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      Security measures footballers are taking, including buying £50k panic rooms and spending up to £40k on guard dogs

      by

      FOOTBALLERS can afford the ultimate luxuries in life, like sprawling homes, cars and expensive jewellery thanks to their hefty salaries.
      But unfortunately that makes them easy prey for opportunist thieves – who’ll target anything of value to steal.

      Dele Alli is the latest footballer to be targeted by burglarsCredit: EPA

      Police arrive on the scene of Alli’s North London home after intruders broke in and stole watchesCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun

      Manchester City ace Kyle Walker became the latest footballer to beef up his security detail – buying a doberman for £40,000 from guard dog specialists Chaperone K9.
      Last year, Dele Alli became was a victim of a robbery, where two burglars broke into his North London home, assaulted him before taking off with expensive watches, including a £150,000 Richard Mille 11-03, a £150,000 Patek Philippe 5980 Nautilus and a £50,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chrono.
      Then in 2019, ex-Arsenal stars Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac were chased by a moped gang, who tried to car-jack the German playmaker’s Mercedes G-Wagon, as the pair drove along a North London road.
      While  Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was burgled when he was on Champions League duty with the Reds, who were playing away against Bayern Munich.

      While the Senegalese forward was tormenting the Bavarians, his mansion was being ransacked by burglars, who nicked items including mobile phones, car keys and designer watches.
      But what security measures do footballers take to keep themselves safe from harm?
      IN THE CASE OF DELE
      Since having his timepieces nicked, Dele is trying to make them too hot to handle and has circulated their makes and models.
      And his football pals have told him they will pass on the details to their watchmakers in the hope they can catch the thieves.

      A source told The Sun: “These robbers might think they have hit the jackpot stealing these watches, but they are going to face real problems cashing them in.
      “Footballers use a handful of dealers and none will touch a stolen watch because they know it could cause serious problems down the line.

      Dele Alli’s prized watches were stolen from himCredit: Dele Instagram

      A £50,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chrono was taken in the burglaryCredit: Dele Instagram

      Ali and his pals have circulated their makes and models to make the goods too hot to handleCredit: Dele Instagram
      “It’s not unusual for cops in Dubai and Italy to demand to see papers for watches when passengers pass through security.
      “Can you imagine if a watch stolen in a violent robbery ends up on a wrist of a player who then gets arrested?
      “Dele is well connected through the England squad and knows players in Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and London where all the main dealers are.
      “These dealers know if they accidentally bought any watch that turned out to be one of Dele’s, then they would never sell to a footballer again.”
      PANIC ROOMS
      One of the big trends in the last few years has seen footballers installing bulletproof panic rooms inside their lavish properties.
      Costing anywhere from between £40k to £1m, they provide a secure hiding spot for families at home during a burglary.
      David Beckham recently installed one in his family’s Kensington abode, along with a 24-hour, 60-camera CCTV system.
      Paul Weldon, managing director of The Panic Room, fits them for high-profile clients around Europe.
      He told us: “A panic room is a room that’s self-contained, that if the house becomes under some form of aggravated break-in, the family can get into that room, be safe and secure and have some independent communication to call for help.

      Former Arsenal pals Sead Kolasinac and Mesut Ozil were the subject of a car-jacking last yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The moped thugs had given chase to Ozil’s Mercedes G-Class SUV in North London

      Bosnian left-back Kolasinac bravely managed to send the attackers scarpering

      Panic rooms have become a huge trend for footballersCredit: The Panic Room Company

      A bulletproof panic room can cost anything from £40k to £1mCredit: The Panic Room Company

