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      in Soccer

      Reason why Sir Jim Rarcliffe decided NOT to buy Chelsea as it is revealed he also snubbed Newcastle takeover

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      BRITAIN’S richest man decided against buying Chelsea because the club’s stadium problems would take too long to resolve.Sir Jim Ratcliffe was looking for his INEOS group to move into British football and seizing control at Stamford Bridge was a serious option.
      Sir Jim Ratcliffe snubbed a takeover of Chelsea amid concerns over how long it would take to resolve the redevelopment of Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The group held preliminary talks with Chelsea bosses about buying Roman Abramovich’s stake in the London club last year.
      But Ratcliffe’s brother Bob, who runs the football division of INEOS, says fears over redeveloping the stadium proved too big to overcome.
      Ratcliffe told BBC Five Live: “There was some early exchange but we were a significant way apart on valuations.
      “The issue with Chelsea is its stadium. We are all getting older and it is a decade of your life to resolve that.”
      Chelsea have looked at options to move away from Stamford Bridge but there is always a major problem with the Chelsea Pitch Owners, who own the freehold to the stadium.
      MAJOR DISADVANTAGE
      A planned £1billion redevelopment of the ground was put on hold with Abramovich citing the wrong economic climate.
      New owner Todd Boehly is formulating his own plan to rebuild the Bridge – but work has yet to begin.
      The result is that Chelsea are at a major disadvantage against their top six rivals in the Premier League when it comes to ground standard and capacity.
      Having rejected Chelsea, INEOS went on to look at other potential clubs in the Premier League – but the high valuations of them all, including Mike Ashley’s £350m demand for Newcastle, put them off.
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      They instead relocated to France where they have taken control of Nice.
      Bob Ratcliffe added: “We spent quite a lot of time looking at Premier League clubs and their valuations
      “It was difficult to rationalise purchases in the Premier League for us. If you look below the top six, they are all £150m and above.
      “You are going to write a cheque for £50m and get in the Everton cup. Where are you going to go?
      “You look at Newcastle, and we looked at a lot of clubs. You come back to a valuation in the hundreds of millions and it is difficult to contemplate.
      “I think the foreseeable future it is off the radar. We have a three to five year project in Nice and that will keep us busy.”
      Newcastle are now owned by Saudis and have reached the League Cup final, which they will contest against Manchester United on Sunday.
      Ratcliffe is currently in the running to buy the club he supports, Man Utd, but a Qatari bid is leading the race. More

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      in Boxing

      Tommy Fury reveals dad John is scarier than Tyson and warned Anthony Joshua it will be ‘game over’ if he fights brother

