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      in Soccer

      ‘Don’t call him that!’ – Lionel Messi told Argentina teammates to stop calling Alexis Mac Allister ‘ginger’

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      ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER has revealed Lionel Messi told their Argentina team-mates to stop poking fun at his red hair.The £55million Liverpool signing was referred to as ginger by his La Albiceleste team-mates following his call-up to the squad in the summer of 2019.
      Alexis Mac Allister made his Argentina debut in 2019
      And the Liverpool star’s international team-mates poked fun at his red hairCredit: AP
      But skipper Lionel Messi quickly put an end to thatCredit: AFP
      Mac Allister – the son of former Boca Juniors star Carlos – took exception to the nickname, so much so that Messi demanded the team stop using it.
      Last year, the ex-Brighton man told The Athletic: “I trained with him [Messi] when I was in the Argentinian squad twice, but I didn’t play with him.
      “It was fantastic, the same as in the matches he trains. It’s something you cannot believe.
      “I remember everyone called me ‘Colo’, which is ginger in Argentina.
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      “I don’t like it much and he told the team-mates that.
      “He said, ‘He doesn’t like to be called Colo, so don’t call him that!’”
      Mac Allister, 24, was called up to the Argentina squad in August 2019 and made his debut against Chile the following month.
      But he was more nervous about meeting seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi than debuting for his country.
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      He said of his first meeting with the Inter Miami ace: “I was red, completely red.
      “I didn’t want even to say hello. I was really nervous even to meet one of the best players in the world, but it was fantastic, of course.
      “It’s something I’m not going to forget. It was magic when my dad played with [Diego] Maradona and I could train with Lionel Messi. We are very proud of it.”
      Mac Allister played an integral role in helping Argentina lift the World Cup in Qatar.
      He was one of the key work engines that allowed Messi the freedom to win the tournament for the South Americans.
      Mac Allister also contributed one goal and one assist, most notably setting up Angel Di Maria for Argentina’s second goal in the final.
      Mac Allister was in awe of Messi when he first met himCredit: Reuters More

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      Man City’s worst Premier League signings, from flops Boateng and Rodwell to £42m mistake Eliaquim Mangala

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      MANCHESTER CITY have invested over £1BILLION in the transfer market over the past decade so, naturally, there are going to be some flops.For every David Silva, Yaya Toure, or Erling Haaland there’s also been an Eliaquim Mangala or Jack Rodwell.
      Three great signings out of four weren’t bad for Roberto ManciniCredit: EPA
      Fortunately for current boss Pep Guardiola, most of the club’s most useless transfers came before the Spaniard brought them continued success.
      Here, SunSport details the five WORST signings City have made in the Premier League era….
      Eliaquim Mangala – £42m (2014)
      Mangala was strongly criticised by the media during his time at CityCredit: AFP or licensors
      Joleon Lescott left the Etihad Stadium after Manuel Pellegrini’s side won the title and Mangala was heralded as a ready-made replacement.
      The defender’s first two seasons saw the club drift away from the top of the table and he was often hammered for poor positioning and slow reactions.
      A solid loan spell at Valencia earned Mangala momentary reprieve under Guardiola but, after 15 appearances, the new boss binned him off before serious injury struck in a 2018 spell with Everton.Jack Rodwell – £12m (2012)
      Injuries curtailed Rodwell’s progressCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Rodwell was an up-and-coming star at Everton but became a symbol of City’s trigger-happy stockpiling when jumping ship at the age of 21.
      There was a problem, however: City already had an excellent set of central midfielders.
      Battling past Yaya Toure, James Milner, David Silva, Samir Nasri, Javi Garcia, Gareth Barry and Fernandinho was too much for Rodwell and he left after two years and just 25 appearances.
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      Jerome Boateng – £10m (2010)
      It is painful enough seeing a former player go on to great things but City didn’t even get close to utilising Boateng’s full potential.
      Perhaps player and club were doomed from day one, the German tearing a tendon in his knee the week before the season began and aggravating it when a drinks trolley bashed it on a flight.
      A year later, Boateng asked to head back home and was allowed to leave for Bayern Munich – going on to win a World Cup, a Champions League and seven Bundesliga titles.
      Jo – £19m (2008)
      Jo arrived with a great record for CSKA MoscowCredit: Reuters
      A top striker in Russia when snapped up by Mark Hughes, Jo struggled to say the least – scoring once in nine league outings before being moved on six months into his stay.
      A brief upturn in form at Goodison Park gave the Citizens some hope of turning a profit… but a dismal 2009-2010 season on Merseyside dropped him back at City.
      Failing to take another chance the following season, Jo finally left to return to Brazil, having cost much more than Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta combined.Wilfried Bony – £25m (2015)
      Bony was sent back to Swansea in 2016 but couldn’t find form there, eitherCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Ten goals in 46 games, only six of which came in the league, is a poor record for any striker, but for an expensive forward at a club aiming to win the title? Terrible.
      The Prem top scorer for the calendar year of 2014, Bony initially couldn’t play for City due to African Cup of Nations duty and a summer bout of malaria came after a quiet start.
      That stunted his hopes for the following year and the club learned their lesson, from then on turning their attention away from signing top players from smaller sides. More

