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    Pep Guardiola’s daughter Maria branded the ‘snow queen’ as she shares stunning pictures from ‘girls’ ski trip’

    PEP GUARDIOLA’S daughter Maria earned the nickname “snow queen” after sharing pictures from her “girls’ ski trip”. Maria is the oldest of Manchester City boss Guardiola’s three children with wife Cristina Serra.
    Maria Guardiola earned the nickname ‘snow queenCredit: Instagram @maria.guardiola
    Maria showed off her ski trip in FranceCredit: Instagram @maria.guardiola
    She hit the Mont Blanc alps for the winter getawayCredit: Instagram @maria.guardiola
    She looks stunning away from the snow tooCredit: Instagram @mariaguardiola
    She has a loyal following on social media, boasting more than 850,000 Instagram followers.
    In her latest string of snaps, she showed off her French skiing trip.
    She captioned the post: “Girls ski trip.”
    And it won the praise of her followers as one replied: “Snow queen.”
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    Another added: “Snow angel.”
    One gushed: “Unreal!!!!”
    Another hailed: “I’m obsessed.”
    Maria swapped the Middle Eastern heat for the Mont Blanc alps having just come back from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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    She posed with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and gave fans a behind-the-scenes look into the F1.
    Now her dad finds himself in the region for the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
    The tournament in Jeddah is running for ten days, through to the final on December 22.
    Guardiola’s City open their campaign against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
    They will then conclude three days later in either the third place match or final.
    Pep Guardiola with daughter Maria after winning the league titleCredit: Getty
    Maria is the oldest of Manchester City boss Guardiola’s three childrenCredit: Instagram @maria.guardiola
    Maria boasts almost 860,000 Instagram followersCredit: Instagram @maria.guardiola More

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    Man City slapped with huge fine over furious stars surrounding ref and Erling Haaland had meltdown in Tottenham clash

    MANCHESTER CITY have been slapped with a fine after they lost their temper during a 3-3 draw with Tottenham. Many of the Treble-winning stars like Erling Haaland surrounded referee Simon Hooper after he blew too early for a foul while Jack Grealish was through on goal.
    Man City have been fined for their players’ behaviourCredit: PA
    Erling Haaland screamed and shouted at ref Simon HooperCredit: Rex
    The Norwegian striker was knocked over on the half way line by Emerson Royal but managed to pick himself up and pass to his team-mate racing towards the net.
    But the official did not play the advantage and instead pulled the game back for a foul, sparking fury amongst the City players.
    Haaland completely lost his rag and sprinted towards Hooper shouting at him.
    At full-time, he then stormed off the pitch and was involved in an altercation with Spurs players.
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    Haaland was seen shouting: “F*** off, f*** off”.
    And his rage didn’t end there as he later tweeted a video of the decision with the caption “WTF”.
    Ruben Dias, Mateo Kovacic and Ederson also all confronted the ref.
    Haaland has escaped any direct punishment for his behaviour.
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    But the same cannot be said for his club with Man City fined £120,000 by the FA.
    A statement read: “Manchester City admitted that they failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper way during the 94th minute.
    “An Independent Regulatory Commission imposed this sanction following a hearing.” More

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    Supercomputer predicts Champions League winners after last 16 draw as holders Man City land dream Copenhagen tie

    MANCHESTER CITY have been backed to retain the Champions League trophy following their dream draw. The English and European champions face Copenhagen while rivals Arsenal play Porto.

    Following the draw, OLBG’s supercomputer ran its algorithm after compiling data from all group stage results.
    And they tip Pep Guardiola’s City with a huge 49 per cent chance of winning it all.
    Bayern Munich – with star striker Harry Kane in fine form – come in at second with just an 18 per cent chance.
    Real Madrid are placed third with 14 per cent while Arsenal are fourth at nine per cent, above even PSG.
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    The Gunners’ current squad will be in unfamiliar territory despite the club’s affinity with the last 16 under Arsene Wenger.
    North London’s Arsenal last competed in the last 16 in 2017 but they have failed to make it beyond that stage since 2010.
    City have made two of the last three finals and are looking to become the first English side since Nottingham Forest in 1979 and 1980 to win the title in back-to-back seasons.
    The last time they failed to progress past the round of 16 was in 2016/17, Guardiola’s first season in charge.
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    Elsewhere, ex-Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham will be returning to Germany to face RB Leipzig with Real Madrid.
    Bayern and Kane will be up against Lazio in their own tie.
    And there is also a tasty tie between last season’s Serie A and La Liga winners in Napoli and Barcelona. More

