/86 European Cup.
      The now Manchester City manager was only 15 years old at the time.

      Terry and Yvette
      Here are some more snaps of Terry and Yvette.
      Credit: Getty
      Credit: PA:Press Association

      Venables leaves behind wife
      Terry Venables has left behind his wife Yvette after a 32-year-long marriage.
      Venables met his wife Yvette in his father’s pub in Chingford, Essex in 1984.
      She accompanied the footballing icon to Barcelona when he was appointed as their manager, with the couple marrying in 1991.

      Stevens ‘learned so much’ from Venables
      Former Tottenham star Gary Stevens has admitted that he learned so much from Terry Venables despite being let go from the club by the manager.
      He also revealed that Venables helped him gain his Uefa pro licence a few years later.

      Foxes send condolences
      Leicester City have posted their tribute to Terry Venables on social media.

      Bruno takes to social media
      Boxing legend Frank Bruno has recalled a story of being called “big man” by Terry Venables in his tribute.

      Gazza’s ostrich story with Venables
      Paul Gascoigne was once able to get out of a telling-off from Terry Venables thanks to an Ostrich in a Tottenham shirt.
      Paul Stewart recalled the story after Steve Sedgley, nicknamed “long neck”, joined the club.
      In an extract with The Chronicle, he said: “One day, whilst Venners was taking training, all the players were on the pitch in a circle around the halfway line. Gazza was late.
      As always, the boss was asking me where he was, like I was his minder. Just as I was about to make an excuse, Gazza turned up with someone alongside him, carrying a brown sack. The sack was moving as if something was in it.
      “And just as Venners was about to rollick Gazza for being late, the bag opened and an ostrich ran out wearing a Spurs shirt. There was a number seven and Sedgley written on the back. The lads just fell about laughing.
      “Everyone, the kids, the training staff, the apprentices, stood open-mouthed or in hysterics. Venables’ face was a picture. The bird went running off in a panic and he had some job getting it back.
      “I am not too sure what the animal rights people would say if they knew that Gazza had a bird from the local zoo dressed in a Spurs shirt loose on the training ground. He claimed that he had ‘borrowed’ it from Broxbourne Zoo. We were never able to verify if that was the case.”
      Credit: PA
      Palace release statement
      Crystal Palace have released a statement on the passing of Terry Venables.
      Crystal Palace are mourning the loss of influential former midfielder and manager Terry Venables, who has passed away at the age of 80.
      A statement released from the Venables family confirmed he passed away on Saturday after a long illness.
      Hailing from east London, Venables signed for Palace from Tottenham in 1974, playing 16 games for the club before being handed a coaching role by Malcolm Allison. Palace subsequently reached the 1976 FA Cup semi-finals and, that summer, Venables rose in rank to become manager.
      In 1976/77, Palace gained promotion from the third to the second division, a major accomplishment considering Venables’ short tenure.
      Furthering his success, Palace won promotion to the top-flight as Second Division champions in 1978/79, as Venables built the youthful, exciting team hailed the Eagles’ ‘Team of the Eighties’ – one of the most exciting epochs in the club’s rich history.
      In Venables’ first season as a top-flight manager, Palace topped the English football pyramid for the first and only time in September 1979. They ended the 1979/80 season in 13th place, at the time the club’s highest-ever league finish.
      Following spells with Queens Park Rangers, Barcelona, Tottenham, England and Australia, Venables returned to Palace for a brief second spell as manager in summer 1998.
      The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Terry’s family at this time.Crystal PalaceClub statement
      More players pay tribute

      Venables ‘great man’
      Former England and Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman has paid tribute to Terry Venables in which he has hailed him as a “great man”.

      Wolves join tributes
      Wolverhampton Wanderers have joined the host of Premier League clubs that have paid tribute to Terry Venables.

      Spurs clap for Venables
      Terry Venables won the FA Cup as a player and a manager of Tottenham.
      Here are some more images of how he has been remembered ahead of the Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.
      Credit: Reuters
      Credit: PA
      Venables remembered at Tottenham
      Terry Venables’ image was displayed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the clash against Aston Villa.
      Players also paid tribute before the game by wearing black armbands.
      There has also been a minutes appulse for the footballing icon.
      Credit: Reuters
      Credit: Getty
      Kammy left ‘gutted’
      Chris Kamara has said he is “gutted” following the news of Terry Venables’ death.