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      TOMMY FURY says his dad John is scarier than brother and WBC heavyweight boxing king Tyson.But the former Love Island star believes Tyson will be in a mean mood if he eventually fights Anthony Joshua predicting ‘game over’ for the Watford fighter.
      Tommy Fury, pictured here with girlfriend Molly-Mae, hopes one day to emulate older brother Tyson and become a world championCredit: Rex Features
      John Fury is scarier than son and boxing king Tyson, says Tommy FuryCredit: Sportsfile – Getty
      Tyson and Tommy Fury are confident AJ won’t win the Battle of BritainCredit: Mark Robinson Ltd
      Tommy is trying to make his own waves in the sport after becoming a household name for his time topping up his tan on reality TV.
      The 23-year-old has won all eight of his pro fights so far, four by way of KO and faces YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Sunday.
      If he can adopt the same ‘take no prisoners’ attitude older brother and dad have, Tommy hopes one day to become a world champ himself.
      When asked who was scarier between John and Tyson, Tommy told The Sportsman: “I wouldn’t like to be stuck in a lift with my dad. Definitely not.
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      “There is just something about him, when he loses his temper that is it, you just say ‘Oh no problem, I’ll speak to you another day.’ Get out the firing line.”
      Tyson and AJ looked destined for a fight on December 3 in Cardiff – but talks between the pair have broken down.
      Fury is blaming Joshua’s ego and business interests for blowing their December 3 Cardiff clash – and insisted the pair will NEVER fight.
      If they ever did step into the ring, unsurprisingly Tommy is tipping his big bro to do what he does best and win the Battle Of Britain.
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      🥊 How to watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury: Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel
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      Tommy added: “I think it will happen, definitely because it is too big of a fight not to happen.
      “Tyson is ready all year round. He’s never shied away from anybody his entire life so whenever Joshua steps up and wants to take the fight, then Tyson will be here waiting.
      “I truly believe Joshua knows this in his own head. When he fights Tyson it will be game over for him.”
      The Morecambe giant admitted he needs help because he “wants to be out of boxing” but “can’t let go”.
      While dad John doesn’t believe that the AJ vs Tyson fight will now be made.
      The 58-year-old told The Daily Mail: “I can understand why [they are stalling on the contracts]. He is their Golden Boy.
      “A defeat to Tyson Fury, financially… it would financial suicide for them wouldn’t it.
      “That’s why they don’t want it.”
      WBC champ Fury said: “[Joshua] was asked the question: ‘Do you want to fight Tyson Fury?’
      “[It was] very plain and simple, and he never answered the question. It was a simple yes or no answer wasn’t it?
      “Then they said, ‘Do you think you’re the best heavyweight in the world?’ and he went [holds hands up].
      “Didn’t answer the question. Ask me, do you want to fight Anthony Joshua?”
      Ross duly obliged, to which Fury responded ‘Yes’, before being asked who is the world’s best heavyweight.
      Read More on The Sun
      Unsurprisingly, he replied: “Me, by a mile. There we go, that’s how you answer the question.”
      Joshua is back in action in April against Jermaine Franklin.
      Tommy Fury is adamant Tyson will beat AJ in the Battle of BritainCredit: Instagram
      Tyson and Tommy Fury are confident AJ won’t win the Battle of BritainCredit: Mark Robinson Ltd
      Fury sparred with a boxer who was sporting a prosthetic leg at the weekendCredit: Instagram @gypsyking101
      Fury lashed out at Joshua over the weekend on The Jonathan Ross ShowCredit: Rex Features More

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      in Soccer

      Fuming Arsenal fans rage ‘You have to sell a kidney to pay” the price of chilli and chips at The Emirates

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      FOOTBALL fans have been left in disbelief after an Arsenal supporter showed off a portion of chips that cost them almost £13.Fans of the club have admitted they are “embarrassed” by the price of a box of Chilli cheese fries.
      This portion of Chilli cheese chips at Arsenal costs £12.60Credit: Twitter @FootyScran
      And while the look of the dish did wet the appetite, social media users were left recoiling when they discovered it would have set them back a whopping £12.60.
      The picture, posted to Twitter by account FootyScran last season, showed that the fries came topped with meat, spring onions, and cheese.
      But there was widespread outrage at the sky-high price of the dish as fans felt the effects of the cost of living crisis.
      One joked: “Some chips with garnish, you have to sell one kidney to pay the bill.”
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      Meanwhile an Arsenal fan wrote: “This team manages to embarrass me in the most unexpected ways.”
      Another social media user poked fun at London’s extortionate prices, joking: “You can get a 3 bed semi detached up North for that.”
      While a fourth summed up the dish as: “Potatoes, fake cheese, some spring onion and and some burnt onion pieces with a 0.001p dash of chilli sauce.”
      It’s not the first time the food menu at the Emirates has caused controversy either.
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      Again last season, Gunners fans were left up in arms after being charged over £18 for a burger and chips.
      Supporters inside the ground shelled out £18.05 for “Two beef patties, double American cheese, streaky bacon, lettuce, gherkins, and chipotle mayonnaise.” More

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      in Soccer

      Former Spurs star Stephane Dalmat ‘quit match 40 minutes early to get out of stadium and beat traffic’

