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      Newcastle and Chelsea in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia transfer blow with Napoli set to hand wing wonderkid mega new deal

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      NAPOLI are reportedly planning to offer wing wizard Khvicha Kvaratskhelia a bumper new deal.The 22-year-old Georgian maestro has scored 12 goals and provided 15 assists in 26 games in all competitions this season.
      Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s Serie A stats this season
      And the Italian outfit want to double his salary by the end of the campaign, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
      The news comes as a blow to a number of Premier League sides.
      Newcastle are reportedly interested in his signature following his stunning season so far in Serie A.
      Kvaratskhelia was also linked with Chelsea towards the end of last year.
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      Elsewhere, the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are rumoured to be keen on the winger.
      Gazzetta claim several unnamed Prem teams, plus Madrid, are “ready to pay” up to £88million for Kvaratskhelia.
      But Napoli will reportedly sit down with his representatives at the end of the campaign and offer a deal worth £2.2million-a-season, plus bonuses, until 2028.
      That works out at around £42,000-a-week before add-ons.
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      His current salary is reported by Gazzetta to be around £20k-a-week.
      Kvaratskhelia only joined Napoli from Georgian side Dinamo Batumi last summer for just £8.8m, and his current deal expires in 2027.
      He has helped Napoli to a runaway lead in Serie A, with Luciano Spalletti’s side 18 points clear at the top of the table.
      The Italians are also well placed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League following a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash. More

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      ‘What he said was unjustifiable’ – Mourinho considers legal action against fourth official after red card vs Cremonese

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      JOSE MOURINHO has threatened to “take legal action” against the fourth official after he was sent-off last night.The Roma boss saw red for the third time this season as Cremonese sneaked their first Serie A win for 27 years.
      Jose Mourinho was sent-off for the third time this season last nightCredit: EPA
      The Roma boss has threatened to take legal action against the fourth officialCredit: EPA
      Viewers accused the bawling Roma boss of swearing at match officials in English when he was sent off early in the second period
      Ex-Manchester United and Chelsea manager Mourinho went following a row with the fourth official as Cremonese led through Frank Tsadjout’s brilliant top-corner opener on 17 minutes.
      Italy left-back Leonardo Spinazzola fired Roma level from Gianluca Mancini’s long pass as Mourinho watched from the stands.
      But Tsadjout’s strike-partner Daniel Ciofani fired an 83rd-minute penalty winner – following a foul by keeper Rui Patricio – to lift the home side over Sampdoria at the bottom.
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      After the fiery clash, Mourinho was still raging, particularly with fourth official Marco Serra.
      And now he could land himself in further hot water as he blasted the appointment of the official from Turin for the game ahead of Roma’s clash with Juventus at the weekend.
      The Portuguese coach said: “I am emotional, but not crazy. In order to react the way I did, something had to happen first.
      “I need to understand if I can take any legal action. [Referee Marco] Piccinini gave me a red card, because unfortunately the fourth official does not have the capacity to understand what he said to me.
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      “I want to find out if there is an audio recording. I don’t want to get into the fact that Serra is from Turin and on Sunday we are playing against Juventus.”
      Mourinho continued: “For the first time in my career, a fourth official spoke to me in the most incredible way. It was unjustifiable.
      “At the end of the game, I went to speak to them. Piccinini, who was the fourth official in the last game when I was sent off, told me to apologise to Serra.
      “I told Serra he should have the courage to explain what happened, but he had memory problems.”
      When pressed to reveal what Serra had said, Mourinho refused, saying: “I prefer for everything to be done in public.”
      Victory over a Cremonese, who had also dumped them out of the Italian Cup, would have put Roma back in the four Champions League spots.
      As for Cremonese, they joyfully celebrated their first Serie A triumph since March 1996.
      They returned to the top-flight this season as Serie B runners-up.
      But promotion-winning boss Fabio Pecchia quit for Parma in the summer, with former Lazio and Genoa chief Davide Ballardini replacing him but struggling since. More

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      Paul Pogba makes Juventus debut 315 days after last appearance as ex-Man Utd ace finally overcomes injury hell

