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    Former LaLiga star accepts six-year prison sentence after confessing to leading drug trafficking ring

    A former LaLiga footballer has accepted a six-year prison sentence after confessing to leading a drug trafficking ring.Sergio Contreras, better known as Koke, agreed to a plea bargain deal at a court in Malaga after being warned state prosecutors were seeking to have him imprisoned for 16 years ahead of his trial.
    Sergio Contreras played for the likes of Marseille, Malaga and Sporting LisbonCredit: AFP
    He has accepted a six-year prison sentenceCredit: AFP
    The ex-striker, whose clubs included Malaga, Marseille and Sporting Lisbon, was one of 17 defendants accused of buying large amounts of drugs that were smuggled in lorries into different European countries.
    Koke had been described in a pre-trial indictment as the gang leader.
    The drugs were mainly marijuana and cannabis resin, but also included cocaine.
    The gang Koke has now admitted he led was raided in November 2019 following a police operation codenamed Operation Vinculada that involved wiretaps and undercover follows.
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    One of the drug runs linked to the ex-footballer’s gang, consisting of vacuum-packed marijuana and cocaine hidden inside a cargo of garlic, was valued at £350,000.
    All 16 of the defendants who showed up for a trial at Malaga’s Provincial Court on March 27, which ended up being suspended following a no-show by a 17th female defendant police are still hunting, admitted their guilt at a brief hearing on Tuesday.
    As part of the plea bargain deals they struck following a subsequent period of negotiation between state prosecutors and their defence lawyers, they have agreed to accept prison sentences of between two and six years reflecting their different responsibilities in the gang.
    Jail sentences for first-time offenders in Spain normally end up being suspended.
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    Koke, 40, started his footballing career at hometown club Malaga.
    He went on to join Marseille before being loaned to Sporting Lisbon.
    He produced the best football of his career in years at Greek side Aris, where the first of his two spells there included a brief cameo in a 2011 3-0 Europa League defeat to Manchester City.
    The forward retired from football in 2016. More

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    Jake Paul calls for ‘homie’ Nate Diaz to be released from prison after brawl with Logan lookalike

    JAKE PAUL called for Nate Diaz to be freed by police after the former UFC star handed himself into custody.A warrant for the MMA superstar’s arrest was issued on Monday after footage of him being involved in a mass brawl in New Orleans last Friday went viral.
    Nate Diaz handed himself into police after a warrant for his arrest was issued on MondayCredit: AP
    New Orleans police wanted Diaz in custody over his involvement in a mass brawl last FridayCredit: INSTAGRAM@BAMBAJUICE
    Upcoming opponent Jake Paul was quick to react to the news of Diaz’s arrestCredit: INSTAGRAM@JAKEPAUL
    Diaz, 38, was rushed upon by Logan-Paul-lookalike Rodney Petersen following a Misfits Boxing event and proceeded to choke him UNCONSCIOUS – an act his team claims was “self-defense”.
    After getting wind of the warrant for his arrest, Diaz decided to cooperate with the New Orleans Police Department and turned himself
    And that prompted Paul to take to social media and urge NOPD to release his upcoming opponent.
    Paul posted a snap of the news with prayer and crying-face emojis to his Instagram story and wrote: “Free big bro @natediaz209.”
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    He then posted a snap of himself with a tear emoji and the accompanying caption: “They locked my homie up @natediaz209.”
    Paul didn’t have to wait long for Diaz to be released by the NOPD.
    The Stockton slugger was released from custody a mere four hours after turning himself in.
    Agent Zach Rosenfield issued a statement shortly after news of Diaz handing himself into custody broke.
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    It read: “Nate voluntarily turned himself into the New Orleans Police Department this morning approximately at 7:10 AM CT.
    “We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense.”
    Diaz has yet to break his silence on his involvement in the brawl, which Petersen was happy to comment on on social media.
    The professional MMA fighter and BJJ competitor said: ” “So I don’t know what the hell I did to Nate Diaz.
    Jake Paul and Nate Diaz will throw down in a boxing match on August 5Credit: MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS
    “But I’ll telling you what, I’m going to knock him the f*** out when I know he’s coming.
    “You caught me off guard, dude. Did you think I was Logan? What the f***?”
    Diaz is set to throw down with YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in a lucrative showdown in Dallas on August 5.
    The fight will be his first since he left the UFC last September following a submission victory over Tony Ferguson. More

