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      Samir Nasri claims Deschamps ‘took the p***’ and ‘screwed’ up his dream after axe from the 2014 France World Cup squad

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      FORMER Premier League star Samir Nasri has opened up about his infamous row with France manager Didier Deschamps in 2014. The fallout stems from then-Manchester City star Nasri being left out of the French squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
      Samir Nasri and Didier Deschamps fell out after the midfielder was left out of the France squad for the 2014 World CupCredit: AFP
      Nasri and Deschamps are no longer on speaking terms following their fall outCredit: https://twitter.com/ZackNaniProd/status/1645499587413647384?cxt=HHwWsIC9nYLK_tUtAAAA
      Nasri had played a key role for City that year as they won the Premier League and League Cup.
      And the former midfielder admits he “blew a fuse” after his omission from the squad.
      He subsequently retired from international football at the age of 27 and took public a swipe at Deschamps.
      At the time Nasri said: “Let’s be honest, as long as he is going to be the manager I don’t think I have a shot.” 
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      Having retired from football in September 2021 the former Arsenal man, 35, has revisited his fallout with Deschamps.
      Speaking on the Zack en Roue Libre show Nasri said that Deschamps was “taking the p***” by not picking him for the squad.
      He said: “He screwed up my dream. Playing a World Cup in the country of football [Brazil] was my thing. I had a crazy good season.
      “I thought I was going to Brazil to destroy the World Cup. I believed it. We [Manchester City] were crowned [Premier League] champions and I scored in the League Cup final.
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      “When you see the names of the players called up, I blew a fuse. I thought he is taking the p*** with me.”
      Nasri revealed that he and Deschamps are still not on speaking terms.
      And he refused to talk to his former manager even when they were both eating in the same restaurant in Dubai.
      Nasri added: “I can only wish him the best, but I don’t care.
      “He’s not my friend and I won’t say hi to him because I don’t like him as a person.”
      France got knocked out in the quarter final by hosts Brazil before going on to win the 2018 edition in Russia under Deschamps guidance. More

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      Man Utd training ground chaos as ten emergency vehicles rush to Carrington after 999 call

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      SEVERAL emergency vehicles were called to Manchester United’s training ground after a car rolled down a bank.A silver car was seen on the “edge of a cliff” which prompted panic at Carrington.
      The incident happened outside the Man United training ground where Sky Sports News’ Ben Ransom provided a live updateCredit: Sky Sports via Twitter
      This was the scene outside Carrington as a car hung precariously off a road

      Up to 10 emergency vehicles were reported at Carrington.
      Thankfully nobody was believed to have been hurt in the incident, according to Sky Sports News.
      A reporter from the channel was live from the scene giving the latest on Man United following an update on Marcus Rashford’s injury.
      But he had to explain the chaos unfolding behind him with a fire engine visible in the TV shot.
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      Reporter Ben Ransom said: “I’ve got to show you the entrance to Carrington where we’ll be talking to Erik ten Hag this lunchtime.
      “The scene here is chaos, you will have noticed the fire engine over my shoulder here and that’s because if you swing around, a car has ended up in a ditch here.
      “We’ve got quite a substantial response, I think I’ve counted five police cars, an ambulance and four fire engines.
      “I think the call initially went into the police was that there was a car teetering on the edge of a cliff.
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      “There are no cliffs here, that was the old training ground, this is Carrington so mercifully everyone is okay.”
      The reporter added that the entrance to the ground was closed, creating potential disruption for arriving players.
      Erik ten Hag managed to host his press conference on time despite the issues outside.
      Carrington has been United’s training ground since 2000.
      Sir Alex Ferguson ordered the development of the new training ground after judging the previous facility, The Cliff, to be outdated.
      Carrington has been United’s training ground since 2000Credit: Getty More

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      Marcus Rashford hands Man Utd huge injury blow as club confirm he will miss number of vital games

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has been ruled out of Manchester United’s Europa League clash with Sevilla. The news comes after Rashford picked up a muscle injury in the 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
      Marcus Rashford picked up an injury against EvertonCredit: Rex
      Rashford is set to miss a number of vital games for Man UtdCredit: EPA
      The Englishman is set to “be unavailable for a few games” following the clash on Thursday.
      With Rashford the club’s top goalscorer on 28 goals this season it will comes as a huge blow in the season run-in.
      The club’s next highest goalscorer is Bruno Fernandes with just ten.
      United remain competitive on three fronts, with Rashford firing the way for them in Europe, the FA Cup and their Premier League top four push.
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      However, Rashford’s injury is not believed to be season ending.
      A statement on Man Utd’s website said Rashford “is expected to be back for the season run-in.”
      Erik ten Hag has been bolstered by the recent returns of crocked stars Anthony Martial and Christian Eriksen.
      Meanwhile, Casemiro will also return from his domestic suspension in the comings games after serving his four-game ban.
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      Rashford’s injury means he has joined exciting winger Alejandro Garnacho in the treatment room.
      Ten Hag hinted in March Garnacho may return before the end of the season.

