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      Newcastle and Everton join Man Utd in Osimhen transfer race but Chelsea have edge as Napoli want Blues outcast in swap

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly been joined by Everton and Newcastle in the race to sign Napoli star Victor Osimhen.The Nigerian striker, 24, has been one of the best in Europe this season as his goals have led Napoli to their first Serie A title in over 30 years.
      A host of Premier League clubs are reportedly chasing Victor Osimhen’s signature this summerCredit: Getty
      Osimhen’s stats this season
      According to Il Mattino, Napoli are trying to convince the frontman to stay but there is “very serious” interest in him.
      The report claims that Man United have an advantage over “everyone” due to the raised price of £139million.
      Newcastle’s bid would likely rely on the club qualifying for the Champions League while Everton would have to certainly secure Premier League safety to stand a chance of signing him with their ambitious bid.
      The potential price would be a record for a player in the Italian leagues.
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      It would break the record set by Paul Pogba’s £89m move from Juventus to the Red Devils.
      It would also be more than what Juventus paid Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo, £88m.
      It is also suggested that the Red Devils tried to sign Osimhen last summer but failed as they tried to include Ronaldo in the deal.
      One issue for Napoli in their attempts to keep their talisman is the wages that could be offered for him elsewhere.
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      The club could not match the reported £8.5m-per-year salary that he could be offered.
      However, the outlet does suggest that Chelsea could seriously rival Man United in the race for his signature.
      The Blues could offer Romelu Lukaku or Christian Pulisic in part of a deal that would soften the blow of losing Osimhen.
      The two attackers are believed to be on the chopping block at Stamford Bridge and the club could be keen on using them to bring down the price of Osimhen.
      PSG has also been touted as a potential destination for the attacker as they look to replace both Lionel Messi and Neymar this summer.
      Messi is set to leave the Ligue 1 side once his contract expires at the end of the season while there is a keenness to sell Neymar. More

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      Fans beg for BT Sport to be stripped of Champions League coverage for ‘making a mockery’ of monster Milan derby

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      BT SPORT suffered a major Twitter backlash for their coverage of Inter Milan’s clash with AC Milan.The two Italian sides came face-to-face in the first-leg of the Champions League semi-final at the San Siro.
      Fans blasted BT Sport for their major own goal in the coverage of the Milan derbyCredit: Getty
      Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s early strikes stunned AC Milan and sealed Inter a 2-0 advantage ahead of next week’s return match.
      BT Sport have been highly praised for their broadcasts of the Italian top-flight this term with James Richardson and James Horncastle leading the show.
      But the channel opted against using their Italian football experts this evening to go with their usual Premier League crew as pundits tonight.
      And the inclusion of Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard plus the choice of Steve McManaman, who screamed out “bloody hell” after an explosion in the crowd, on commentary frustrated viewers.
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      Journalist Colin Millar started the debate by tweeting: “BT Sport cover every Serie A match with specialist commentators, pundits, presenters.
      “Ignoring all that to end up with this standard of coverage for one of the biggest games of the season is desperately selling viewers short.
      “Their coverage of the Champions League is generally atrocious. Absolutely miles off the standard it should be and comfortably the biggest underperformer of football TV coverage in the UK.”
      And it seemed many echoed his sentiments, with another tweeting: “BT Sport have fantastic Serie A commentators as well James Horncastle and James Richardson who specialise in Italian football.
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      “So why pay for 7 clueless numpties to have a Jolly for Inter V AC Milan Champions League semi final.”
      Another wrote: “More shoddy UEFA Champions League coverage from BT Sport tonight. A wasted opportunity… James Richardson & Co. are 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.”
      A fellow viewer said: “Champions League coverage on BT Sport is absolutely shocking.”
      Another said: “BT Sport are so weird, their Serie A and National League coverage is great, but Premier League and Champions League is f***ing horrendous!”
      “Someone needs to take Champions League coverage off BT Sport, they’re making a mockery out of this competition,” blasted another.
      While a fellow fan said: “Absolutely nothing unites football fans quite like their dislike for BT Sport Champions League coverage.” More

