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      Willy Ta Bi dead at 21: Atalanta youngster dies after cancer battle as Man Utd’s Amad Diallo pays emotional tribute

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      ATALANTA youngster Willy Ta Bi has tragically died aged 21 after a long battle with liver cancer.
      The Serie A side confirmed the devastating news of the Ivory Coast youth international’s passing on Tuesday.

      Atalanta ace Willy Ta Bi sadly passed away from cancerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Manchester United’s January signing Amad Diallo paid tribute to his old team-mateCredit: Rex Features

      On social media, they wrote: “We mourn the premature passing of our player and Under-19 Champion of Italy Willi Braciano Ta Bi and share the grief of his family and beloved ones.
      “Rest in peace, Willy.”
      Manchester United’s £37million signing Amad Diallo played with the defensive midfielder in the Italian side’s academy and paid tribute to his friend.
      On Instagram, he wrote: “Rest in peace, Willy Braciano Ta Bi. Forever in our hearts.”

      And the 18-year-old winger shared a picture of the two together with the caption: “Now sleep in peace, friend.”
      Ta Bi joined Atalanta from Asec Mimosa in his homeland in 2019 and immediately tasted success by helping the team to the youth Primavera title.
      He captained his country at youth level and represented them at the Francophone Games in 2017.
      His last competitive match was on June 14, 2019 – shortly before his cancer diagnosis.

      La Côte d’Ivoire, le monde du football te pleurent, tu t’es battu contre cette fichue maladie comme tu te battais sur les terrains comme un vrai patron, un leader!!!!Reposes en Paix mon CAPITAINE 🧡🤍💚💔😭🙏🏾Mes condoléances à toute sa famille 🙏🏾 https://t.co/5FKWz8y3Ob
      — Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) February 23, 2021

      Chelsea legend and former Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba shared a public tribute on Twitter.
      Drogba wrote: “Ivory Coast, the football world are mourning you, you fought against this damn disease as you fought on the pitches like a real boss, a leader!!!!”
      Juventus midfielder Dejan Kulusevski was part of the trophy-winning Atalanta youth team alongside Ta Bi and said: “Rest in peace, brother.”
      In a statement, Atalanta added: “President Antonio Precassi and the whole Atalanta family are deeply saddened by the untimely death of Willy Braciano Ta Bi.
      “A cruel destiny interrupted a dream that began with the Nerazzurri shirt in January 2019 too soon.
      “He only needed a few months to earn a leading role in the Primavera and help bring the Scudetto back to Bergamo, but above all to leave a great memory.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Amad Diallo shows his skills in his first Man Utd training session More

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      Man Utd to fight Liverpool and Tottenham for Paulo Dybala transfer as Juventus admit attacker’s future is uncertain

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      JUVENTUS have put PremierLeague clubs on red alert by admitting the uncertainty around the future of Paulo Dybala.
      Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool have all been linked with the Argentine ahead of the summer transfer market.

      Paulo Dybala could be on the move in the summerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Dybala’s contract expires in 2022 but injury issues are hampering his chances of signing a new deal in the coming weeks.
      Juve managing director Fabio Paratici has admitted that the club are concerned by his fitness woe.
      Talks over a new contract are taking place but could continue for ‘months’.
      He said: “Paulo still has a few problems – it’s like he’s on a swing.

      “Some days he’s better and others he’s worse. He seemed okay [last week], then he felt some pain again.
      “We have spoken [about this contract], we have been speaking and will continue to speak in the next few days and months.”

      Having been named on the bench for the Champions League defeat at Porto, 27-year-old Dybala again found himself ruled out of Monday’s victory over Crotone.

      It was the 13th game he has missed due to injury in a turbulent campaign that has produced only three goals for the typically prolific forward.
      Dybala is only two strikes away from reaching 100 Juventus goals, a feat achieved by only 12 players in the club’s prestigious history.
      It is thought that the Old Lady will sell the attacker if he cannot agree a new deal by the summer.
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      Currently eight points behind in the title race and suffering from major pandemic-inflicted financial problems, the end of the season could herald a squad overhaul at Allianz Stadium.
      In the summer of 2019, Tottenham were strongly linked with a deadline day swoop for the player and Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly keen on bringing him to new club Paris Saint-Germain.
      Napoli have also been urged to bid for Dybala, in a reversal of the controversial move that saw Gonzalo Higuain sign for Juve in 2016.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Manager Andrea Pirlo only pockets £1.6million-per-year after taking charge of the club

      Paulo Dybala shows his ball control in a game of ping pong football More

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      Watch Cristiano Ronaldo sulk in Juventus dressing-room in unseen footage for Amazon Prime All or Nothing trailer

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      AMAZON have confirmed a new docu-series based on Juventus with a first look featuring Cristiano Ronaldo sulking in the dressing room.
      The superstar winger will undoubtedly play a huge role in the programme, which follows the Bianconeri through the 2020-21 season.