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      EX-TOTTENHAM ace Bobby Zamora revealed how his old team-mate Stephane Dalmat quit DURING a game so he could catch a flight back to France. Dalmat, now 44, spent the 2003/04 campaign on loan at Spurs from Inter Milan, making 22 appearances.
      Dalmat’s talent was undeniable but his attitude was questionableCredit: Alan MacGregor Ewing – The Sun Glasgow
      The midfielder scored three times during his spell in North London but it appears he was best remembered for his moment of madness during a league clash.
      Zamora told Jimmy Bullard’s Off the Hook podcast: “We played a game at Spurs. In the first five minutes of the second half he just walked off the pitch.
      “The ball wasn’t out of play or anything and he just starts walking off the pitch. I think I was on the bench and I thought he has pulled his hamstring or something.
      “He walks down the tunnel. Doesn’t say anything to anybody. We played the game and then came in and he had shot.
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      “So we are like ‘Where is he, where is he? I don’t know. Not sure’. He was supposed to come in for the warm down – but he doesn’t come in for two days.
      “I find out in the end that he has got a plane to catch and he can’t get to the airport after the game because of the traffic and all that so he has gone off the pitch, walked down the tunnel ‘off I go I’m going to get my plane’.
      “He went back to home to France. He was just one of those players that just didn’t care.”
      Dalmat also played for Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille but Zamora adds how he was one of the most talented players he had played with.
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      He added: “He was an absolute player. He was strong, quick, powerful, you could not get the ball off him. 
      “He had that sort of French arrogance.
      “He played for some mad big clubs but just nobody could manage him. He was just an absolute loon.”
      The Spurs team at the time was managed by David Pleat who took over mid-season after Glenn Hoddle was fired from the job.
      Other players in the team’s squad at the time were Jermain Defoe, Jamie Redknapp, Robbie Keane, Darren Anderton and captain Ledley King.
      The revelation about Dalmat’s antics came after fellow footballer Jamie O’Hara, revealed the Frenchman slapped him across the face in the changing room following a dispute during a reserve team game for the North London club in the same season.
      Speaking on TalkSport radio, O’Hara said: “Dalmat had come down to the reserves and I think he had got the hump because obviously he has been told he has got to play with the reserves.
      “I was a young kid wanting to impress. We played and he was just strolling about, you know he didn’t want to be there.
      “He was the typical first-team player coming down playing reserves, didn’t want to know and I think I give it to him at half-time.
      “I think I said ‘Listen mate if you don’t want to be here just don’t be here, just go, get on your bike.
      “And he got up and walked across the room and I’m thinking he’s going to be like ‘yeah, yeah, I know you are right’.
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      “But he just slapped me in the face. Just a slap not a punch. It was a slap and I just took it like that. I was in shock more than anything.
      “Obviously I got up and thought I would have a ruck with him but everyone jumped in, you know that one where you are going ‘let me at him, let me at him’. I could not believe it, just a slap in the face.”
      Stephane Dalmat spent just a season on loan with TottenhamCredit: PA:Press Association
      Bobby Zamora revealed how Dalmat was a huge talent at SpursCredit: PA:Press Association More

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      in Soccer

      Liverpool vs Real Madrid Wags, from models to a Little Mix singer, as the European giants meet in the Champions League