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      AC Milan 0 Inter 2: Dzeko & Mkhitaryan stun rivals in derby with early double to put one foot in Champions League final

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      MANCHESTER CITY could find a familiar face standing in the way of their Champions League dream.Two Premier League castaways dominated the Milan derby in this semi-final first-leg as ex-City man Edin Dzeko and former Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan stunned AC Milan and left Inter on the brink of a first final since 2010.
      Edin Dzeko hooked a left-footed shot into the back of the netCredit: Reuters
      Henrikh Mkhitaryan made it 2-0 after 11 minutesCredit: Getty
      This famous old stadium was literally shaking with deafening noise from both sides of the Milanese support over an hour before this city’s biggest game in two decades.
      Milan’s ultras unveiled a shimmering tifo of Satan and a sign warning: ‘Hell is empty, all the devils are here.’
      The devil may have been here but Rafael Leao wasn’t, not in the XI or on the bench. The first of Milan’s many problems.
      Milan’s ferocious support had been building up to this since meeting in the city’s Piazza del Duomo yesterday morning, only to have their dreams shattered inside ten minutes by Dzeko.
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      With Leao not fit and another Premier League outcast in Romelu Lukaku left on the bench for Inter, these two were spearheaded by European veterans in Dzeko, 37, and 36-year-old Olivier Giroud.
      And it was Dzeko using every ounce of his experience to carve a superb opener on eight minutes, drifting towards the back post to meet Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner and hooking his leg around marker Davide Calabria to divert it in.
      Giroud barely had a kick, isolated and ineffective up top.
      Milan were shocked and the back four were still reeling when 34-year-old Mkhitaryan strolled through and smashed home a second three minutes later as they watched on standing stock still.
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      Dzeko celebrates his early openerCredit: Getty
      Mkhitaryan wheels away after scoring Inter’s secondCredit: Getty
      In a theatre of thunderous support for two teams desperately fearing the horror of losing to one another, this was expected to be a cagey affair.
      But Inter are in a fine vein of form, having won five on the bounce and climbed above Milan in Serie A at the weekend, and were having none of it.
      Milan were terrified and chaotic, Inter rampant and ruthless.
      Across six previous Champions League semi-finals at San Siro, Milan had conceded just one goal. Now they’d shipped two in 11 minutes.
      It could have been three five minutes later when Calhanoglu crashed an effort against the inside of the post from 25-yards before Mkhitaryan’s follow-up was stopped by Mike Maignan.
      Fikayo Tomori and Simon Kjaer were spared more embarrassment when, after Lautaro Martinez wriggled between them and hit the deck, the Spanish referee overturned his decision to award a penalty following a VAR review.
      But Milan did not take the chance handed to them, and waves of Inter chances continued largely unchallenged.
      Dimarco, Martinez and Denzel Dumfries all had chances to make it three before the break.
      Leao, watching from the stands alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, buried his head in his hands.
      Ibrahimovic was doing much the same late in the second half.
      Substitute Junior Messias sent one shot wide but it was still all blue and black after immediately after the restart.
      Milan’s tremendous support refused to give up, filling San Siro with red smoke and letting off two ear-splitting fire-crackers to try and spark their side into life.
      It almost worked too, with Sandro Tonali clipping the post with a low shot as they looked more threatening.
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      If Stefano Pioli’s side had offered half the ferocity of those in the Curva Sud this would have been a very different tie – but their slight second half improvement was never enough.
      Having never beaten Milan in a European tie before this, it was Inter’s night and a shot at immortality is theirs to claim in next week’s return leg.
      Lautaro Martinez thought he’d won a first-half penaltyCredit: Getty
      Rafael Leao had to watch on from the standsCredit: Getty More

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      I’m a 100-year-old Inter superfan… I’d give up my pension to see them beat AC Milan

