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      West Ham fans fume at empty seats in Fiorentina end after thousands of Hammers miss out on tickets

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      WEST HAM fans have been left fuming at the empty seats in Fiorentina end for the Europa Conference League final. The Hammers were allocated just over 5,000 match tickets for the game at the Fortuna Arena in Prague, which has a capacity of nearly 20,000.
      West Ham fans have been left fuming at the empty seats in the Conference League finalCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      So when footage emerged of several empty seats in the Fiorentina section fans voiced their outrage online.
      One said: “With the tens of thousands of West Ham fans desperate for a ticket to this game, the amount of empty seats in the Fiorentina end is scandalous.”
      Another added: “Poor turnout out from the Fiorentina fans tonight, far too many empty seats for a European cup final.”
      One raged: “Fiorentina get to a European final after like what? Forever?
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      “And the allocated seats they have for fans isn’t even full, what an absolute shame.”
      One slammed: “Few empty seats in the Fiorentina section.
      “Shame, could’ve given to West Ham fans or put in the general ballot. Another UEFA f*** up.”
      West Ham travel to the Czech Republic in pursuit of their first major trophy in over 50 years.
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      But the tiny seating allocation had even former Hammer Joe Cole hitting out Uefa.
      Cole told the Daily Mail: “I think [Prague] is going to be like East London. I really do.
      “In all my career, with the games I played for West ham, Chelsea and England, I don’t think I’ve ever been more inundated with tickets requests. 
      “I want to help people but there’s only 5,000 [tickets] for West Ham fans which is absurd.
      “You feel for the fans in that, because it’s the biggest game in the club’s recent history and they can’t get there. It’s a real boo boo by UEFA.”
      West Ham went onto win the game 2-1 after Jarod Bowen’s late winner.
      West Ham play Fiorentina in the Conference League finalCredit: AFP More

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      Folarin Balogun ‘set to leave Arsenal this summer’ after stunning 22-goal season in France with Italian giants chasing

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      FOLARIN BALOGUN could exit Arsenal for Inter, AC Milan or West Ham, according to reports.The striker was a 22-goal loan sensation for Ligue 1 club Reims this season.
      Folarin Balogun is set to leave Arsenal permanently this summerCredit: AFP
      And he’s expected to depart the Emirates permanently this summer now that he’s proven himself at a high level.
      The Mail are the latest outlet to link the two Milan giants with the New York born star.
      Balogun, 21, has just chosen to play for the USA despite winning 13 England Under-21 caps.
      And although he outshone big names in France this season, he could be one of up to NINE men exiting Arsenal in the current transfer window.
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      That’s because boss Mikel Arteta is chasing-big-money newcomers.
      Main targets Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo could cost £170million between them.
      And even if Arteta misses out on one or both of them, he will turn his attention to other established midfielders.
      The Spaniard wants a new central defender and full-back.
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      The Gunners were long-term Premier League leaders but William Saliba’s absence from defence with injury cost them dearly.
      That helped Manchester City retain the title and persuaded Arteta he needed to act decisively this summer.
      Balogun will return to the Emirates from his loan behind main frontman Gabriel Jesus and regular back-up Eddie Nketiah.
      But Inter and AC have been impressed with his explosive form in the French top flight.
      Serie A rivals Roma are also said to be monitoring the situation.
      And their interest could rise if they sell England hitman Tammy Abraham. More

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      Fiorentina ace Nicolas Gonzalez pelted with cups ‘thrown from West Ham end’ after claiming he was elbowed by Declan Rice

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      WEST HAM’S historic European final was marred by fan controversy after cups were thrown at a Fiorentina star before the situation later escalated.Nicolas Gonzalez was in a heap on the floor when cups were thrown from the West Ham end towards the star.
      Nicolas Gonzalez had a cup thrown at himCredit: Getty
      The Argentine fell to the floor after an alleged elbow from Declan Rice.
      But while on the deck, BT Sport commentators pointed out that plastic cups appeared to be thrown from the West Ham end.
      It is not clear who threw the cups.
      Later into the first half, missiles were thrown again with an object cutting the head of Fiorentina star Cristiano Biraghi.
      The referee was forced to pause the match due to the shameful scenes.
      Biraghi was treated before the match thankfully resumed.
      Joe Cole, who was on duty for BT Sport, called those who threw objects “morons”.
      There was sickening scenes prior to the game when fans clashed in Prague’s city centre.
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      To get to the final the Irons beat AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals.
      Under David Moyes, West Ham were Europa League semi-finalists last season.
      And after making the final at Eden Arena in Prague, Czechia, West Ham are now eyeing a first European trophy since 1965.
      In anticipation of winning the trophy, Hammers fans have been busy preparing for the trophy parade.
      Plans for an open-top bus parade were revealed, though fans were left saying
      You can keep up with the match in SunSport’s Live Blog HERE. More