      Southgate shares heartwarming tribute for Venables
      England manager Gareth Southgate has shared a heartwarming tribute for Terry Venables.
      Venables managed England between 1994 and 1996.
      Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager
      He was open minded, forward thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history.
      A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.Gareth Southgate

      FA Cup statement
      Terry Venables won the FA Cup as a player and as a manager.
      Both achievements came while he was at Tottenham.

      More from Neville
      Gary Neville has spoken on more on the passing of Terry Venables.
      He said on Sky Sports: “One of my great disappointments was that he was unable to continue after Euro 96. That was a great sad thing.
      “He was onto something special with talents like Gascoigne and Ince.
      “I had never played under a coach like Terry Venables, he would almost predict the outcome of games.
      “I think I have no doubts that he was the most technically gifted cosh that England have ever produced.
      “I think he will be remembered as an England man.”
      Credit: Sky Sports More

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      Fans left stunned after Lewandowski slammed to floor by ex-Newcastle star.. but referee and VAR fails to award penalty

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      FOOTBALL fans were left astonished after Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was thrown to the floor by a Rayo Vallecano defender… but did NOT get a penalty.The LaLiga champions were held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday as they slipped to fourth place in the table.
      Robert Lewandowski, right, did not get a penalty for the clear foul by Florian Lejeune, leftCredit: Rex

      Lejeune grabbed hold of Lewandowski in the box
      The defender then hauled the Barcelona striker to the ground
      Lewandowski did not earn a penalty for the incident
      But Xavi’s men will feel aggrieved they were not awarded a spot kick for a bizarre incident involving Lewandowski, 35.
      With the ball nowhere near the Polish forward, Vallecano defender Florian Lejeune, 32, decided to aggressively slam Lewandowski to the floor.
      Yet despite the former Newcastle man’s moment of madness, he was not penalised for the offence.
      Both the referee and VAR did not award a penalty as Vallecano went unpunished.
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      Reacting to the incident, one person said: “These people are in wrestling in the UFC, where is the f**king VAR?
      Another added: “He HURLED him to the ground.”
      While a third replied: “Lejeune to Lewandowski is really nothing? It’s just incredible.”
      However, there was some form of justice later in the game as Lejeune – who played 46 games for Newcastle between 2017 and 2021 – turned a Barcelona cross into his own net.
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      Lejeune later scored an own goal to hand Barcelona a pointCredit: Rex

      The goal came eight minutes from the end as Vallecano’s defence was finally breached by one of their own players.
      After the game, Xavi took aim at the officials for a separate incident, claiming Raphinha had been been brought down in the box in the second half.
      He said: “Then I’m told I’m looking for excuses, but the foul on Raphinha is a clear penalty.
      “It happened to us in Getafe, in Granada and today.
      “We lost because we weren’t good in the first half, and that’s no excuse, but it’s a clear penalty.”
      Lejeune spent four years at Newcastle before he left in 2021Credit: Getty More

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      Jude Bellingham to bag multi-million pound deal with fashion giants who only work with sport stars like Messi & Ronaldo

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM is reportedly set to land a “a multi-million-pound endorsement deal with Louis Vuitton” after his incredible start at Real Madrid.The French fashion giants have previously worked with superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of last year’s World Cup.
      Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is wanted by fashion giants Louis VuittonCredit: Reuters
      And they also ran a campaign ahead of the 2010 tournament fellow greats Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane.
      Now the Daily Mail says that they are targeting 20-year-old England midfielder Bellingham.
      The former Birmingham City ace “has a keen interest in fashion” and was spotted in a Louis Vuitton suit at the Ballon d’Or awards in Paris last month.
      He has so far not penned any personal endorsement contracts aside from his package with Adidas – although he appeared in a photoshoot for Gucci as part of their collaboration with the German sportswear company during his time with Borussia Dortmund.
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      The Italian company also reportedly wants to work with Bellingham again.
      They have already secured his England colleague Jack Grealish on a package worth over £1million.
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      The potential endorsement deal with Louis Vuitton will be the latest chapter in the starlet’s rise onto the world stage.
      He has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances so far for Real Madrid since his summer arrival from Dortmund.
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      And his form led to him being named LaLiga’s player of the month in both August and October.
      Bellingham then collected the Kopa Trophy for most talented player under 21 at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony and then got the 2023 Golden Boy award.  More