      Panic rooms are normally installed within an existing room in a propertyCredit: The Panic Room Company
      “In a residential home, we try to locate somewhere on the first bedroom floor where there’s a closet of two metres by two metres that can double up as a fully-blown panic room.
      “Generally, our rooms are installed inside an existing room and they have the capability to withstand bullets from a handgun and a shotgun.
      “They range from about £40,000 to £1m in price – and clients don’t just use them to protect themselves, they’ll store specialist wines, art work, and put their safes in there too.
      “But you have to remember, a panic room is a last resort. With a big, detached property you’ve got to incorporate other systems.
      “It may be at night you set perimeter alarms, or a ground floor alarm. So at least you’ve got some warning that someone is knocking around.
      “If the alarm activates outside, you can get your family inside a panic room and call the police. But it’s got to be used with other security features of a property.”
      SPECIALLY-TRAINED GUARD DOGS
      Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Mark Noble, Phil Jones, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jesse Lingard all swear by Chaperone K9 – a Leicestershire-based company that provides specially trained guard dogs to protect Premier League footballers’ families.
      The majority of dogs they provide are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, and each pooch has been put through a rigorous 12-month plus training programme.
      According to Chaperone K9’s website, the dogs are able to recognise and deal with a number of different threats, including home invasion, road rage, personal attacks on the person and their family and robbery.

      Chaperone K9 provide guard dogs to footballers, including Marcus RashfordCredit: Chaperone K9

      Mark Noble invested in two German Shepherds from Chaperone K9 to protect his familyCredit: Chaperone K9

      Man Utd star Phil Jones also believes having a Chaperone K9 dog in your home warns off intrudersCredit: Chaperone K9

      Rashford paid upwards of £15,000 for a Chaperone K9 dog to protect his Cheshire propertyCredit: Chaperone K9

      Hugo Lloris recently added a guard dog from Elite Protection to his familyCredit: Instagram
      Once given a command, they will spring into action with an apparent initial display of aggression to ward a potential assailant off simply by barking.
      If there is more than one attacker, they are taught to position themselves between you and the potential threat, continuously barking to keep the assailants at bay.
      And should the assailant continue to pose you a danger, a Chaperone K9 has learned, on command, to bite and hold the attacker until you tell the dog to release them.
      Since the Alli incident, more footballers have said to have invested in the ferocious guard dogs – also using rival firm Elite Protection, like Hugo Lloris.
      PERSONAL BODYGUARDS
      When you’re as famous as someone like the Beckhams, surrounding yourself and your children with burly security guards is a necessity.
      On the school run in LA, former members of the SAS would flank the family’s brood before they went to class.
      And when Brazil captain Dani Alves was at PSG, Titan Security were asked to look after his safety during a meet and greet.
      “When Dani launched his new clothing line in Paris, we supplied security staff for him,” Matthew Watson, director for Titan Security Europe explained.
      “Measures were taken in store where Dani was signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.

      David Beckham and his family are regularly flanked by security, some of which are SAS-trainedCredit: AFP – Getty
      “Crowd control and proximity of general public in this setting had to be considered due to the nature of it being a high-profile footballer, as well as two-way earpiece radio support to bodyguards on site.”
      Watson believes in the wake of the recent incidents more footballers will seek personal security.
      “In light of recent events, anticipation is for this market to continue to grow,” he said.
      “Affluent footballers are often a target due to lack of security around them, and they are very much in the public eye.
      “While brazen attempts to rob these individuals is becoming more frequent, with salary’s being posted and shared on social media.
      “That means footballers today are at risk more than ever.”

      Dani Alves required security detail when he was attending an event in ParisCredit: PA:Press Association
      RAISING AN ALARM
      Shield Security provide alarms and systems for footballers in the Yorkshire and Humber region, as well as the North of England.
      When Southampton forward Shane Long was plying his trade at Hull City, he enlisted their services.
      “During my time with Premier League football club Hull City, my family were fortunate enough to benefit from the services of Shield Security,” he revealed.
      “As a professional footballer, I often spend a great deal of time away from home, and with that in mind, my wife and I wanted the best security protection for our family.”
      Not only does Shield offer state-of-the-art alarms that can detect the most cunning intruder, they also offer security staff that stay at the home overnight, which is something Long invested in ahead of Hull’s ill-fated Europa League campaign in 2014.
      “We can offer guards to patrol the premises for footballers when they’re away, which is a decent visual deterrent,” Shield Security manager Alex Lee, 26, told us.
      “While some of the clients will request patrol cars visit four or five times a night to have a look around the premises.
      “But it’s mostly going technology-wise now. What happens with these burglaries is the robbers tend to know when a footballer is going away, so it’s pretty hard to prevent against.”
      Lee revealed that footballers are spending up to £20k to ensure their mansions are covered by alarms, cameras and barrier fences.