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      THEY don’t call it the beautiful game for nothing.Excitement is at fever pitch ahead of tonight’s Champions League last-16 clash between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
      Excitement is at fever pitch ahead as Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the Champions LeagueCredit: AFP
      And these stunning Wags will be cheering on their other halves when The Reds take on Los Blancos in the first leg of their last-16 clash.
      As the saying goes, behind every man is a great woman, so we kick off the interest early with the lowdown on some of the players’ wives and girlfriends who provide them with much-needed support at home.
      From a doctor and architect to a world-famous singer and a reality TV star, this lot are in a league of their own . . .
      Mishel Gerzig – goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
      Mishel Gerzig and Thibaut Courtois were first spotted together in 2020
      IT’S not hard to see why Israeli model Mishel, 25, caught the eye of the Belgian goalie, 30, who slid into her DMs on Instagram.
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      The pair were first spotted together in Ibiza after Belgium were knocked out of Euro 2020.
      This summer the happy couple got engaged, as Courtois dropped to one knee to ask for his beloved’s hand in marriage.
      Jordan Ozuna – striker Karim Benzema
      Karim Benzema’s Wag Jordan Ozuna used to be a waitress at Hooters
      Model Jordan used to work as a Hooters waitress in Las Vegas but is now signed to several US-based modelling agencies.
      The stunning 32-year-old has used her enviable figure to help promote State Management, Caroline Gleason Management, Tricia Brink Management, and The Salt Agency.
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      She joined Benzema at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he was crowned the world’s best player.
      Sandra Garal – forward Marco Asensio
      Sandra Garal met Marco Asensio while working as a nightclub waitress
      SANDRA met Marco, 27, while working as a waitress in a nightclub in 2019.
      The Spanish couple managed to keep their relationship a secret for months.
      The 26-year-old, who studied architecture in Madrid, now models and has over 340,000 Instagram followers.
      Maria Julia Mazalli – forward Vinicius Junior
      Maria Julia Mazalli started dating Vinicius Junior in 2019
      AN eagle-eyed fan revealed the 22-year-old winger was dating Maria in 2019 after they each posted selfies in the same bathroom.
      The 27-year-old influencer found fame on Brazilian reality show, Holiday With The Ex in 2017.
      Natalia Becker – goalkeeper Alisson Becker
      Natalia Becker met Alisson Becker in their native Brazil in 2012
      BRAINY Natalia, 31, met Alisson, 30, in their native Brazil in 2012 while she was studying to become a doctor.
      They married in 2015 and moved to Liverpool three years later.
      They have three kids – Helena, five, Matteo, two, and Rafael, one.
      Larissa Pereira – striker Roberto Firmino
      Larissa Pereira and Roberto Firmino were married in 2017
      THE model married Roberto, 31, in their home country of Brazil in 2017 after three years together.
      As well as being a mum to their three daughters, the 30-year-old is an entrepreneur, having founded fashion brand BeValen Store.
      Rike Nooitgedagt – defender Virgil van Dijk
      Rike Nooitgedagt and Virgil van Dijk were childhood sweethearts and wed in 2017
      FIERCELY private Rike, 31, gave up her job as a fashion sales manager to support the 31-year-old Dutch ace when he signed to Celtic in 2013.
      The childhood sweethearts wed in 2017 and have kids Nila and Jadi.
      Rute Cardoso – forward Diogo Jota
      Rute Cardoso and Diogo Jota are childhood sweetheartsCredit: rutecfcardoso14/Instagram
      CHILDHOOD sweethearts Rute, and Diogo, both 26, met at school in their native Portugal.
      Rute seems to have settled well into life in the UK and even admitted to being a fan of Peaky Blinders.
      The couple have a one-year-old son called Dinis.
      Perrie Edwards – midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
      Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Perrie Edwards have become one of the hottest showbiz couples
      THE Little Mix star and Alex, both 29, have become one of the hottest showbiz couples since they started dating in 2016.
      They welcomed son, Axel, in 2021, and Perrie looked incredible on the girl band’s recent Confetti Tour.
      Saffie Khan – midfielder Curtis Jones
      Saffie Khan and Curtis Jones went Instagram official in 2021
      THE couple went Instagram official in 2021, but it is believed they have been dating since 2019.
      Read More on The Sun
      Saffie is signed to M Models Management and lives with Curtis, 22.
      The 20-year-old often shares snaps of her lavish holidays with her 40K followers. More

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      in Boxing

      Eddie Hearn called Jake Paul ‘average’ while rating YouTuber as a boxer – but insisted it was a ‘compliment’

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      PROMOTER Eddie Hearn gave a brutally honest assessment of the boxing skills of YouTube star Jake Paul.Hearn labelled Paul’s ability as “average” during a Q&A – but insisted he was complimenting him.
      Jake Paul (left) and Eddie Hearn (right) during a Q&A sessionCredit: Getty
      The pair sat down for an interview with sports streaming service DAZN last spring ahead of the the Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano fight and it descended into chaos as Paul took offence to Hearn’s jab.
      Hearn started the interview by saying: “He fought AnEsonGib who was terrible on the night and Jake looked pretty average cause Gib was terrible as well.”
      Paul hit back and said his ability could not be properly judged due to the fight lasting such a short amount of time after his first-round TKO win.
      Hearn responded: “That’s true, that’s true. I don’t know where you might go.
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      “I just give you where I think you’re at which I’m entitled to, which is average.”
      He then added: “Average is very complimentary.”
      Hearn has previously said he believes Paul will never win a world title in boxing.
      Paul’s YouTube channel has 20.3 million subscribers and he took up boxing in 2018.
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      His first fight was on the undercard of the KSI vs Logan Paul bout, which attracted over 2.25 million live views.
      This fight was a white-collar match but a fifth-round TKO gave Paul the green light to go pro.
      The man nicknamed The Problem Child has won all six of his pro fights and he faces bitter rival Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. More