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      PAUL POGBA has finally made his second Juventus debut… 315 days after his last competitive match.The Frenchman ended his time at Manchester United by picking up a calf injury during a 4-0 loss to Liverpool last April.
      Paul Pogba was back in action after 315 days outCredit: AFP
      The former Man United star helped his side win the Turin derbyCredit: Getty
      The Frenchman arrives at the stadium ahead of his return to actionCredit: Getty
      He subsequently rejoined Juve, the side the Red Devils paid £89million for his services back in 2016, on a free transfer.
      Ahead of his second debut for the Old Lady, however, he suffered a devastating knee injury.
      Pogba, 29, was forced to undergo surgery on his right knee last September, ruling him out of France’s World Cup defence in the process.
      During his layoff Juve were eliminated from the Champions League, before being slapped with a 15-point deduction in Serie A for a transfer scam.
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      He tentatively returned to training last month and was even named on Juve’s 11-man bench for their 2-0 defeat to Monza on January 29, just to warm up with his new team-mates.
      Pogba has now finally returned to full fitness, and was thrust into tonight’s Turin derby against Torino.
      He replaced Enzo Barrenechea on 69 minutes with the score level at 2-2.
      And his introduction appeared to do the trick, with Gleison Bremer putting Juve 3-2 up just two minutes later, before Adrien Rabiot made it 4-2 with 80 on the clock.
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      Pogba, 29, recently returned to full trainingCredit: Getty
      Ahead of the match, boss Massimiliano Allegri said of his No10: “He’s better, he’ll be called up tomorrow.
      “If there’s a need tomorrow, we’ll put him on, he certainly won’t be able to play a lot of minutes.”
      He then added: “Now, to say that Pogba can be a starter for Juventus after 315 days without playing, (Federico) Chiesa, who has been out for 10 months, is the same thing. We need a bit of patience.”
      On what he expects from Pogba, he continued: “I spoke to him like I do with other players.
      “He has to understand that it’s an important part of the season to get back on track, he has to have all the motivation to do good until the end of the season and give us a hand.”
      Juve went into tonight’s match eighth in Serie A – 13 points off the top four due to their deduction.
      They will soon be back in European action too, being drawn to face SC Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16 after defeating Nantes in the play-off.
      Massimiliano Allegri recently sought to temper expectationsCredit: Getty More

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      Fuming Jose Mourinho sent off for third time this season as Roma lose to side with no Serie A win in 27 YEARS

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      JOSE MOURINHO saw red for the third time this season as Cremonese sneaked their first Serie A win for 27 years.Viewers accused the bawling Roma boss of swearing at match officials in English when he was sent off early in the second period
      Referee Marco Piccinini didn’t mess about as he sent Jose Mourinho offCredit: EPA
      Roma chief Mourinho was just as furious immediately after seeing redCredit: EPA
      What a blow for Roma and Mourinho as defeat kept them out of the top fourCredit: Getty
      Ex-Manchester United and Chelsea manager Mourinho went for dissent as Cremonese led through Frank Tsadjout’s brilliant top-corner opener on 17 minutes.
      Italy left-back Leonardo Spinazzola fired Roma level from Gianluca Mancini’s long pass as Mourinho watched from the stands.
      But Tsadjout’s strike-partner Daniel Ciofani fired an 83rd-minute penalty winner – following a foul by keeper Rui Patricio – to lift the home side over Sampdoria at the bottom.
      Victory over a Cremonese team that also dumped them out of the Italian Cup would have put Roma back in the four Champions League spots.
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      So fans weren’t surprised by the manager’s antics.
      One joked: “At this point, Mourinho has more red cards than his actual players.”
      Another posted: “Jose Mourinho doing Mourinho things. Handed a red card at the start of the second half for abusing the officials.”
      A few observers even claimed they could lip-read Mourinho swearing.
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      Defeat puts extra pressure on Mourinho’s men in the Europa League
      Roma face third-placed LaLiga aside Real Sociedad in the last 16.
      As for Cremonese, they joyfully celebrated their first Serie A triumph since March 1996.
      They returned to the top-flight this season as Serie B runners-up.
      But promotion-winning boss Fabio Pecchia quit for Parma in the summer, with former Lazio and Genoa chief Davide Ballardini replacing him.