      Shield Security provide alarms, barrier fences and more for footballersCredit: Shield Security

      Shane Long asked Shield Security to provide a patrol guard to look after his property when he was awayCredit: Reuters

      CCTV cameras are installed around footballers’ homes, with video and alerts sent straight to their phones if an alarm is triggeredCredit: Getty – Contributor
      “A lot of footballers tend to live in houses that have gated houses.
      “So the first port of call is a gated intercom. They have a video camera pointing at the entrance and that goes direct to an app on their mobile phones.
      “There could also be cameras right around the site, with some players even doing internal cameras by their back doors, as well as intruder alarms.
      “We install perimeter fences too that have a laser going from pillar to pillar, so any movement over that and an alarm will be triggered.

      “It’s not too different to what your average Joe is getting really, but the only difference is it’s on a larger scale because of the size of their houses.
      “Most footballers’ homes are five bedroom homes, so they’re spending anywhere from £5,000 to £20,000.
      “But if that’s the price of keeping them and their family safe, they will happily pay that.”

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      in Soccer

      How ‘drugs kingpin’ Daniel Kinahan, linked to boxing world champ Tyson Fury, is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency appears a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — something he has always denied and he has never been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars reportedly turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
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      Former Man Utd star Mads Timm reveals Ronaldo’s amazing self obsession to succeed after he was bullied by team-mates

      by

      CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s self-obsession helped him become the player he is today, according to a former Manchester United teammate.
      Former Danish wonderkid Mads Timm spent three years training with the Juventus star, who was signed from Sporting Lisbon for £12.24million in 2003, before he was released.

      Cristiano Ronaldo was self-obsessed as a youngster to get to the topCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Timm, who now plays for Danish Serie 1 club Kerteminde Boldklub, recalled how the Portuguese legend was bullied for his hairstyle and the way he played – but stuck to his guns and stood up to senior teammates.
      And in the end it was his “me, me, me” attitude that turned him into the footballing god he is today.
      ‘EXTRAORDINARY’
      “He was quite extraordinary as a footballer, and as a person,” Timm writes in his book Red Devil.
      “Like me, he was bullied when he came to the club. With his hair – which he soon got clipped – and with his almost acrobatic attempt to impress the coaches.

      “He could stand and do 10-15 step overs before he tried to dribble past the opponent.
      “Pass now, just pass, dammit,’ shouted Gary Neville and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer constantly to him when we had reserve team matches together.
      “The special thing about Cristiano Ronaldo was that he immediately took the fight against the hierarchy. And he won it.
      “He was completely indifferent to the rest of his teammates. He gave no room for others. It was me, me, me. Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7.”

      While Timm faded into obscurity, Ronaldo has won four Ballon d’Or trophies during a career laden with trophies.

      Former Man Utd wonderkid Mads Timm revealed Ronaldo’s incredible desire to be the best in his bookCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Ronaldo was bullied by teammates for his hairstyleCredit: Getty – Contributor
      STEELY DETERMINATION
      The Dane insisted Ronaldo wasn’t the most accomplished footballer he ever played with, but was certainly the most determined to succeed.
      He wrote: “He’s not the best player I have played with, but he is the most focused person I have ever met. Mentally he reminded me of myself at age 12, and he does really still.
      “I do not think he sees himself from the outside, and I do not think he’s going to sit and laugh at himself. I think that’s why he survived in the professional football world.”
      TRAINING TOGETHER
      Timm often found himself on opposite teams to Ronaldo in training sessions.
      While he admits he had lost his head and hated the environment at United, Ronaldo was thriving with an attitude that said he was going to make it.
      “He was just the opposite; he was moving forward, clear-headed and with an indomitable faith in himself,” Timm said.
      “It was also reflected on the pitch. We performed an internal training match where I played on the left wing, while he was right wing for the other team.
      “Every time we met on the field, he wiped me, and I have rarely been so out of breath after a test. He pulled all the air out of me.”