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      Man Utd poised to complete first transfer deal of summer with French star ‘opting to join Red Devils’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are close to completing their first signing of the summer transfer window, reports in France say. United are in the market for a centre-back having struggled for cover after Lisandro Martinez suffered an injury.
      Axel Disasi is linked with a move to Man UtdCredit: Getty
      And according to L’Equipe, they are close to signing Monaco’s Axel Disasi, who was also linked with City and Chelsea.
      The two clubs are set to begin talks for a deal between £34million-£43m, which United are believed to be ready to match.
      Disasi has made 129 appearances for Monaco, playing both centrally and at right-back.
      And the French international could seek a move away after Monaco failed to qualify for European football next season.
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      United captain Harry Maguire also faces an uncertain future, having fallen out of favour with manager Erik ten Hag.
      As revealed by SunSport, the centre-back could even be offered to Chelsea as part of a deal to sign contract rebel Mason Mount.
      United are hopeful of securing Mount but they are some distance away from agreeing a fee with Chelsea wanting around £70m.
      New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino tried to sign Maguire when he was at Hull.
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      But the offer from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was not good enough, so the defender signed for Leicester instead.
      Equally, Chelsea do have a number of central defenders, and Kalidou Koulibaly and Trevoh Chalobah would have to be offloaded first.
      United, meanwhile, are desperate to sign Mount and look set to beat Liverpool in the race for the midfielder, whose contract talks with Chelsea stalled.
      Harry Maguire could be included in a deal for Man Utd to sign Mason MountCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd flop ‘accepts it’s time to leave’ after disastrous £35m transfer as Erik ten Hag begins summer rebuild

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      MANCHESTER United flop Donny van de Beek has “accepted it’s time to leave” the club after his disastrous £35million transfer.The Dutch midfielder is expected to be one of several departures from Old Trafford as part of Erik ten Hag’s summer rebuild.
      Erik ten Hag is planning a summer rebuild at Manchester UnitedCredit: PA
      Ten Hag has reportedly made eight players available for transfer to fund any new arrivals.
      The Guardian report that Van de Beek will likely be amongst those departures, with the 26-year-old exploring his options.
      His imminent exit will mark an end to a difficult three-year spell with the Red Devils.
      An underwhelming loan spell with Everton was followed by an injury-ravaged season last term.

      The final nail in the coffin is understood to be United’s plans to strengthen their midfield, as they continue talks for Mason Mount.
      Van de Beek has scored just twice in 60 appearances for United since arriving from Ajax for £35million in 2020.
      His poor form and injuries have seen him fail to play a full 90 minutes for the club since December 2021.
      The midfielder missed 48 matches through injury in the 2022/23 season, with most of those caused by a season-ending knee injury he suffered in January.
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      As far as potential suitors for Van de Beek are concerned, former club Ajax were linked with a move back in April.
      The Dutch giants are keen on a deal, with United placing a £25million price tag on Van de Beek as he enters the final two years of his contract.
      Donny van de Beek is exploring his transfer optionsCredit: Rex More

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      Chelsea’s greatest EVER XI named by artificial intelligence with Premier League flop boss and no-nonsense right back