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    Star who scored Sevilla winner at Old Trafford handed six-month prison sentence ahead of Man Utd Europa League clash

    WISSAM BEN YEDDER has been sentenced to six months in prison in Spain.But according to AS, former Sevilla star Ben Yedder, who currently plays for Monaco, will not serve any jail time.
    Ex-Sevilla star Wissam Ben Yedder has been handed a six-month prison sentenceCredit: PA:Empics Sport
    Wissam Ben Yedder eliminated Manchester United during his time at SevillaCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
    The striker was penalised for a crime against the Public Treasury and was also ordered to pay a fine of €133,798 (£117,519).
    The sentence was suspended for two years and includes the condition of “the defendant not committing a crime again during the period of suspension”.
    So it is highly-likely Ben Yedder will not spend any time behind bars.
    The charges relate to the France international’s three-year spell at Sevilla until his departure in 2019.
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    The 32-year-old scored 70 goals and bagged 22 assists in 138 appearances during his time in Seville.
    Ben Yedder is widely remembered for knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League in 2018.
    Sevilla and United met in the Round of 16 and the Frenchman fired his team to the quarter-finals thanks to a brace that led to a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.
    The Red Devils and the LaLiga giants are now set to face off again this Thursday in the Europa League quarter-finals.
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    But of course Ben Yedder won’t play any part as he is now competing in his home country for Monaco.
    The centre-forward has so far amassed 96 goals and 30 assists in 161 games with the Ligue 1 giants.
    United face Sevilla at Old Trafford in their first-leg and will visit Spain next week.
    The winner of that tie will go on to face either Juventus or Sporting Lisbon, who knocked Arsenal out, in the semi-finals. More

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    I was one of the UK’s most feared football hooligans… but now I’m a movie producer and worked with an Oscar winner

    A FORMER football hooligan has revealed his radical life change from prison time to movie production and working with an Oscar winner.Cass Pennant, 65, ran one of the most feared firms in the country before a spell in prison prompted him to turn his life around.
    Cass Pennant co-founded and led the Inter City Firm, which terrorised West Ham matches across two decadesCredit: Getty
    He has turned his life around, after a couple of spells in jail, to become a film producer who has worked with an Oscar winnerCredit: Getty
    Cass, born Carol Pennant in Doncaster, Yorkshire, endured a tough childhood after being abandoned by his parents and fostered by a couple in London.
    He has said that he was “bullied from day one” as he was the only black kid in his area, forcing him to grow up tough.
    The 6ft 4in man mountain, whose nickname was inspired by Muhammad Ali’s real name Cassius Clay, co-founded the Inter City Firm (ICF), the hooligan group associated with West Ham United throughout the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
    His love for the club was sparked as a youngster when a neighbour with a season ticket invited him to a game.
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    The gang terrorised Upton Park across two decades, being involved in countless battles with other major firms.
    As dramatised in the 2007 film Rise of the Footsoldier, the ICF were known to leave calling cards on their victims’ battered bodies reading: “Congratulations, you have just met the ICF”.
    Cass went through two stints in jail, both for hooliganism-related offences, and was even shot three times amid a feud with a rival gang.
    It was during his time inside that he decided to get his life back on the rails, and he retired from terrace violence in 2002 and penned an autobiography.
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    At the very start of the book he wrote: “I’ve been involved in more violence than most people will experience in a hundred lifetimes.
    “My favourite weapons were my fists, the axe and Uncle Stan – my trusty Stanley knife.”
    This prompted a series of books documenting life as a hardcore hooligan, as well as an appearance on Danny Dyer’s Bravo doc Real Football Factories.
    The 2008 film ‘Cass’ told the story of his life, and even saw future Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya play a teenage Cass, while the man himself made a cameo as a bouncer.
    Cass has since gone on to work in the film industry as a producer and actor, as well as visiting schools and prisons to help prevent young people getting involved in violent crime.
    In 2015, he told The Evening Standard: “Everyone has more than one path in their life.
    “I am proof that you can turn your life around.
    “I never preach or tell people not to do certain things – it doesn’t work. I just tell them my story and how I tried to make sense of my life through writing books in prison and how that then led to where I am now. I want to open doors for them and open their eyes.”
    Cass has previously cited lifelong Hammers fan and British film star Ray Winstone as a major influence on him.
    He told Hammers News: “One of the most famous actors I can think of that’s a true Hammer is Ray Winstone. Like most of us, I’m a big fan of all his work and always thought he would have been a great fit for the Cass film.”
    The pair even met several times to discuss a role for Winstone, but his other acting commitments meant he wasn’t able to join the cast.
    Cass added: “He was only interested in helping a fellow Hammer who was now making headlines for all the right reasons.
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    “His advice was extremely helpful as I made the transition from the book to the film industry – thanks Raymondo!”
    The former hooligan is also longtime friends with boxer Frank Bruno after both being involved in a brawl against a pair of skinheads by chance.
    The ICF were known for their clashes with rival fans at Upton ParkCredit: Handout More