      Daniel Ciofani, left, enjoys his winner along with Cremonese team-mate David Okereke to leapfrog Sampdoria at the bottomCredit: EPA More

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      Champions League winner looks unrecognisable as he launches own branded wine

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      FOOTBALL fans have been left dumbfounded after a former Champions League winner announced his new wine venture – but it had nothing to do with his role as wine salesman.The Czech Republic international started his career with Banik Ostrava before earning a big move to Serie A in 2000.
      A former Czech Republic and AC Milan star has launched a new wine ventureCredit: Instagram @jankul18
      The 45-year-old looks completely unrecognisable from his playing daysCredit: Instagram @jankul18
      The ex left winger joined Italian giants Napoli after impressing for his country at Euro 2000.
      He went on to make 51 appearances and scored eight goals during his two-year spell in Naples.
      That led to a stint on loan at Udinese, which eventually turned into a permanent move and three seasons with the Italian side.
      West Ham had been linked with our mystery ace – but he spent three years with Udinese as a host of Europe’s top clubs started circling.
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      Eventually, in the summer of 2005, he was snapped up by AC Milan and he went on to enjoy huge success at the San Siro after converting to left full-back.
      And the pinnacle was undoubtedly the 2007 Champions League final.
      He started in defence for Milan as two goals from Filippo Inzaghi sealed a 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
      The man we are talking about is none other than the now 45-year-old Marek Jankulovski.
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      And he continued to enjoy success at Milan as they lifted both the Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup later that year.
      His performances in 2007 also earned him the Czech footballer of the year accolade.
      Jankulovski and Milan then celebrated winning the Serie A title in 2011 but that would prove to be his final campaign at the club.
      He returned to boyhood club Banik Ostrava that summer but the fairytale comeback ended in disappointing fashion.
      Marek Jankulovski won the Champions League with AC MilanCredit: AFP
      He won 78 caps and scored 12 goals for Czech RepublicCredit: AP:Associated Press
      The Czech icon made his debut against Hradec Kralove in October but managed to play just eight minutes after coming off the bench as he suffered a knee injury.
      That turned out to be his last professional game as he announced his retirement due to injury in February 2012.
      The 78-capped national hero did manage to pull on the boots again 12 months later in front of a packed crowd for a farewell match that had been arranged by the club.
      Jankulovski was employed as a consultant by Banik and also started work in his homeland as a pundit for Champions League matches.
      He was then named as Banik’s sporting director in June 2018 but left the role two years later.
      Now he has a new job away from the pitch as he shared his news on Instagram – and his followers could barely believe that it was him as he looks completely unrecognisable from his heyday.
      Standing in front of a huge barrel of wine and holding a bottle of it, he captioned the snap with: “Italy, wine and football.. Introducing WINE LEGEND – Marek Jankulovski. Many thanks to winemaker Fabio for including me in the selected company of champions for whom he exclusively produces wines. Info on where you can order wine will be added soon.”
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      One response read: “He has aged like a fine wine.”
      While another wrote: “It took me a while to work out who this was.” More

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      Kylian Mbappe filmed telling fan which Italian club he would make transfer to if he left PSG

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      PARIS-SAINT GERMAIN star Kylian Mbappe has been filmed telling a fan who his next club could be. The Frenchman was asked if he left the Ligue 1 team, which Serie A side would take his fancy.
      Kylian Mbappe was asked what Italian side he would join if he left PSG
      Mbappe’s contract does not expire at PSG until 2025Credit: Getty
      Mbappe did not have to think about his answer, swiftly responding: “If I came it’s only AC Milan.”
      He was asked the question by a fan at the FIFA Best Awards ceremony.
      The 24-year-old did not win the trophy for top player as it went to his PSG team-mate Lionel Messi after his World Cup triumph.
      Mbappe did however make the FIFPRO World XI for the best team of 2022.
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      He managed to squeeze into the side alongside other attackers Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema and Messi in a side some fans believe is unbalanced.
      Mbappe is enjoying yet another stellar season with PSG, netting 29 goals in the same number of games in all competitions.
      He is continuing his fine form on from the World Cup where he scored eight goals in seven matches.
      Mbappe’s contract in Paris does not expire until the summer of 2025 and it is unclear whether he would choose Milan over Real Madrid in the future.
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      Los Blancos tried to sign him before but he ended up staying to sign a contract worth half a billion at PSG.
      Although there has been rumours that Mbappe wants to leave the club as soon as next year.
      Milan currently sit third in Serie A and face Tottenham next week in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, the Italians currently lead 1-0. More