      Cristiano Ronaldo looking angry features in the trailer for Juventus’ All Or Nothing seriesCredit: Amazon Prime Video

      On Tuesday, the subscription network released a short trailer hinting at what is to come.
      Andrea Pirlo’s arrival as head coach will be prominent in the early scenes of the series, with Arthur Melo’s initiation having signed from Barcelona also caught on camera.
      In his first job in charge of a senior team, ex-midfielder Pirlo says: “I realised that I was in the right place at the right time.
      “I jumped straight into it and it became all I could think about.”

      The exclusive series promises to reveal the agony and ecstasy of other football documentaries with Juve’s insight produced by the same team behind Sunderland ‘Til I Die.
      At one point of the trailer, Alvaro Morata, Ronaldo and vice-chairman Pavel Nedved are all seen laughing away from the pitch.
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      Fans will be keen for the insight in Ronaldo’s time in TurinCredit: Amazon Prime Video

      Andrea Pirlo’s arrival as coach will also feature heavily in the docu-seriesCredit: EPA
      But Nedved and Rodrigo Bentancur are among those seen reacting angrily to tough games later on, amid an unusually difficult campaign for the Old Lady.

      Ronaldo is seen sulking in the dressing room, arms folded late in the clip, before hauling himself off the bench.
      With the docu-series slated for release later in 2021, its happy ending is still very much in the air.

      A 3-0 win over Crotone pushed Juventus to third in Serie A on Monday night, eight points off Inter Milan with a game in hand.
      Their place in the Champions League is under threat after a 2-1 defeat to Porto in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
      In May, Pirlo’s side will face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final, which could serve as the climax to the Amazon series.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Watch Cristiano Ronaldo fume at being subbed as Pirlo says ‘there’s no contract clause that says he can’t be taken off’ More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez heartbroken as £2,600 pedigree cat Pepe is run over by car in Turin

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      CRISTIANO Ronaldo and his girlfriend have been left distraught after their £2,600 pedigree cat was almost killed by a car.
      Ugly bald Sphynx pet Pepe was run over after escaping the luxury Turin home the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star shares with his stunning girlfriend.

      Pepe was run over after escaping the family’s luxury Turin home

      Georgina Rodriguez was heartbroken after the cat was critically injured

      Pepe was understood to have been put on a private jet to Madrid to continue his recoveryCredit: Instagram/georgiagio

      Model and influencer Georgina Rodriguez was heartbroken after the hairless pussy was critically injured in the collision.
      Pepe was understood to have been put on a private jet to Madrid to continue his recovery after a touch-and-go spell in a vet’s intensive care unit.
      The odd-looking moggie became a star of the couple’s hit Instagram sites before its accident after joining the family just over two years ago.
      It has enjoyed luxury holidays with the glitzty couple and got its first taste of £37-million-a-year Juventus idol Cristiano’s Gulfstream G200 jet long before the accident.

      The 36-year-old Juventus striker was once filmed frollicking with Pepe – named after a Brazillian teammate – in his underpants while his partner massaged his calf muscles.
      Georgina sparked pregnancy rumours last May by dressing the cat up as a baby and taking a picture of it being kissed by Cristiano’s three-year-son Mateo.
      ‘TERRIBLE SCARE’
      The stunning brunette let the cat out of the bag on the car collision in an interview with Spanish magazine Instyle, saying: “Pepe has given us a terrible scare.
      “It escaped from home and was run over.

      “It was close to death and after a month and a half in intensive care at the vet’s, we’ve decided my sister Ivana should look after it.
      “Pepe’s now in Spain recovering.”
      Georgina, who has a three-year-old daughter with Cristiano called Alana Martina and is the day-to-day mum of his other three children, added: “The youngest ones didn’t understand Pepe was sick and wanted to play with him.
      “Now he’s in the best hands.”

      Ronaldo joked how the moggie looked even more scary than his old United teammate Roy Keane when he took delivery of the pet in November 2018.
      Georgina introduced the new addition to the family to her 23 million Instagram fans by posting a picture of it staring up at her low-cut top and saying: “Pepe wishes you a nice day.”
      Sphynx cats were actually first bred in Canada in the sixties when a mutant hairless kitten called Prune was born among a normal furry litter.