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      A 100-YEAR-OLD Inter Milan fan says he would give up his pension to see them beat rivals AC tonight – despite only recently watching his beloved team live for the first time.Both sides are also battling it out in Serie A this season with just two points separate Inter in fourth and Stefano Pioli’s side in fifth.
      The 100-year-old Enrico Vanzini says he would give up his pension for an Inter winCredit: Reuters
      The former prisoner of war only watched Inter live for the first time last yearCredit: Reuters
      But they take their domestic rivalry onto the continent later in what promises to be a tasty Champions League semi-final first leg at the San Siro.
      Inter supporter Enrico Vanzini only went to the club’s iconic stadium to watch them play for the first time last year at the age of 99.
      But the Holocaust survivor is preparing to watch this evening’s huge showdown with Milan from the nursing home he lives at in the northern city of Padua.
      Speaking to Reuters, Vanzini said: “My passion began when I was seven… I was never able to go, and I had no money.
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      “I prayed to God to give me the joy of Inter winning, and hopefully he will agree.
      “I would do anything (for a win), including (giving up) my small pension.”
      Vanzini was a soldier in the Italian army during World War Two and was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war after Italy surrendered to the Allies in 1943.
      He managed to survive for the final few months of war in the Dachau Nazi concentration camp and would later work as a bus and truck driver after finally returning home.
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      Vanzini received his signed Inter shirt from the club to mark his 100th birthday and has now learned how to use an iPad to follow his favourite team.
      He said: “In the past, I used to visit friends who had a television … and if I was driving the bus I used to tell people: ‘Don’t shout please, I have to listen to something’.”
      Vanzini is also a huge admirer of manager Simone Inzaghi and had one last message for his heroes: “In the first half, we must not get too tired, everyone must be in their place.”
      Vanzini will be watching tonight’s clash from his care home in PaduaCredit: Reuters More

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      Will San Siro be demolished and when will AC Milan and Inter’s new stadium be ready?

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      SAN SIRO is one of the most iconic stadiums in world football – but fans could see it being left as nothing but rubble within the next few years.AC Milan and Inter approved plans at the end of 2021 to migrate into a fresh modern stadium called ‘The Cathedral’.
      The Cathedral will replace the legendary arena that is San Siro
      The Italian giants have been set an estimate date of when they can set up shop in their new home.
      But its a decision which has left fans wondering whether the old famous arena constructed in 1926 will be smashed to pieces once the two European super clubs.
      And SunSport has information as to what will happen to San Siro.
      Will San Siro be demolished?
      Reports from Gazzetta dello Sport stated that initially, the project only planned a partial demolition – but both clubs now accept no trace of the Stadio Meazza will be left.
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      And the Italian clubs agreed to complete a bulldoze of the stadium in order to make the project “greener” and more sustainable.
      However, Italy’s undersecretary for culture, Vittorio Sgarbi revealed that he’ll be doing his best to NOT tear the 80,000-seater stadium down.
      Sgarbi said: “I am convinced that the stadium should NOT be demolished, not so much for its architectural value as for the importance as a symbol and for the protection of memory.
      “For this reason, as far as I am concerned, I will take all the necessary steps to prevent it from being torn down.”
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      But Italy’s minister of culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano admitted that the decision ultimately rests with Milan’s mayor.
      Things are being put in place to prevent San Siro from being knocked downCredit: Getty
      When will AC Milan and Inter’s new stadium be ready?
      The Cathedral is estimated to be for the 2027-28 season and it will reportedly have a capacity of 65,000 – a reduction from San Siro’s 80,000.
      If the demolition goes ahead, plans have been drawn up to build The Cathedral on the same site as the San Siro.
      However, that is dependent of public approval.
      And the Italian giants opted for Populous’ carbon neutral vision – the same company responsible for the construction of Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. More

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      Ibrahimovic and partner Helena swap £430k Ferrari SF90 Spider for £1.7m Daytona SP3 after trip to luxury car dealership