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      Barcelona legend Dani Alves faces nine years in jail after being accused of rape

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      PROSECUTORS will accuse footballer Dani Alves of rape and demand he spends nine years in jail, paying his victim £130,000, court papers have revealed.The married 40-year-old former Brazil and Barcelona defender has been held in custody without bail since his arrest in January.
      Dani Alves faces nine years in jail after being accused of rapeCredit: Getty
      Claims against him had been referred to as a “sexual assault” until the seven-page pre-trial indictment was released in Spain yesterday.
      The dad-of-two has previously confirmed he had sex with a woman in a private toilet at a ­Barcelona nightclub last December, but insisted it was consensual.
      She said he refused to let her leave the cubicle and slapped her face.
      He has publicly apologised to his wife, model Joana Sanz, for cheating on her.
      Read More on Football
      A trial date is still to be set.
      In an exclusive interview from his prison cell he claimed: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.
      “I have already done that here in prison, but I have to do it publicly.
      “Because the story is public, the offence I caused her is public and she deserves that public apology.”
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      Last December in Qatar he became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup. More

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      Real Madrid’s staggering transfer budget revealed as all signs point to Galactico arriving with Erling Haaland linked

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      REAL MADRID look set to move for both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe as their whopping transfer budget has been revealed.Real look ready to usher in another Galactico era following Jude Bellingham’s record £115million move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
      Real Madrid have the money to sign Manchester City star Erling HaalandCredit: Alamy
      Real could also sign Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian MbappeCredit: AFP
      And according to AS, Los Blancos are now looking to add Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe as well as Manchester City’s Haaland starting this coming summer.
      The Spanish giants also have the funds to pull off such a sensational double swoop in the near future.
      The Madrid outfit has £111million (€128m) in cash and £230m (€265m) in unused loans granted to attract both star forwards.
      And Real’s imminent move to the new Santiago Bernabeu, which is expected to take place next year around spring, “ensures” a set of “flashy signings” for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
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      The LaLiga team has been keeping tabs on Mbappe for a long time and almost signed him last year until he had a last-minute change of heart and opted to extend at PSG.
      However, the France international’s contract runs out in June after he opted against triggering a player clause that would have seen his deal run until 2025.

      But recent reports suggested Real’s interest has cooled due to the 24-year-old’s enormous salary demands.
      Thus, Ancelotti’s team has turned its focus on Haaland who continues to dominate the goalscoring charts in the Premier League with 17 goals and four assists in 18 appearances already under his name.
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      Speculation mounted after the Norway international’s agent Rafaela Pimenta was spotted at the Bernabeu to watch the Champions League match against Braga earlier this month.
      However, Pimenta insisted after the game there were no talks regarding the 23-year-old.
      Reports also suggested there haven’t been any meetings between the two sides yet and negotiations are reserved for the summer. More

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      Barcelona ‘to raid Premier League after Gavi ruled out for season with Liverpool and Spurs stars on their radar’

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      PREMIER LEAGUE giants are on red alert with Barcelona ready to make a move to replace Gavi, according to reports.Barca lost their star midfielder after he tore his ACL in Spain’s 3-1 victory over Georgia on Sunday.
      Gavi tore his ACL on international duty for SpainCredit: Rex
      Thiago Alcantara may be in line for a return to BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      The 19-year-old will be out for between seven and nine months, with further tests set to confirm the true extent of his lay-off.
      Barcelona know that Gavi’s injury could jeopardise their attempt to defend their La Liga title.
      And the Spanish giants are looking to bring in reinforcements in January.
      And according to the Daily Mail, Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcántara is on their radar.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      Going into November’s international break, Thiago has not played a competitive match all season, last appearing for Liverpool in April. 
      Liverpool may not oppose the transfer as Thiago is out of contract at the end of the season.
      But Xavi’s side may want to act on the side of caution, as Thiago himself has frequently suffered injuries of his own.
      Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso has also emerged as an early contender to arrive on loan at the start of the new year.
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      Giovani Lo Celso is said to be admired by Barca boss XaviCredit: Getty
      He is out of favour under Ange Postecoglou and has La Liga experience having played for Villarreal.
      Xavi has shown interest in the World Cup winner before and would be in favour of him arriving to take the strain off of a stretched midfield.
      Barcelona are said to be “furious” as they don’t understand why Gavi featured in their final game when Spain had already qualified.
      He also played 90-minutes in Spain’s 3-1 victory over Cyprus.
      The Catalan giants could be compensated by Fifa as part of their protection programme.
      Barcelona will be awarded £17,500 a day for up to a year, based on the player’s salary.
      Frenkie de Jong has been injured since the end of September and is back in training but not match fit.
      While fellow wonderkid Pedri has only recently returned following a two month hiatus with a hamstring injury.
      Ilkay Gundogan has had to play deeper as a consequence and has not been able to show his Manchester City form.  More