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    Dani Alves ‘caught signing Brazil shirt behind bars in exchange for cigarettes’ after arrest for ‘nightclub rape’

    DANI Alves has been caught signing Brazilian football shirts behind bars in exchange for cigarettes, it was alleged.The Brazilian ace has been been in prison since January 20 after he was accused of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub last year.
    Dani Alves is reported to be involved in a cigarette sale scheme in prison
    He is being held in Brians 2 Prison in Catalonia, Spain, after being accused of rapeCredit: Solarpix
    The 39-year-old has now spent more than two months in custody at Brians 2 prison, Spain, where he has struggled in the confines.
    According to Spanish publication El Caso, Alves was involved in a cigarette sale scheme at the penal institution.
    The news agency alleged football shirts were smuggled into the prison by families of the detainees, which were then autographed by the “famous” inmates.
    The signed jerseys are subsequently returned to the original owners in exchange for various products, including cigarettes.
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    A prison official claimed large amounts of Barcelona shirts had arrived into the penitentiary, it was reported.
    Alves has kept a low profile since being behind bars and has even played friendly football matches with inmates.
    However, if the claims of the cigarette scandal were found to be true it could further complicate the footie star’s future.
    According to Brazilian news agency Metropoles, if Alves was proven to benefit from the scheme he could face new accusations from the Spanish court.
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    The new allegations come as the Brazilian defender was locked up in January by a judge investigating claims of an assault at Barcelona’s swanky Sutton venue in the early hours of December 31.
    He initially denied any contact with his accuser, but is said to have changed his story and claimed they had consensual sex.
    He denies wrongdoing.
    The star’s new lawyer reportedly told a Spanish TV journalist his initial version of events was to “protect his wife” and cover up his “infidelity”.
    Top attorney Cristobal Martell – who also represented Lionel Messi in his tax fraud case – filed an appeal against the decision to remand him in custody.
    Alves promised not to leave Spain and to stay 500 metres away from his accuser’s home and work, legal papers show.
    He also offered to report to police daily and wear a tracking device 24 hours a day if he is let out of jail.
    Previously the judge had deemed ex-Barcelona FC star Alves a flight risk.
    And new details of the ruling were revealed by the newspaper El Periodico.
    Magistrate Anna Marín decided there was case to answer after questioning the accuser and suspect at Barcelona’s court number 15 on January 20, it reported.
    According to the paper, she said “there are much more than enough indications” to consider that there was a rape “and that the suspect was the perpetrator of it”.
    The magistrate also stressed the investigation is ongoing and nothing is proved, the paper reported.
    Mr Martell, Alves’ lawyer, slammed the magistrate in his 24-page submission.
    He claimed the investigation by the Mossos d’Esquadra police was “biased” and criticised Judge Marín for accepting it in an “uncritical and careless way”.
    The lawyer also claims CCTV from the club’s VIP room contradicts the alleged victim’s account.
    He said it shows the woman and her friends were in “festive” mood and not “intimidated” and she claimed.
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    The footage allegedly shows Alves leading the woman to the toilets where they spent 16 minutes out of view – not 47 seconds as previously reported on Spanish TV.
    If it goes to trial, Alves could wait more than a year for the case to be heard.
    Alves has reportedly made his prison football debut at Brians 2 PrisonCredit: Solarpix
    Alves is accused of raping a woman at Barcelona’s Sutton nightclub More

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    Goalie, 38, who ordered vile murder of his mistress gets signed by new football club