      This could see United handed a double injury boost as the season draws to a close.
      United’s next five fixtures will see them play Sevilla twice, Brighton in the semi-final of the FA Cup as well as Nottingham Forest and top four rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.
      A match against Chelsea is awaiting confirmation on time and date due to United’s progression in the FA Cup. More

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      A midfielder who gets clean sheet points? John Stones is a Dream Team cheat code right now

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      PEP GUARDIOLA has an abundance of talent at his disposal but nobody could accuse Manchester City’s mastermind of shirking his duties from a tactical standpoint.Whereas plenty of managers would have been reluctant to change anything about a set-up that puts trophies in the cabinet, the 52-year-old Spaniard is forever adapting his approach.
      This season, City have often shaped up in a 3-2-4-1 (or 3-2-3-2) formation with a defender joining Rodri (£3.8m) at the base of midfield to provide build-up play.
      The man occupying this hybrid role currently is John Stones (£5.5m).
      Stones excelled against Bayern Munich
      As a natural ball-playing centre-back, the England international has the necessary technical attributes required to play further up field and of course his tackling, tracking and aerial prowess adds plenty of steel to the midfield.
      Stones fulfilled the role superbly once again on Tuesday night as City sent out a message to all their Champions League rivals with a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Etihad in their quarter-final first leg.
      It’s one thing filling in for a Premier League game in which City will dominate weaker opposition for the game’s duration but another thing entirely to excel against the likes of Jamal Musiala, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich.
      Dream Team gaffers would have already considered Stones as a viable option but his reformed role has made him particularly appealing.
      Right now, the 28-year-old is essentially a midfielder who also gets clean sheet points – a Dream Team trick of sorts.
      And because he’s occupying more advanced positions, he’s more likely to register goal contributions, as he did against the German giants when his header back across goal was slotted home by Erling Haaland (£9.3m).
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      Granted, direct goal involvements are still relatively rare but the mere acts of creating chances and getting shots off will also boost his match ratings (most of the time).
      The hybrid role has suited Stones so farCredit: GETTY
      Since returning to the team, Stones has produced 25 points at an average of 6.25 per Game Week – he currently appears in just 1.7% of teams.
      More generally, it feels like a great time to back City defenders – Tuesday night’s game was just the second time Bayern have failed to score this season.
      Ruben Dias (£6.4m) has been excellent of late, as has Nathan Ake (£4.6m), while Manuel Akanji (£4.4m) continues to rack up minutes on the pitch.
      City host struggling Leicester this weekend before the second leg against Bayern next Wednesday – a favourable FA Cup semi-final draw against Championship side Sheffield United also looks ripe for healthy returns. More

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      I’m an ex-Premier League star who used to let Neil Warnock cut my toenails – I was his favourite and he took care of me

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      DARREN AMBROSE has revealed that he used to let Neil Warnock cut his TOENAILS while at Crystal Palace.The former Eagles star says he was the manager’s favourite player while they were both at the club.
      Darren Ambrose says Neil Warnock is one of his favourite managersCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      The boss would trim his toenails while at Crystal PalaceCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
      And that meant Ambrose, now 39, would get some special treatment compared to the other players in the squad.
      But he was not ashamed to be in Warnock’s good books as he enjoyed the perks of the role.
      He told talkSPORT: “Neil Warnock is absolutely brilliant.
      “He is my favourite manager alongside Sir Bobby Robson.
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      “He is tremendous, I had done well for him and if you did he would repay you in terms of love.
      “He was a chiropodist and he used to do my feet, he would not let anyone else trim my toenails and stuff, he would do it.
      “He would have his little glasses and white coat and a bag of nail tools and he would do my feet.
      “If it was raining, he would pull me out of training so the rest would get wet and I would be under the umbrella.
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      “We would get a bargain bucket, but they would make whoever was getting it to get me hot wings, me and him were the only ones that would have hot wings.”
      The retired midfielder played 110 league matches for Palace between 2009 and 2012, scoring 29 times.
      He had one full season with Warnock as manager at Selhurst Park, until he was sacked in 2010.
      The veteran manager, 74, took charge of struggling Huddersfield in February.
      And he lifted them out of the Championship relegation zone following a 3-2 win at Watford.
      This was then followed by a draw with Blackburn leaving the club in 19th place. More

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      Frank Lampard breaks silence on James Corden’s role in his sensational return as Chelsea manager