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      ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC and partner Helena Seger have upgraded their Ferrari SF90 Spider for a Daytona SP3 worth £1.7million.The AC Milan star and his long-term girlfriend took a trip to a luxury car dealership and swapped vehicles.
      Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Helena Seger traded in their Ferrari SF90 SpiderCredit: BackGrid
      The couple drove away in a £1.7million Daytone SP3Credit: BackGrid
      The couple traded in their gold Ferrari worth £430,000, purchased as his 40th birthday present, in favour of a limited-edition supercar.
      They picked up a white Daytona SP3 before the Swedish striker drove away with the roof down.
      The mid-engine V12 sportscar can hit 62mph in a staggering 2.86 seconds.
      Reports claim there is only 599 models of the car in the world.
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      And Ferrari only hand them out to those invited to buy one by the company.
      Ibrahimovic is car collector and has an array of incredible motors.
      He boasts a garage that contains £650,000 Porsche and a rare Ferrari Monza SP2.
      The ex-Barcelona and Manchester United ace bought the car in 2019 for a whopping £1.4million.
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      Ibrahimovic is currently out injured, having battled through knee surgery this season.
      He has played for the Champions League semi-finalists just four times this term, netting one goal.
      Last year, he helped fire AC Milan win Serie A after scoring eight goals in 23 league appearances.
      Ibrahimovic has been seen heading to training in a Lamborghini Urus valued at £160,000.
      The 41-year-old’s contract at the San Siro is up at the end of this season, but he has no plans to retire and he will reportedly leave to join Monza.
      Zlatan Ibrahimovic and long-term partner Helena Seger took a trip to a luxury car dealershipCredit: Getty
      Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to leave AC Milan this summerCredit: AFP More

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      Football fans are just realising why Inter Milan’s badge is black and blue – and it’s actually very simple

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      INTER MILAN are set for their first Champions League semi-final in 13 years on Wednesday evening.Both legs of their tie come at the San Siro against bitter rivals AC Milan as Simone Inzaghi’s side bid to claim a fourth European crown.
      Inter Milan’s iconic blue and black saw them nicknamed the “Nerazzurri”Credit: Instagram / @inter
      Inter have not reached the Champions League semi-finals since 2010Credit: AP
      How the original Inter badge looked
      And while the intrigue of their rivals’ badge comes from the cross on their emblem, the interesting part of Inter’s comes in the form of their chosen colours.
      The blue and black combination represents the sky and the night.
      This explains their nickname, the Nerazzurri, with “Ner” meaning black and “Azzurri” meaning blue.
      They are also known affectionately as The Grass Snake or Serpente.
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      This relates to the emblem of the House of Visconte – a Milan family who controlled the city in the 13th century.
      What’s more, the circle of the badge holds within it the letters “FCIM” – which stand for FC Inter Milan.
      The club crest was first created in 1908 and modernised in 2014 – but has principally remained the same.
      And Inter will be hoping the 2022/23 campaign is a memorable one.
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      They last celebrated a European triumph under Jose Mourinho, beating Bayern Munich to lift the Champions League in 2010.
      The victory added to their back-to-back European titles in 1964 and 1965.
      But standing in their way are bitter rivals AC Milan, before a potential final against either Real Madrid or Manchester City. More

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      Man Utd joined by rivals Man City in transfer race for Benfica wonderkid Cher Ndour, 18, dubbed ‘new Pogba’

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      MANCHESTER CITY have joined the chase for Italian wonderkid Cher Ndour.Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and AC Milan are all considering summer swoops for the midfielder, 18, who is currently at Benfica.
      Man City have joined Utd in the transfer chase for Benfica wonderkid Cher NdourCredit: Getty
      But City are now also in the hunt for a player who has been compared to Paul Pogba – his childhood idol.
      The Pogba link led to assumptions that Ndour would be keen to join his hero at Juventus.
      But the 6ft 3in teenager is not thought to favour a return to Italy as he considers his options.
      SunSport understands that City scouts have been watching him closely in action for both Benfica and Italy’s Under-20 side.
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      Ndour will be out of contract in the summer and so available without a transfer fee, although training compensation will be payable to Benfica and former club Atalanta.
      He joined Benfica in 2020 and at the end of his first season made his debut for the club’s B team in the second tier of Portuguese football.
      At just 16 years and 269 days, Ndour was the youngest player ever to represent the team – beating the record set by Chelsea loan star Joao Felix.
      He made his debut for Benfica’s first team in March and has seven caps for Italy’s under-20 side.
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      Ndour, who plays mostly as a central midfielder but is also effective further forward, is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Europe.
      City are looking to recruit ready-made first-team midfielders this summer but are also looking to the future. More