    A GOALKEEPER who was convicted for his part in a sick plot to murder his mistress has been signed by a new football club.Brazilian goalie Bruno Fernandes de Souza, 38, was sentenced to 22 years behind bars after he confessed to ordering the killing of his girlfriend whose body was cut up and fed to a pack of Rottweilers.
    Bruno Fernandes De Souza has been signed by a new football teamCredit: Newsflash
    Brazilian model Eliza Samudio was brutally murdered in June 2010Credit: AFP – Getty
    Bruno was sentenced to 22 years behind barsCredit: Getty – Contributor
    The former actress had been tortured and strangled by a gang
    Actress and model Eliza Samudio, 25, was kidnapped and murdered by a gang in June 2010.
    She was tortured and beaten before being strangled and killed.
    Bruno Fernandes – who had an affair with Eliza and a son, followed by a paternity and child support lawsuit – later confessed to organising the sick plot.
    He was sentenced to 22 years in jail in March 2013 after a court found him guilty of ordering the model’s murder.
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    In January this year, a court granted parole to Bruno, under the condition he presents himself at the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro every three months.
    And earlier this week, Orion Futebol Clube announced it snapped the footballer who was previously in Atletico Mineiro, Corinthians, and Flamengo.
    The club, which will compete in the Super Copa Pioneer this year, wrote: “Backup for the position, welcome!”
    Orion is the seventh team to have signed Bruno since 2017, when he was granted habeas corpus before being ordered to return to jail three months later.
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    Bruno’s last team was Atletico Carioca in Sao Goncalo, Rio de Janeiro State.
    Despite being married with two daughters, the footballer would often attend marathon 24-hour sex parties- in one of which he met Eliza in May 2009.
    They started a relationship but three months later Eliza became pregnant.
    During her pregnancy she went to the police, claiming she had been kidnapped by two of Bruno’s friends who forced her to take an illegal drug that would induce miscarriage.
    The drug did not work and in ­February 2010 she gave birth to Bruninho — which translates as “Little Bruno”.
    After the baby’s birth, she was lured into a car on the promise that Bruno would give her an apartment and all the maintenance pay she wanted but she was driven with her baby to Bruno’s house instead.
    Bruno turned himself to the police in June 2010Credit: Getty – Contributor
    Eliza had a baby boy from her affair with BrunoCredit: AFP – Getty
    There she was strapped to a chair and beaten for six days by a gang that included Bruno’s wife, another ­former lover, his teenage cousin and a former police officer, Marcos Santos.
    Eliza was tortured as loud music was blasting before she was eventually strangled in front of her son.
    Her disappearance sparked a massive police investigation but the truth came to light when one of Bruno’s co-conspirators-his teenage cousin- confessed everything. 
    Although he initially denied any involvement, Bruno finally broke down in court and confessed to his part in the plot.
    He claimed he had not made the order to kill Eliza but had “accepted” it and knew she had been killed.
    He was sentenced to 22 years in prison after the judge said he had “meticulously calculated” the execution.
    His closed prison sentence was converted to a semi-open prison sentence in July 2019.
    In a semi-open prison regime, prisoners are allowed to work outside the prison during the day, but they must return to the prison each night.
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    However, inadequate facilities at Varginha Prison meant that officials had allowed him to sleep at his home, where he was ordered to stay between 8pm to 6am every night.
    The goalkeeper was granted parole earlier this yearCredit: Newsflash
    Eliza had filed a child support lawsuit in August 2009Credit: AFP – Getty More

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    Dani Alves’ bombshell jail letter to estranged wife revealed as ‘rapist’ ex-Barcelona star festers behind bars