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      CHELSEA’S greatest EVER starting XI has been revealed by artificial intelligence.The Blues endured their worst-ever Premier League season following Todd Boehly’s takeover, but have a cabinet full of trophies to look back on and remind them of better times.
      AI has named Chelsea’s greatest ever xiCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Including names such as Eden HazardCredit: Getty
      Numerous club legends have emerged from those victories, and now Perplexity AI has named the best of the bunch.
      In goal is Petr Cech, arguably the best goalkeeper the Premier League has ever seen.
      The 41-year-old made 494 appearances for Chelsea, helping to win four Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League.
      The first star in the defence in front of him is Serbian bruiser Branislav Ivanovic.
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      The three-time Premier League winner made 377 appearances for the club, being famed for his no-nonsense approach to defending.
      At the core of the defence, the first is a star who exemplified the art of defending in former captain John Terry.
      After emerging through the Blues youth team, the Englishman enjoyed a trophy-laden 17-year career at Stamford Bridge.
      His successes included five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and lifting the Champions and Europa League across 715 appearances.
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      Partnering him is French World Cup winner Marcel Desailly.
      The former Milan and Marseille star played at Chelsea for six years, appearing in 221 games and winning four trophies.
      Completing the defence is Ashley Cole, who joined from Arsenal in 2006 and went on to make 337 appearances over his eight years at Stamford Bridge.
      In midfield, Claude Makelele partners Frank Lampard for a rekindling of the 2005 team which conceded just 15 goals to see Chelsea lift their first Prem title.
      Lampard was one of the poster boys of the Roman Abramovich era as a player, but did not have a great time as a manager in either of his spells.
      Luckily his legacy as a player remains intact, following 648 appearances for the club and netting a club-record 211 goals, all the while winning 13 trophies.
      Meanwhile, Makelele was with Chelsea for five years, helping the club win back-to-back league titles in 2005 and 2006.
      The xi includes stars such as Gianfranco ZolaCredit: Alamy
      Blues legend Peter Osgood was immortalised in a statue outside of Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      On the wings for this team are Gianfranco Zola and Eden Hazard.
      Between them, the pair played 662 games and netting 188 goals in that time.
      Zola won the club’s Player of the Year award in 1999 and 2003, with Hazard doubling this haul with his four wins in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
      Up front, Didier Drogba is paired with Peter Osgood – the only name from before the Premier League era to make it.
      The former was a final specialist, putting in starring performances to help the club win its first Champions League and a number of FA Cups.
      His 164 goals put him fourth in the club’s all-time scorer rankings.
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      Osgood was a star who came far before his listed team-mates as he played for the Blues throughout the 1960s.
      And his tally of 150 strikes put him joint fifth in the standings. More

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      Sheff Utd release FOUR first-team stars after Premier League promotion including legendary striker

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      SHEFFIELD UNITED have released FOUR first-team players ahead of their return to the Premier League. The Blades finished second in the Championship, ten points behind winners Burnley.
      Sheffield United are back in the Prem next seasonCredit: Getty
      It secured them promotion back to the top-flight after two seasons away.
      But they will come back to the Premier League with some familiar faces absent after a squad clearout.
      Club legend and captain Billy Sharp – who scored 129 goals in red and white – departs after eight years in Sheffield.
      Jack O’Connell, Enda Stevens and Kyron Gordon are also among those to go.
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      Despite the cuts, as revealed by SunSport the Blades are once again looking to sign Nottingham Forest outcast Lewis O’Brien.
      United were keen on landing the midfield dynamo in January’s window but were unable to sign players due to a transfer embargo.
      O’Brien, 24, currently on loan at Wayne Rooney’s DC United in the MLS, is likely to be surplus to requirements again when he returns to Forest in July.
      They would consider a loan or permanent deal — with the only snag being whether to deal with a direct rival.
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      Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom has a reduced transfer budget despite promotion back to the Prem.
      Saudi owner Prince Abdullah is trying to bolster his kitty by getting additional financial backing from allies in the Middle East.
      O’Brien signed for Nottingham Forest in a £10million transfer from Huddersfield last summer.
      The midfielder made 15 appearances during his first five months at the City Ground before falling out of favour with Steve Cooper.
      Sheffield United are interested in signing Lewis O’BrienCredit: Getty More

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      Harry Maguire ‘to earn MORE than Kane next season with huge Man Utd pay rise if he doesn’t agree transfer’

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      HARRY MAGUIRE would land a pay rise topping the wages of Manchester United target Harry Kane if he snubs an Old Trafford exit.Maguire faces a salary cut if the £200,000-a-week England centre-back switches to Tottenham or West Ham.
      Harry Maguire has a decision to make on his future, Erik ten Hag admitsCredit: EPA
      Tottenham main man Harry Kane and Maguire both earn around £200k a week but the Man Utd defender would get a pay rise if he doesn’t move onCredit: Getty
      But if he stays at United, ESPN claim his pay will rise due to qualifying for the Champions League.
      Spurs main man Kane also picks up around £200k – but that could soar to £300k if he joins the Red Devils.
      Old Trafford chief Erik ten Hag admits Maguire has a “decision” to make after the 30-year-old started just eight Premier League games this season.
      Ten Hag accepts no player “would be happy with the situation”.

      Maguire’s United deal runs until 2025 with the option for an extra year and he’s previously pledged to fight for his place.
      But the Red Devils are closing on another world-class central defender in Napoli’s Kim Min-jae.
      New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is tipped to bid for Maguire.
      And West Ham have been linked with the former Leicester hero since the January transfer window.
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      Maguire’s apparent reluctance to move might be weakened by England boss Gareth Southgate admitting lack of game-time would be a problem.
      Southgate labelled it as “not a situation that can continue for ever”.
      Meanwhile, Kane remains the dream recruit up front for Ten Hag.
      Other strike options include Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, pacy Atalanta ace Rasmus Hojlund and Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos. More