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      Shock Premier League manager ‘approached for Real Madrid job with Carlo Ancelotti to leave this summer’

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      ROBERTO DE ZERBI has reportedly been approached to takeover as Real Madrid manager.Los Blancos are on the hunt for a new manager with Carlo Ancelotti set to leave after this season.
      Carlo Ancelotti is set to leave Real Madrid this summerCredit: Alamy
      Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly been approached as his replacementCredit: Reuters
      Ancelotti, 64, has already agreed to take over as manager of the Brazil national team next year.
      The Italian will leave the LaLiga club for South America once his contract expires at the end of the season.
      That leaves Los Blancos with the task of replacing the club’s two-time Champions League winner.
      And Spanish outlet Sport claims that Brighton boss De Zerbi has been contacted about the soon-to-be-vacant job.
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      It is said the Italian manager is a “goal” of club president Florentino Perez.
      The 44-year-old has been a great success since he landed the job at the Amex last season.
      De Zerbi took over from Graham Potter who had left the club for his ill-fated spell at Chelsea.
      And the former Shakhtar Donetsk boss immediately led the Seagulls to Europa League qualification for the first time in their history.
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      It is claimed his work with Brighton’s young talents is one reason he has caught the eye.
      And De Zerbi would inherit a young crop of stars such as Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Arda Guler, De Zerbi if he got the job.
      Brighton demanded a record fee from Chelsea when letting Potter leave and it is likely they will be tough negotiators when it comes to De Zerbi.
      The Italian’s contract in Sussex runs until 2026 and the club are already keen on offering him improved terms.
      Meanwhile, Los Blancos have also been linked to former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso as a potential replacement for Ancelotti.
      The Spaniard is currently impressing in charge of Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen. More

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      Barcelona identify Tottenham midfielder as transfer replacement for Gavi after season-ending injury

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      BARCELONA are eyeing Tottenham ace Giovani Lo Celso as Gavi’s replacement ahead of the January transfer window, reports suggest.Barca lost their star midfielder for the rest of the season after he suffered a heavy knee injury while on international duty with Spain.
      Barcelona are eyeing Tottenham ace Giovani Lo Celso to replace GaviCredit: Alamy
      Barcelona ace Gavi has been sidelined for the rest of the season due to a knee injuryCredit: Rex
      And the Catalans are now rigorously searching for the right person to fill in for the 19-year-old wonderkid, who will be out for nine months.
      According to the Standard, Barca are keeping tabs on Lo Celso ahead of the winter market.
      However, Spurs are not keen to sell the midfielder, even though he has dramatically fallen down the pecking order with only three substitute appearances in the Premier League this season.
      That is due to a recent injury crisis that has hit Ange Postecoglou’s side.
      Read More on Football
      Lo Celso is expected to return to Postecoglou’s starting line-up on a regular basis until at least January following James Maddison’s ankle injury.
      Maddison is expected to be sidelined until the New Year and thus Tottenham will reject any approaches for the Argentine.
      The 27-year-old is expected to get even more opportunities after the England international returns.
      That is because Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will be away on international duty for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.
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      Bissouma will be playing for Mali while Sarr will be representing Senegal from January 13 with the competition coming to a close on February 11.
      Barcelona have been keeping tabs on Lo Celso since the summer and faced competition from Atletico Madrid as well as his former club Real Betis.
      The Spanish champions’ manager Xavi is thought to be a major admirer of the Tottenham ace.
      However, the Argentine is expected to stay in North London until June and could return to action on Sunday against Aston Villa with Bissouma suspended. More