      Pepe has enjoyed luxury holidays with the glitzty coupleCredit: BackGrid

      Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina RodriguezCredit: EPA

      Watch naked Georgina Rodriguez give camera cheeky wink in backstage clip of Cristiano Ronaldo’s girlfriend’s photo shoot More

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      Man Utd eye Gianluigi Donnarumma transfer from AC Milan as Solskjaer looks to axe either De Gea or Henderson this summer

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are plotting a move for AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, according to reports.
      The news comes after SunSport exclusively revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will axe either David De Gea or Dean Henderson at the end of the season.

      Man Utd are considering a move for AC Milan keeper Gianluigi DonnarummaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Norwegian Solskjaer has decided to halt the scrap for the No1 jersey between the pair and one will leave Old Trafford in the summer, either on loan or in a permanent transfer.
      It has become an issue behind the scenes, despite the public ‘line’ that the United boss is happy with the competition.
      The likely scenario is England hopeful Henderson moving out in the summer if he does not like being No 2 to De Gea.
      And the Red Devils are considering a move for Donnarumma, 21, according to Fichajes.

      The Italian international is out of contract at the end of the season.
      But United could face stiff competition with Milan having reportedly opened talks over an extension with the keeper.
      And Chelsea are also said to be keen.
      Milan’s director of sport, Frederic Massara, recently told DAZN: “We’re confident of reaching an agreement with Donnarumma and Calhanoglu in order to extend their contracts in the next weeks.”

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      Henderson, 23, has been recalled from loans at Sheffield United to get a crack at becoming first choice at United — his ultimate dream.
      But after a meeting with the manager, Henderson was told only one of the pair would be at the club next season.
      Henderson knows his England place is at risk as a reserve and is desperate to play at this time in his career.
      However, it may yet be that Spaniard De Gea, 30, goes after his recent horror show against Everton.
      Solskjaer has favoured De Gea this term and was happy to stand by him. But that was among his worst displays and left a question mark on his future.
      The indecision will have to end for football reasons, although there is also a financial element because United are paying fortunes for both keepers AND Sergio Romero, who is still with them on a chunky wage.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Solskjaer says the title isn’t over until it’s over after Newcastle win More

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      Former Inter Milan star Mauro Bellugi dies aged 71 after having both legs amputated due to coronavirus

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      MAURO BELLUGI, the former Inter Milan and Italy defender, has died aged 71 following horrific complications from Covid-19.
      Bellugi, who was admitted to hospital in November after contracting the virus, died last Saturday.

      Former Inter Milan and Bologna defender Mauro Bellugi passed away last weekendCredit: Alamy

      Inter paid tribute to Mauro Bellugi before Sunday’s Milan derbyCredit: Getty

      The virus forced the Buonconvento native to have both of his legs amputated as it worsened the effects of a pre-existing condition.
      Clubs across Italy paid tribute to Bellugi with a minute’s silence before their respective matches at the weekend.
      Inter also paid tribute to their former star on Twitter, writing: “Today he leaves us, a great man, a great footballer, a true ‘Interista’.
      “Rest in peace Mauro Bellugi.”

      Oggi ci lascia un grande uomo, un grande calciatore, un grande Interista: ciao Mauro 🙏⚫️🔵#FCIM
      — Inter (@Inter) February 20, 2021

      Attilio Fontana, the president of the Lombardy region, hailed the late Bellugi on social media.
      He wrote on Facebook: “Exactly one year after the first case of Covid in Italy, Mauro Bellugi leaves us.
      “Scarred by the virus, the national and Inter player tried to react to a complicated health situation with his usual strength and irony. A prayer and a thought for his loved ones.”
      Before his death, which came 13 days after his 71st birthday, Bellugi reflected on the doctors’ decision to amputate his legs.

      He said: “They took off my leg with which I scored against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
      “I will wear prostheses like those of (Oscar) Pistorius.”

      Clubs across Italy took part in a minute’s silence to remember Mauro Bellugi – including before the Milan derby on SundayCredit: REX

      Bellugi scored just one goal during his careerCredit: Alamy

      Bellugi’s strike against Monchengladbach was the only goal he scored in his professional career.
      Bellugi began his career with Inter Milan in 1969 and made 90 appearances for the Nerazzurri before joining Bologna in 1974,
      The defender spent five years with the I Rossoblu before moving to Napoli, who he left in 1980 to end his career with Pistoiese.
      Bellugi made a total of 32 appearances for his country from 1972 to 1980.
      Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Association, said: “The news brings great pain to Italian football.
      “Mauro was a hero. In addition to his skills on the pitch, I appreciated his human qualities and his extraordinary strength of mind, especially in this period of suffering.” More

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      Romelu Lukaku appears to aim cheeky dig at rival Ibrahimovic with ‘GOD’ taunt after goal in 3-0 Inter rout over AC Milan

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      ROMELU LUKAKU appeared to aim a cheeky dig at rival Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after scoring a stunning goal for Inter in the Milan derby.
      The pair clashed last month in the Coppa Italia, trading insults and both landing themselves with suspensions during a fiery affair.