    DANI Alves’ letter to his estranged wife has been revealed as he remains behind bars following allegations he raped a woman in a nightclub.The former Barcelona football star penned a heartfelt letter to his ex-wife Joana Sanz, 29, from the Brian 2 prison where he’s being held with sex assault charges.
    The footballer is said to have been devastated following the end of his marriageCredit: AP
    Joana visited him in the Brian 2 prison in CataloniaCredit: Telecinco
    Alves has penned a letter to his ex-wife following their breakupCredit: Antenna 3
    The 39-year-old is said to have gone on a hunger strike after the model, who visited him in jail last month, left him over allegations he attacked a woman at a Barcelona nightclub at the end of last year.
    The former Brazil star who is “completely devastated and very nervous” following the end of his marriage according to sources, has penned a letter to his ex-wife expressing “his regret.”
    The handwritten note to Joana who last week announced the couple’s breakup on Instagram, was revealed by the Spanish TV show Y ahora Sonsoles.
    It reads: “My dear Joana, it was almost eight years of much love, affection, respect and mutual care.
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    “Especially the last years by your side everything seemed easier and more pleasant.
    “You and my children, Dani Filho and Victoria, were the best thing that happened to me in my life.
    “We have grown together since the day we met, from the first minute we started a life together.
    “We accompanied each other all those years. Strengthening and nurturing each other’s lives.
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    “Now, in these difficult moments, I regret your decision and I long for life to give us another chance for me to love you again.
    “I understand the pain that the unjust situation we are living is causing and I understand that you have not been able to withstand all the pressure.
    “The facts of which I am accused are foreign to me, and to the values that have guided my life: love, respect and effort.
    “I will continue to fight as I have always done with the support of those who are by my side to show my innocence to the whole world.
    “I will fight to the end with the unconditional love of my children, my parents and those who continue to be by my side, to soon prove my innocence to the whole world.”
    Alves’ accuser previously claimed the football star slapped her and raped her in the bathroom of nightclub Sutton in Barcelona in the early hours of December 31.
    She is also said to have described seeing the footballer’s intimate tattoo while he was partly undressed.
    The tearful woman is said to have immediately told her friends what happened, and bouncers then alerted police.
    Alves admitted to cops he had sex with the woman but says it was consensual and denies rape.
    Before his arrest, he had claimed he had never met his accuser.
    He was arrested on January 20 and remains behind bars after a judge ruled he should be kept in custody.
    Mexican club the Pumas terminated his contract after he was held in custody – and now they are reportedly seeking £4million in damages from him for breach of contract.
    Alves’ ex-wife Joanna spoke of her heartbreak following his arrest, which came days after her mother died.
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    She said at the time: “I have lost the only two pillars in my life.”
    No date has been set for Alves’ trial.
    Joana announced their breakup on social mediaCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    Dani Alves demands to be kept in ‘solitary’ after being ditched by wife over club rape charge

    DANI Alves has reportedly demanded to be locked in his cell for most of the day after his wife left him over allegations he raped a woman.The former Brazil and Barcelona football star has been in prison since he was arrested on January 20 amid claims he attacked the woman in a Barcelona nightclub at the end of last year.
    Dani Alves has been in prison since he was arrested on January 20 over rape claimsCredit: Getty
    Joana Sanz reportedly left Dani Alves after he was accused of rapeCredit: Getty
    His wife Joana Sanz visited him in the Brians 2 Prison in Catalonia in February amid reports the model had demanded a divorce.
    Sources said he “is completely devastated and very nervous” after his 29-year-old wife Joana told him she wanted to end their marriage.
    According to Cuatro, Alves, 39, wants to be “locked in his cell” for most of the day in the prison where’s he’s being held.
    It’s understood he’s now in a cell on his own after previously sharing with another inmate.
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    Alves has also gone on hunger strike and there are days when he doesn’t eat at all, according to reports.
    But he is reportedly allowed daily visits in the jail, where he is said to have made his prison football debut.
    It comes after Joana removed most photos of her with the footballer from her Instagram after he reportedly claimed he had consensual sex with his accuser – having initially denied he knew her.
    The Tenerife-born beauty, who married former Barcelona defender Alves in 2017, has yet to make any official comment on the report.
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    Alves was sacked by Mexican club UNAM Pumas after he was remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona.
    A 23-year-old woman claimed she was assaulted by Alves at the city’s swanky Sutton venue on December 30, leading to his arrest on January 20.
    He has denied the allegations.
    A judge ruled Alves should be kept in custody, and he has been in the cells since at a jail outside the city.
    Alves who enjoyed two spells at Barcelona before signing for Mexican side UNAM Pumas last year, claimed before his arrest he had never met his female accuser.
    But the footballer told a court he had consensual sex with the woman.
    His lawyer claimed he changed his version of events about the alleged sexual assault to cover up his “infidelity”.
    Following the footballer’s arrest, Joana said she had lost the “two pillars in my life”.
    Alves flew into Barcelona after agreeing to be questioned over the allegations.
    Previously it emerged the woman claimed Alves slapped her and raped her in the nightclub bathroom.
    She is also said to have described seeing the footballer’s intimate tattoo while he was partly undressed.
    The tearful woman is said to have immediately told her friends what happened, and bouncers then alerted the cops.
    Pumas terminated his contract after he was held in custody – and now they are reportedly seeking £4million in damages from him for breach of contract.
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    No date has been set for Alves’ trial. More