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      Rio Ferdinand reveals the harsh manner Sir Alex Ferguson axed Roy Keane following his rant about young players

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      RIO FERDINAND revealed the BRUTAL way Sir Alex Ferguson axed Roy Keane.The pair had an infamous falling out at Old Trafford following the Irishman’s rant about young players not performing in 2005.
      Roy Keane was Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United captain and was his trusted on-field leader for nearly a decadeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Keane was United captain before he was dumped by Ferguson following a rant about his team-matesCredit: PA:Press Association
      During a never-aired MUTV interview, Keane is alleged to have laid into several players individually.
      It put him on the warpath with Ferguson though, who had a heated exchange with Keane, whose contract was running down anyway.
      The midfield commander was then told he had to leave United and Ferguson was left to inform the players of his departure.
      Ferdinand recalled: “The club didn’t want [it] to go out, the manager thought it was disrespectful to the team.
      “The next day, he told the players that Roy Keane will never come back to Man Utd again.”
      Keane claims in his book, The Second Half, that he also fell out with Carlos Queiroz, Ferguson’s trusted lieutenant at the time.
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      He played 326 games for United after signing from Nottingham Forest in 1993, but his move to Celtic did not work as he’d planned as his ongoing hip injuries caught up with him.
      Ferdinand continued: “He was captain of Man Utd. The best player United had for a long period of time.
      “That was a message to the next generation: don’t ever think you’re bigger than this club.
      “Because you’re not, you will go. I just told the captain he is never coming back again.
      “What are you going to do now?”
      Wayne Rooney and Mikael Silvestre have also shared their explosive versions of the Fergie-Keane bust-up. More

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      in Soccer

      Christian Eriksen made Man Utd transfer U-turn after ‘snubbing club due to promise made to Tottenham chief Daniel Levy’

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      CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN made a Manchester United U-turn after agreeing to join Erik ten Hag’s side on a free transfer last year.The Daily Mail say the creative midfielder made a promise to Tottenham owner Daniel Levy in 2017 that he would not join a London club out of respect for Spurs.
      Christian Eriksen is full of respect for his former clubCredit: Reuters
      Daniel Levy didn’t want to see Eriksen play elsewhere in EnglandCredit: Alamy
      And Eriksen, now 31, apparently extended his promise to all English clubs when United’s interest came out.
      Former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was hoping to secure an £80million deal for the playmaker but failed to land his man.
      Eriksen handed in a transfer request in 2019 after outlining his desire for a new challenge.
      That sparked plenty of interest with both Real and Atletico Madrid joining Juventus in the hunt.
      But the Spurs ace eventually joined Inter Milan for £17m in 2020 as his contract began to run down.
      After initially struggling, Eriksen found his form under Antonio Conte and helped Inter win their first Serie A title since 2010.
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      The popular star went into cardiac arrest on the pitch while playing for Denmark in their Euro 2020 opener against Finland during Euros in 2021.
      Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator after thankfully making a full recovery.
      But the Italian FA said that the Dane would need it to be removed in order to play for Inter again.
      After his contract was terminated, he joined Brentford as a free agent and enjoyed a remarkable season for the Bees.
      He played 11 games, scoring once and contributing four assists – but left when his six-month contract expired.
      Eriksen since joined Man Utd, going back on his promise, but completing an extraordinary comeback to the top of football.
      He penned a three-year deal at Old Trafford.
      Eriksen is said to have informed United of his desire to join the club, with the midfielder now set for a medical.
      The playmaker worked with United boss Ten Hag briefly when he trained with Ajax before making his comeback to football with the Bees.
      Last season, Eriksen played 44 times in all competitions scoring twice. More

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      Paul Scholes’ ex-Man Utd team-mates laughed at midfielder for wearing ‘snide’ £50 boots when he returned to the club