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      CHELSEA boss Frank Lampard has broken his silence on James Corden’s shock role in his return to the club.The 44-year-old was appointed interim manager until the end of the season after the sacking of Graham Potter.
      Frank Lampard has shockingly returned to Chelsea as interim managerCredit: Getty
      James Corden played a part in his return to the clubCredit: Getty
      Blues owner Todd Boehly is close friends with Corden.
      And SunSport exclusively revealed that the comedian and TV presenter suggested the idea of bringing Lampard back on a short-term deal.
      Lampard has now broken his silence on the news when speaking to the media ahead of his team’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid tonight.
      He was asked if the Spanish side are in a “League Of Their Own”, a play on words based on the show Corden hosts.
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      Lampard did not deny that the West Ham fan had an impact on his return.
      He said: “Wow. I saw the headline of James Corden and I am absolutely unaware of if it’s true or not.
      “It’s obviously a great headline to put together casually from the outside.
      “When I look at the success of Todd Boehly and the owners of Chelsea I think you have to respect that success, and respect the idea that they’ll make decisions based on more than a conversation with one person.”
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      Lampard’s second stint in West London got off to a poor start, losing to Wolves 1-0 on Saturday in a defeat that leaves them languishing in 11th in the table.
      However, European success remains a possibility and the caretaker boss was asked if he could pull off a similar triumph to that of interim gaffer Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 when he guided Chelsea to Champions League success.
      Lampard played down the comparisons, saying: “There are parallels in a simple sense.
      “We are ex-players, but the year Robbie was here he was assistant, he had a big awareness of the squad and got the job earlier in the year than I did.
      “He did an amazing job. I think my situation is different in practice. I do have an awareness of the squad but not at close-hand to all of them.
      “I think I have to be careful making that parallel because we have very tough games in front of us.
      “There’s a lot of work to be done but we are very committed to making our own bit of history.”
      Todd Boehly consulted James Corden on appointing Frank LampardCredit: AP More

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      Bayern Munich fans call on Glazers to leave Man Utd as they hold up banner at Man City clash

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      BAYERN MUNICH supporters have called for “all autocrats” to leave football. It came as fans in attendance of the clash against Manchester City unveiled a banner calling for the owners of both Manchester United and City to leave the clubs.
      Bayern Munich fans put up a banner calling on the Glazers and Sheikh Mansour to leave their clubsCredit: Getty
      The sale process of Man Utd has reportedly entered a third stageCredit: AFP
      Midway through the second-half, the Bayern fans revealed the banner which read: “Glazers, Sheikh Mansour, all autocrats out! Football belongs to the people.”
      However, a large section of City fans responded to it by chanting the name of Sheikh Mansour.
      The owners of cross-town rivals United are looking to sell the club after 18 years of ownership which has seen continued protests against them.
      The talks to take over the Red Devils have reportedly entered a third round of discussions, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatar Sheikh Jassim Bin Al Thani still in the running.
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      However, the Glazers are said to be holding out for a staggering fee of £6billion, while the highest bid so far has only reached £5bn.
      Such a takeover would be unthinkable in Germany due to the 50+1 fan ownership model operated in the country.
      It ensures fans have the power to make major decisions on their club’s future.
      Amid the protests, Bayern were thrashed 3-0 by Pep Guardiola’s City as individual errors summarised a below-par showing from the German champions.
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      A stunning goal from Rodri was followed up by second half goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland, putting the hosts in control of the tie before the second leg at the Allianz Arena.
      Bayern had sacked ex-boss Julian Nagelsmann and appointed Thomas Tuchel in order to keep their treble hopes alive.
      However, since the move they have been knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Freiburg and are now set for European elimination. More

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      Man Utd fans claim Upamecano would be benched for Phil Jones as they celebrate missing out on transfer after horror show

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans claim even Phil Jones would keep Dayot Upamecano off the bench as their former transfer had an Etihad nightmare.Upamecano blundered for City’s second goal in their 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Bayern Munich.
      Dayot Upamecano reflects on his and Bayern’s woe after Man City triumphed 3-0Credit: AFP
      Jack Grealish robbed Upamecano, leading to Bernardo Silva making it 2-0Credit: Alamy
      The France centre-back has previously been linked to United, Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Real Madrid last year.
      But Old Trafford supporters celebrated missing out on him after Bayern’s bashing, insisting he wouldn’t even make United’s match-day squad.
      One called the 24-year-old’s display “disaster class” and another reckoned the ex-RB Leipzig star would “never start” if he joined the Red Devils.
      But this suggestion was the most damning: “Upamecano would be holding the bench for Phil Jones if they played together for a Championship club.
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      “Guy fumbles under pressure. I swear his mistakes would be scrutinised so much more by pundits, media, & fans if he was English.”
      And as City outclassed the German champions, one fan argued: “He is made for the Bundesliga only.”
      Ex-England centre-back Jones, 31, has been a bit-part player for the Red Devils in recent seasons, with injuries heightening some harsh criticism.
      But there’s little even the best defender in the world could have done about City’s opener, a sublime curler from Rodri on 27 minutes.
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      Then came possibly Upamecano’s worst moment.
      He was dispossessed by Jack Grealish, leading to Erling Haaland crossing for Bernardo Silva to nod Pep Guardiola’s men 2-0 up.
      Haaland was again too sharp for Bayern soon after, nipping in to complete the romp.
      The supreme finisher now has 45 goals across all competitions – the most ever by a Premier League player in a season.
      And he’s set to smash all sorts of Champions League figures too, having already netted 34 goals in 24 games in Europe’s top club competition. More