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      in Soccer

      Joey Barton offered to settle score with ‘s***bag’ Dabo in charity fight & revealed all about Man City training fight

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      JOEY BARTON gave an insight into his infamous training ground fight with Ousmane Dabo at Manchester City – and offered the Frenchman a shot at revenge in a charity match.Retired midfielder Barton, 40, got a six-match ban by the FA in 2008 for assaulting his team-mate in 2007.
      Joey Barton cheekily offered to fight rival Ousmane Dabo in a charity matchCredit: Rex Features
      Dabo went to the press with the injuries he sustained in a 2007 training ground clash with his ex-Man City team-mate BartonCredit: Ray Bradbury
      Barton and Dabo in action together for Manchester CityCredit: Getty
      He was also given a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm after Dabo was left with cuts and bruises as well as a detached retina.
      Barton, who has served time in prison and also landed himself in hot water for stubbing a cigar out in a youth team player’s eye, is now boss at League One Bristol Rovers.
      In a candid discussion on Robbie Fowler’s podcast he said he knocked out the ex-Lazio midfielder in self-defence – a claim denied by Dabo – he even said he would be open to settling the score once-and-for-all.
      Barton said: “Dabo slapped me at the training ground so he got put a kip.
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      “That was his own fault and if I see him any time and he wants to – you see all these Jake Pauls and that on Youtube – if Ousmane wants to give me a shout and he wants to do it for charity and get his own back…
      “At the end of the day, where I’m from, if someone open palms or slaps you or comes towards you to hit you, you don’t stand around.”
      He added: “If he wants round two we’ll sort it out here, we’re all men.
      “He tried to throw the first punch, came unstuck, and he didn’t because he’s a s***bag and went to the papers.”
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      Dabo, 46, who won three caps for France, shared an image of his injured face with The Sun after the clash.
      He said: “I looked at myself in the mirror with my face all swollen up and I looked like the Elephant Man.
      “I just pushed him away and turned my back to walk off. That’s when he hit me. I really don’t remember exactly what happened.” More

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      in Soccer

      Zlatan Ibrahimovic chooses Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo and names Brazil legend Ronaldo as GOAT

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      ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC reckons Lionel Messi is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo.The debate over who’s the best out of the pair has raged on for years – with Ibrahimovic now weighing in.
      Zlatan Ibrahimovic reckons Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo but neither is the GOATCredit: EPA
      The Swede admitted it was difficult to choose between Cristiano and the ArgentineCredit: MatchDay Images Limited
      But the 41-year-old thinks Messi’s natural magic separates the twoCredit: Getty
      However, in Ibrahimovic’s eyes neither star can compete with the world’s best RonaldoCredit: AFP
      It was a tough choice for him to make but after witnessing Messi’s magic first-hand when they played together at Barcelona in the 2009-10 season, Ibrahimovic believes the Argentine edges Cristiano.
      The AC Milan veteran, who recently joined the duo in the elite 300 goal club across Europe, suggested that while Messi’s ability is natural, Cristiano’s has been built over time.
      The 41-year-old told Corriere dello Sport, reported by AS: “The two are very strong. It would be a difficult choice.
      “If I have to tell you I choose Messi because I’ve played with him, I’ve seen him up close and I know that everything he does is for nature, he’s not built. It’s all movement, all-natural.”
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      The Swede’s logic was previously echoed by five stars who played with both Messi and Cristiano, with six undecided and one picking the Manchester United attacker.
      Football’s elite also reckon Messi is currently better than Cristiano as they handed the Paris Saint-Germain star his seventh Ballon d’Or trophy last year, while his Portuguese rival languished in sixth.
      However, in Ibrahomivic’s eyes, neither of them are the best to ever grace the football pitch.
      That mantle belongs to Ronaldo Nazario whose playing style Ibrahimovic tried to emulate growing up – but wasn’t fast enough.
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      Even football icon Diego Maradona wasn’t as good as the Brazilian, Ibrahimovic claims, as he didn’t get to witness the Argentine’s greatness.
      He added: “For me, Ronaldo is the ‘Phenomenon’. More than Maradona? I have not lived Maradona. Perhaps for other generations it is the strongest of all.
      “But I did see Ronaldo in life and as a child I imitated him. I tried and but I didn’t make it, I wasn’t as fast as him.” More