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      PAUL SCHOLES was laughed at for wearing £50 boots when he returned to Manchester United – as he couldn’t ask Nike for a brand new pair in order to keep his comeback a secret.The ex-England star, now 48, revealed he was forced to buy a cheap pair of boots from JJB Sports for his 2012 comeback because he couldn’t let Nike know he was back.
      Paul Scholes was mocked for his £50 plastic boots when making his surprise 2012 comeback
      And Scholes revealed he got plenty of stick from old team-mate Jonny Evans for his choice of footwear ahead of his comeback game against rivals Manchester City.
      Scholes told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I bought a pair of boots, I think they were about £50.
      “They were all the ones the lads were wearing, obviously. Same colours and stuff, same patterns.
      “But I believe I bought the cheap ones. It wasn’t until I was actually warming up on the pitch [that I realised]. I couldn’t get a pair of boots off Nike, they couldn’t send me a pair because we couldn’t tell them.
      “Nobody knew, it was a big secret and it didn’t get announced until the teams were announced at City in the FA Cup.
      “So I pulled these boots out and I thought they were good’uns. I paid £50 for these boots, they must be belters, these.
      “I started warming up and Jonny Evans looks around and says, ‘Are they the snide ones you’ve bought of these?’
      “[Scholes replied], ‘What do you mean snide, what’s wrong with them?’ Apparently I had plastic ones. They were alright.”
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      But Scholes admitted his comeback game was a ‘disaster’ after Man Utd nearly threw away a 3-0 lead against rivals City.
      He continued: “Actually that game was a bit of a disaster for me. I came on in the game, I think we were 3-0 up against City.
      “They had a man sent off, Vincent Kompany got sent off, I come on and after five minutes it was 3-2.
      ‘BRICKING IT’
      “I was absolutely bricking it. I thought, ‘What am I doing, why have I come back here, what am I thinking of?’
      “The rest of the season ended up OK. We didn’t win the league but we managed to win it the year after.”
      In 2018, Scholes revealed even more details about his comeback – including the real reason he retired for good.
      Scholes said: “I remember the game itself. We were 3-0 up when I came on and we were against ten men, and then it went back to 3-2.
      “I was taking my gear off ready to come on and [City coach] David Platt said to me, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ and I went, ‘No idea’.
      “At that time I wished I hadn’t done it. I think I gave a bad pass for a throw-in, and Sergio Aguero nipped on to it and scored.
      Paul Scholes has won the most trophies of any English players
      “The manager gave me another year, but I was gone. I remember playing Tottenham at home, we got beat 3-2.
      “I played alright in possession, but I remember [Mousa] Dembele and Gareth Bale cruising past me.
      “I wanted to retire early again that season, but I thought it’d be embarrassing so I stayed on.” More

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      in Soccer

      Ex-Man City star Wayne Bridge ‘HATES’ Roberto Mancini, and blasts Italy manager for tactics saying players won the title

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      FORMER England and Manchester City star Wayne Bridge says the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 defeat to Italy hurt him more than most – because he HATES Roberto Mancini.The 42-year-old moved to the Etihad in 2009 at the same time as the now Azzurri boss took charge of the Cityzens.
      Roberto Mancini guided Italy to Euro 2020 joy against EnglandCredit: Getty
      Former Cityzens defender Wayne Bridge says the defeat hurt him more than mostCredit: Getty
      After initially featuring regularly at left-back, he was soon out-of-favour and was shipped out to West Ham, Sunderland and then Brighton before he eventually left City permanently for Reading in 2013.
      Bridge, who won 36 caps for England, watched on with the rest of the nation as Mancini’s Italy were crowned European Championship winners after beating Gareth Southgate’s men in a penalty shootout.
      And he has admitted to bettingexpert’s The Big Stage that seeing his former manager lift the trophy left a bitter taste.
      Bridge said: “It really hurt me because I hate Mancini, everyone knows I have no love for him.
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      “I wouldn’t say he’s the worst I’ve had, but tactically he isn’t that great. What he did was good, which hurts to stay.
      “Not only was my family cheering for England, they were cheering that Mancini was losing, so it hurt us even more. I never really got him as a manager.
      “All credit to what he did at Manchester City when winning the league, so City fans will love him, but if you look at the players and the squad that he had, that’s what won it, not him as a manager.”
      Bridge added: “I fell out with him. I was there for a few months and we got on well but I didn’t enjoy training at all.
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      “We did team shape against mannequins and as a full-back we’re told ‘you’re going to pass it to him or to him, if you pass it there then run that way, if you pass it to him go that way,’ you’d have two options and that was it and playing against mannequins isn’t football.
      “[Craig] Bellamy was trying to ask a question ‘what happens if this happens in a game’, and Mancini would say ‘shut up, be quiet’ and in the end he sent him home and he wouldn’t have him back at training.
      “As a manager, I really don’t get it.”
      The ex-England star played under the Italian for four yearsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Wayne Bridge pictured with his wife FrankieCredit: Instagram More