      Lukaku celebrates after sealing Inter’s derby day delightCredit: Reuters

      Lukaku gets his reward for his outstanding performance! 🙌Inter in control of the derby 🔵⚫Inter in control of the title race? 👀 pic.twitter.com/qGZFL05oTO
      — Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) February 21, 2021

      After Ibrahimovic called him a ‘little donkey’ and urged him ‘call your mother and do your voodoo s**t’, Lukaku hit back, saying: “‘F*** you and your wife, you little b**. You want to speak about my mother?”
      And the Belgian appears to have had the last laugh.
      With both vying for the Serie A title, the teams met again at San Siro on Sunday in a crunch clash.
      Lukaku, 27, rounded off Inter’s 3-0 triumph with a stunning solo effort before running to the corner flag to vociferously celebrate with his team-mates.

      And some believe he shouted ‘Dio! Te l’ho detto cazzo’, the Italian for ‘God! I f****** told you’, in a direct reference to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who claimed last year that Milan had no king but a God instead.
      But others understood him to be saying ‘Io’, as part of the line ‘Me! I f****** told you’.
      Whether that was a jibe back to his AC Milan nemesis will have to be confirmed by Lukaku himself but, nevertheless, the Inter star certainly came out on top in the personal duel between the pair on Sunday.
      Having gone face to face with the Swede in their last encounter, he is now on a run of scoring in five consecutive derbies – a record.

      Lukaku and Ibrahimovic clashed last monthCredit: Reuters

      Lukaku didn’t hold back as he celebratedCredit: Premier Sports
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      Lautaro Martinez put Antonio Conte’s side ahead early on, heading home a pinpoint cross from Lukaku.
      The Argentine made it 2-0 after the break when a slick move through Achraf Hakimi, Christian Eriksen and Perisic led to a tap-in finish.
      The win left Inter four points clear in the title race.
      Early frontrunners Milan have now only won two in seven in all competitions, having also lost to their neighbours in the Coppa Italia last month.
      After the win, Lukaku’s strike partner Martinez gushed about his colleague to DAZN.
      The forward said: “Lukaku can improve a lot, he is 27, he works and he makes himself available to his teammates.
      “He is a great person on and off the pitch, we are happy to have him with us.”

      Martinez and Lukaku both got on the scoresheet against MilanCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Ex-Man Utd stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku clash in fiery Milan derby More

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      Watch Didier Drogba’s son Isaac make professional debut for Folgore Caratese in Italy’s Serie D

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      ISAAC DROGBA, son of Chelsea legend Didier, made his professional bow in the Italian fourth-tier on Sunday.
      Earlier this month, the 20-year-old joined Serie D side Folgore Caratese to aid their promotion push.

      Didier Drogba’s son Isaac, 20, came off the bench to make his pro debutCredit: Sportitalia

      The striker moved to Folgore Caratese in Italy’s Serie D earlier in FebruaryCredit: Sportitalia

      And, in a win over Saluzzo at Stadio XXV Aprile, Drogba made his first appearance in a professional game.
      The youngster spent last season in the reserves of French side Guingamp, where dad Didier also starred for a year as he made his way in the game.
      Previously, the young Drogba had been part of Chelsea’s youth academy in another nod to his family’s heritage.
      But he is now making his way in the town of Carate Brianza, to the north of Milan, where Folgore are based.

      On Sunday, the Serie D Group A side were 4-1 up with ten minutes to go when Drogba was substituted on.
      That is how the scoreline stayed, leaving the side ninth but only three points behind the play-off places with a game in hand.
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      Paris-born Drogba left Guingamp last summer having signed in February of 2018.

      When joining the Ligue 2 team, a number of Chelsea legends commented on his progress, Frank Lampard writing on social media: “I remember Isaac as the small polite boy! Now a man!”
      Ex-Blues captain John Terry added at the time: “Can’t believe how big he is mate.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Chelsea legend John Terry is building a swimming pool and tennis court on his property More