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    Ex-Man City wonderkid forced to retire aged just 30 with heartbreaking message ‘I never thought I’d be writing’

    EX-MANCHESTER CITY academy star Emyr Huws has retired at the age of 30.The 11-cap Wales midfielder played once for City’s first-team as a substitute for Micah Richards in a 5-0 FA Cup win over Blackburn at the Etihad in January 2014.
    Emyr Huws has announced his retirement from football at the age of 30Credit: Rex
    Huws started his career at Manchester City where he played once for the senior team
    Huws, who scored once for his country against the Netherlands in November 2015, had spells at Ipswich, Cardiff and Colchester but injuries plagued his promising career.
    He also had loan stints at Birmingham, Wigan, Huddersfield and Northampton. 
    Huws posted on Instagram: “Whilst writing this message, I never thought I’d be writing this shortly after my 30th birthday.
    “To those of you that know me, will know that this journey within football has been my life since I was six years old.
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    “The time has now come to enter a new stage in my life, this journey has taught me many extraordinary things.
    “I remember when I was young, the certainty I had that I was going to be a footballer was powerful and with all the obstacles thrown at me, I achieved that dream.
    “God only knows how much support I’ve needed through this journey, and I’m blessed to have had immense support with me all of the way.
    “Even in the bleakest of times with their help and my determination I always found a way and thank all of you.
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    “I’ve come to the realisation through many tough lessons that this path is no longer meant for me, and I am meant for something else.
    “My deepest gratitude to everyone involved in my journey and I thank you all for helping me become the man I am today.
    “My time playing the game is at an end but I am not done yet, my mission is to use all of my experience and wisdom to help inspire and empower as many people as possible.
    “Thank you everyone and I hope you all chase your dreams in this short life.” More

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    Kalvin Phillips ‘opens talks’ over Man City transfer exit as European giants haggle over contract clause

    MANCHESTER CITY are holding talks with Juventus over a potential deal for Kalvin Phillips.Juve are keeping tabs on Phillips ahead of the January transfer window as they look for midfield reinforcement.
    Juventus are holding talks with Manchester City over a deal for Kalvin PhillipsCredit: Getty
    Phillips is open for a move away from Man City in the January transfer windowCredit: AFP
    According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, City and the Bianconeri have already started negotiating a potential deal before the winter market.
    The England international is “open to the move” as he has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad.
    The 28-year-old is looking to boost his chances of an international call-up ahead of the summer’s Euro 2024.
    Juventus are keen to sign Phillips on loan with a buy option clause next month.
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    City, though, want the buy clause to be “mandatory” as talks between the two clubs continue.
    This comes after SunSport revealed the Citizens are looking to shake their midfield up in January by joining the bidding war for Fulham star Joao Palhinha.
    However, the Treble winners are facing competition from Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Liverpool who are also keen on Palhinha.
    City manager Pep Guardiola has also considered Fluminense’s £30m-rated star Andre.
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    Guardiola will get a first-hand look at the Brazil international during the upcoming Club World Cup Championship.
    Phillips was determined to stay and fight for his place at City last summer.
    But the ex-Leeds star hasn’t managed a single start in the Premier League this season. More

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    Kevin De Bruyne’s 70-acre mansion ransacked by burglars as Manchester City star was training in Saudi Arabia