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      Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini caught throwing SANDWICH out of car at AC Milan fans who were abusing him after game

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      ATALANTA manager Gian Piero Gasperini has landed himself in hot water after throwing a sandwich out of his car at AC Milan fans.Gasperini, 65, watched his side lose 2-0 to the seven-time European champions at the San Siro on Sunday.
      Gian Piero Gasperini raged at AC Milan supporters after Atalanta’s lossCredit: Getty
      Gasperini could be seen throwing a sandwich out of his car windowCredit: TikTok
      He then shouted at the AC Milan supporters who were bothering himCredit: TikTok
      The result leaves Atalanta four points adrift of the Champions League places as they dropped to sixth in the Serie A table.
      And their Italian head coach has not taken the defeat well.
      A video has gone viral of some Milan supporters shouting at him as he sits in his car.
      Gasperini, who is eating, then throws his food at the fans.
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      Atalanta have suffered a run of four defeats in five games in all competitions.
      Defeats to Sassuolo, Lecce and AC Milan have seen them lose ground on top-four rivals Lazio and Roma.
      But this season remains a huge opportunity to secure Champions League qualification due to Juventus’ points deduction.
      Max Allegri’s side were docked 15 points as punishment for a transfer scam.
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      It dropped the 36-time Italian champions from third to 11th and effectively out of the running for a top-four place.
      After the loss to Milan, Football Italia reported Gasperini as saying: “This is Atalanta, we gave our all this evening and tried everything, but Milan were superior on the night and we must learn from these games to focus on the next against Udinese.
      “That will be very important, as it can allow us to maintain a gap from the teams behind us in the table.
      “What we saw tonight was that despite our best efforts, it is evident that Milan simply had more than we did.” More

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      ‘Even the commentator seemed surprised’ – Fans all say the same thing after huge camera blunder on BT Sport

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      FANS were left saying the same thing as BT Sport missed a stunning goal on their Serie A coverage this evening.The British broadcaster televised Verona’s clash with Fiorentina.
      Verona stunned! 😳 Cristiano Biraghi catches everyone napping and chips the keeper from the halfway line! Unbelievable scenes 😲 pic.twitter.com/YLxixXt1G1— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 27, 2023

      Fans were bewildered as the screen cut back to Fiorentina celebratingCredit: @btsportfootball
      Cristiano Biraghi shot from his own halfCredit: @btsportfootball
      The match resulted in a comfortable win for the visitors, although viewers didn’t get to watch the best moment of the game as it happened.
      Goals by Antonin Barak and Arthur Cabral put La Viola into a commanding 2-0 position – before a Cristiano Biraghi wonder-strike from his own half sealed a 3-0 win.
      With a player down receiving treatment the local broadcast, which BT Sport picks up, decided to show a replay of Verona hitting the post.
      As the feed cut back to live, fans were left confused as Fiorentina stars celebrated.
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      Replays eventually revealed that Biraghi had opted to shoot directly from a free-kick in his own half, with the ball incredibly sailing into the back of the net.
      Despite a Fiorentina star being down hurt, the referee allowed the goal to stand, ignoring Verona’s protestations.
      Regarding the incident, fans couldn’t believe it had been missed by telly cameras.
      One wrote: “Unbelievable s*** director missing the actual goal.”
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      A second responded: “Shambles.”
      While a third tweeted: “What on earth happened there? The commentators & cameraman didn’t have a clue.”
      And a fourth added: “The perils of comms from a studio, hasn’t a clue what’s happened till the replay has he.”
      One user cut the commentator some slack, tweeting: “To be fair to the commentator he has done remarkably well in a mad situation.
      “He’s clearly in a studio, presumably in the UK, but has somehow managed to keep the flow of the commentary relatively steady whilst you can tell half of his brain is working over time on what’s happened.”
      Many were unhappy with the referee allowing the wonder-goal to count – one tweeting: “That’s ridiculous how that is allowed stand. Ref is on his way over to check on the injured player.”
      A second fumed: “Surely the ref has to restart the game? Looks like he caught by surprise? How does that stand?”
      Cristiano Biraghi celebrates his wonder-strikeCredit: Getty More