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      in Motorsport

      I was the biggest name on Sky Sports’ F1 coverage before I was sacked… I still have no idea why they got rid of me

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      JOHNNY HERBERT has revealed he has no idea why Sky Sports decided to sack him from their F1 presenting team after 11 years.Herbert joined the broadcaster during the 2012 season when it won the rights to show the F1 action in the UK.
      Johnny Herbert was a central figure in the Sky Sports F1 commentary teamCredit: Getty
      The pundit raced in Formula 1 himselfCredit: AP:Associated Press
      He became a central figure in the coverage of the sport, often reminiscing about his own time in Formula One with teams like Jaguar and Sauber.
      However, Sky Sports decided to axe him from the commentary team two months before this year’s coverage started, along with fellow pundit and former driver Paul di Resta.
      Both were at the end of their respective contracts but were not offered extensions.
      It was speculated that cost-cutting was behind Sky Sports’ decision not to have the two back.
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      Herbert posted a photo of the Sky Sports F1 team to Instagram to confirm his departure from the broadcaster.
      It was captioned: “Going to miss this team.”
      Speaking to The Mirror, Herbert has now revealed that he still doesn’t know why the broadcaster decided against renewing his contract.
      He said: “I didn’t decide to step away – I thought everything was going ahead!
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      “And then I got a call in December, I think it was, when I was told things were changing.
      “It wasn’t really explained why or what was changing. There was a mention of social media stuff and that was about it, really. I really don’t know.
      “I was always aware – at Sky they do these subscriber checks where you’re given points out of 10 – and I’ve always known I was always quite popular on that side.
      “It’s a shame, but I’m over it. Moving on.”
      Herbert is now presenting his own podcast called Lift the Lid, which he co-hosts with fellow racer Billy Monger.
      The two give their opinions on current F1 stories, and were brought together through their own near-fatal crashes.
      Herbert said about the podcast “This is great to do with Billy, for example.
      “There are other opportunities out there, once again just proving that if you work hard you can find different avenues to carry on being involved in the sport we love.
      “So there’s other things going on, which is fine.
      “Yes, it’s disappointing, but I’ve moved on.”
      The 59-year old added that he didn’t think he would be returning to TV screens this season.
      He added: “I did my 11 years at Sky and it was good. Now there are other things I am doing.
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      “Because it was in December it was all quite late in terms of sorting other things out.
      “There are a lot of other opportunities but, in terms of seeing me on a TV screen, there’s probably nothing planned on that front.”
      Herbert posted that he’d miss the team after he was axed
      Herbert now co-hosts a podcast with former British F4 racer Billy Monger, who suffered a horrific crash in 2017Credit: PA More

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      Ex-Chelsea star Diego had nightclub in mansion during Blues spell and paid for it to be shipped to Madrid when he left

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      DIEGO COSTA incredibly moved his entire life out of England with him after quitting Chelsea – including the nightclub he had installed in his Surrey mansion.The controversial striker returned to Atletico Madrid in September 2017 for £67million after being told he wasn’t in Antonio Conte’s plans anymore.
      Diego Costa won the Premier League twice during his three-year spell at Chelsea between 2014-2017Credit: Rex Features
      He had moved his family out to the Spanish capital prior to sealing his switch back to Diego Simeone’s side.
      The 34-year-old, who most recently played for Wolves, even put his fleet of British cars up for sale in anticipation of his exit as he cleared up his belongings in the UK.
      But one essential thing he didn’t want to miss out on was the full-blown club he had installed in the conservatory of his home near the Blues’ Cobham training ground.
      The Brazilian-born Spain international is known to enjoy the good life away from football and was one of the characters in the Chelsea squad.
      So he splashed out to get his conservatory converted into a nightclub.
      And it was completed with top of the range lighting and sound system.
      And he enjoyed that aspect of London life so much he was desperate to take it with him back to Madrid.
      So he ordered a team to rip out the club piece by piece and transport it out to his home in Spain.
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      Costa is not the first footballer to have used his wealth decking out his home as a party venue.
      Samir Nasri did the same in his £6m Cheshire house he sold before leaving Manchester City in 2017.
      And Nasri’s ex-Citizens team-mate Raheem Sterling also installed a party area in his home. More