    MANCHESTER City star Kevin De Bruyne’s home in Belgium was reportedly ransacked by robbers during a break-in on Saturday.The footballing ace, his wife Michèle and their three children were not at the property during the burglary at his 70-acre mansion.
    The robbers took various items from De Bruyne’s luxury estateCredit: Sky Sports
    None of the football star’s family were home at the time of the break-in
    Belgian news outlet HLN said that various items had been taken from the secluded property in Bolderberg, but no further details were released.
    The robbers allegedly used a stepladder to reach the first floor and get inside.
    De Bruyne, 32, bought the sprawling estate in 2015, which now has a pool, jacuzzi and basketball court.
    HLN reported that De Bruyne and his family rarely use the property as they spend most of their time at their pad in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
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    The Belgian midfielder had flown to Saudi Arabia with his City teammates ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday evening after a 2-2 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace.
    He missed the match due to a hamstring injury but still departed as part of Pep Guardiola’s 23-man squad to the Middle East.
    The injury required surgery but hopes are growing that the City legend will return to action soon.
    Over the weekend, he said: “It’s going really well. I had surgery – it was a big injury. But we’re getting closer – closer to the new year.”
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    City are gearing up to play Japan’s Urawa Reds in their semi-final clash on Tuesday.
    De Bruyne and his wife, Michèle, 30, have been together since 2014 and tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Italy in 2017.
    In a 2019 interview with The Players’ Tribune, Kevin explained that his wife was the most important person in his life. wife.
    “[She] changed my life in so many ways. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without her,” he said.
    The couple have three young children together – Mason, 7, Rome, 5, and Suri, 3.
    Last year, De Bruyne called Michèle the “best mommy” in a touching Instagram post.
    The 30-year-old stunner doesn’t seem to miss a game and the whole family are frequently snapped on the pitch after City’s big wins.
    After her husband won his fifth Premier League championship, Michèle wrote: “No words”, along with pictures of them embracing on the field.
    The glamorous couple first got together in 2014
    The pair tied the knot in 2017 and now have three kids
    De Bruyne is still out of action with a thigh injuryCredit: Getty More

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    Roberto Mancini refuses to take credit for Man City’s meteoric rise.. and reveals who should take ALL the praise

    THE man who started Manchester City on the glory trail expects that decade to be crowned with the ultimate glory this week.Roberto Mancini will never be forgotten at the Etihad, especially by those fans there to watch Sergio Aguero’s title-winning moment of magic in 2012.
    Roberto Mancini with the FA Cup in 2011Credit: AP:Associated Press
    He lifted the Premier League title a year later in 2012Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    The Italian, 59, is now in charge of the Saudi Arabian national team, with an Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup in his sights.
    But as Pep Guardiola’s City landed in Jeddah as hot favourites to lift the Club World Cup title for the first time in their history, Mancini downplayed his own role in the club’s rise.
    Many argue Mancini laid the foundations without which Pep would not have been able to add the glittering roof and adornments.
    The ex-Italy striker, though, dismissed the idea he was the “father” of the project.
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    Mancini said: “In that time it was very difficult. We won trophies, yes, but I was not the father. The father was the president of this team. I was the manager.
    “I was very happy that it was the first title win for so many years but Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon Al-Mubarak were the most important people there, not me.
    “Of course I remember that day, that match against QPR and everything that happened.
    “I remember looking around near the end when some of the fans were so upset and disappointed that they started to leave with just a minute or so to go.
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    “And then everybody wanted to come back in when it all changed. We deserved to win that title because we played very, very well. We deserved it.”
    Just as City’s owners promised, that title win — following on from the FA Cup final victory over Stoke 12 months earlier — was just the start.
    Mancini added: “I did believe it was the beginning of something.
    “I believed it because Manchester City had so many fantastic people behind the project, people who helped the manager and knew what they would need to do if they wanted to win everything.”
    I was very happy that it was the first title win for so many years but Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon Al-Mubarak were the most important people there, not me.Roberto Mancini
    Erling Haaland’s goalscoring feats have caused defenders across Europe to quake in their boots.
    The Norwegian will be the biggest weapon, with City expected to face Brazilians Fluminense in Friday’s final — although City first have to get past Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds tomorrow.
    Yet Mancini insisted he would not necessarily have swapped Haaland for any of Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli or even Carlos Tevez.
    And he believed the Italian defensive greats he himself played with and against would have found a way to control Haaland.
    He said: “I had fantastic strikers in my time. It was not just Aguero but also Djeko, Balotelli, Tevez.
    “In the last ten years City have made themselves into one of the best teams in Europe because they had very good players, not only the strikers but in midfield and defence as well.
    Mancini is now Saudi Arabia’s head coachCredit: AFP
    “But if you ask how the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini or Pietro Vierchowod would do against Haaland, we are talking about fantastic defenders from my era, about some of the best defenders ever.
    “There aren’t any defenders like them today. These players were so good, so strong, that they could have played in today’s football and still been great.
    “Yes, football has changed a lot from my day as a striker. In that time, you were allowed to be a strong, physical defender, more than in today’s football.
    “But they were also very clever players, not only strong. They could have adapted to how football is now.”
    Nevertheless, Mancini, who believes Saudi football will become a potential powerhouse over the next ten years, is backing City to triumph this week.
    The Italian added: “You have to look at everything about City — the quality, the pace, the power, the tactics. Everything. The whole package makes them the best team.
    “They will be playing in a fantastic stadium with a good pitch and it should be City versus Fluminense in the final — although that is not guaranteed.
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    “They have Pep, who is one of the best managers in the world. He is a very demanding coach but all the best managers are like that — they always want to improve, their team and themselves.
    “And if you have a chance to manage all these players it is very good. You have the chance to win if you have very good players.”
    Mancini eyes crowning gloryROBERTO MANCINI is  desperate to bring success to the Saudi national side — so he can meet the man  making it  possible, writes MARTIN LIPTON.
    Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is a driving force behind the newly energised Saudi Pro League and leads the country’s ambition to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup.
    But despite Mancini’s high-profile recruitment as national team coach, he said: “I’ve not met the Crown Prince yet. Maybe if we win the Asian Cup in Qatar next month he will invite me over?
    “There are 36 million people in Saudi, many of them football fans.“And they are crazy about the game.”
    Around 80 per cent of the population play or follow the beautiful game and youth football funding  is up by 162 per cent since 2021.
    There are now 5,500 registered coaches, of which over 1,000 are women, with the aim to increase that to 8,000 by 2025.
    Ex-Manchester City boss Mancini added: “Saudi is one of the highest-growth-potential countries in world football and will be a very important country for the next few years.
    “That is why we want to work with young players who we can improve a lot in the next three or four years.
    “As a national team we need time because  it’s not easy to win very fast.“But we want to improve. It is very important to world football that we have many countries with a  strong team.”
    Saudi fans in Qatar last winter were left in  disbelief as their heroes kicked off the World Cup by  beating eventual winners Argentina.
    But Mancini said: “What is more important, for any team, is to win a trophy rather than just one game.”
    The mega-money launch of the Saudi Pro League has also reverberated around the globe, with Cristiano  and Karim Benzema among the top stars.
    Mancini, who has City legend Yaya Toure as his assistant coach, said: “Football is one of the most important things in this country and it will grow very, very fast.
    “It’s important   they can sign other players  if we want to develop the game.” More

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    Real Madrid ‘discover Erling Haaland’s transfer release clause’ as club set Kylian Mbappe strict deadline over move

    REAL MADRID are still interested in signing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, according to reports.Los Blancos have been monitoring the Norway international for several years.
    Real Madrid are still interested in signing Erling HaalandCredit: Getty
    Los Blancos have given Kylian Mbappe until mid-January to decide whether or not he wants to joinCredit: Getty
    They attempted to sign him from Borussia Dortmund last summer, but City won the transfer race.
    Haaland enjoyed a record-breaking first season in England, winning the treble with Pep Guardiola’s side.
    He also scored the most goals in a single Premier League campaign, surpassing Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.
    The striker’s incredible form has intensified interest from elsewhere, with Real Madrid now exploring the possibility of a transfer.
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    And according to Spanish outlet AS, the LaLiga giants are already aware of his release clause.
    Haaland allegedly has a £171.6million (€200m) release clause in his contract that will become active next year.
    However, the value of the clause is set to decrease in every transfer window beyond 2024 until his contract expires in 2027.
    Real Madrid are also keeping a close eye on Kylian Mbappe’s current situation at Paris Saint-Germain.
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    Haaland is enjoying another promising campaign with Man City
    Mbappe is currently the top goalscorer in Ligue 1
    Mbappe’s deal expires in June, but he could decide to trigger a one-year extension.
    The Frenchman is yet to make a decision on his future, but AS report that Real Madrid want an answer by January 15.
    Los Blancos will have the chance to open talks with Mbappe next month regarding a potential free transfer.
    Should the forward green-light a move, Real Madrid intend to act quickly by handing his agent a contract proposal.
    The La Liga giants attempted to sign Mbappe in 2022, but he shocked the world by penning a two-year extension with PSG instead.
    He also turned down a world-record offer from Al-Hilal this summer after the Saudi Pro League side had a £259million bid accepted. More