      Ronaldo once left Timm gasping for air after a training sessionCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Now 35, Timm is still playing in DenmarkCredit: Getty – Contributor

      After settling in at the club, Ronaldo had a proposition for Timm.
      “Cristiano Ronaldo was also dying to buy one of my diamond jewellery, but I refused to sell it to him,” Timm revealed.
      “It had to be enough, he had already taken my dream.”

      Mbappe names Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol ahead of Lionel Messi and World Cup final goal vs Croatia was his favourite More

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      in Soccer

      How ‘drugs kingpin’ Daniel Kinahan, linked to boxing champ Tyson Fury, is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency seems a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — something he has always denied and he has never been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars reportedly turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

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      Kyle Walker joins Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling, and Jack Grealish who have invested in £40k guard dogs for protection

      by

      FOOTBALLERS’ security has never been more crucial.
      Kyle Walker is the latest footballer who has invested some of his salary in a guard dog, trained by Chaperone K9 – who specialise in providing security pooches for the wealthy and famous.

      Kyle Walker has beefed up his security with a guard dogCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Man City ace splashed £40,000 on a doberman from Chaperone K9

      Walker is said to have spent £40,000 shelled out £40000 on a Doberman guard dog after a series of raids on footballers.
      Dele Alli was one of many high-profile stars robbed – when masked men held him at knifepoint and punched him in the face, as they made off with watches worth around £350,000.
      Months before that, Crystal Palace star Mamadou Sakho’s home was ransacked, while Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have also recently had their safety jeopardised by muggers looking for money and jewellery.
      To combat thieves, Premier League stars are now fighting back. Here’s who has beefed up their security.

      JACK GREALISH
      Aston Villa star Jack Grealish bought a £25,000 Belgian Malinois pooch from Chaperone K9 last year.
      The England midfielder posted a picture on his Instagram story of the dog sticking its tongue out, accompanying it with the heart-eyes emoji.
      His new pooch’s suppliers captioned the picture by saying: “Welcome to the Chaperone K9 family.”

      Jack Grealish is the latest footballer to invest in a four-legged friend for securityCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Aston Villa ace Grealish welcomed a Belgian Malinois to his family for £25kCredit: Instagram / @chaperonek9
      MARCUS RASHFORD
      Like many footballers, the Manchester United and England forward shopped with Leicestershire’s Chaperone K9, who specialise in training and selling expert guard dogs.

      Rashford got himself a huge Cane Corso dog named The Saint that would’ve set him back somewhere in the region of £25,000.
      He showed off the pooch on Instagram in 2018, and looked mightily impressed with his purchase.

      Marcus Rashford has a Cane Corso called The Saint
      PAUL POGBA
      Rashford’s Manchester United team-mate Pogba is also a firm believer in protecting yourself with a big dog.
      He spent around £15,000 on a Rottweiler in 2019 after he became a target for irate fans.
      Pogba stepped up his security measures weeks after “Pogba Out” was sprayed outside the club’s training ground.
      He hasn’t had trouble since.

      Paul Pogba invested in a Rottweiler when he was a target for Man Utd fansCredit: Chaperone K9
      RAHEEM STERLING
      The Manchester City winger is a man with lots to protect.
      Sterling, a father of three, has a £15,000 Rottweiler called Okan looking after him, his missus Paige Milian and their family.
      The Three Lions star was forced to act after Paige returned from a shopping trip to their £3million Cheshire to find a male intruder at their home.

      Raheem Sterling bought Okan after his missus Paige Milian walked in on an intruder in their home
      PHIL JONES
      Manchester United defender Jones already boasted family pets – a couple of adorable pugs.
      But they weren’t going to offer him the security he and his wife Kaya needed – should someone threaten their safety.
      That’s why they brought in German Shepherd Buddy for £15,000, who will happily save the day if they’re ever in trouble.

      Buddy, the German Shepherd, sits with the Jones family
      MARK NOBLE
      West Ham captain Noble is extra careful when it comes to home protection.
      He bought a Belgian Malinois called Striker from Chaperone K9, and also has a German Shepherd as its companion.
      Both probably boast as much bite in the middle of the park as the Hammers midfielder.

      Mark Noble’s Belgian Malinois will have as much bite as he does in the middle of the parkCredit: Chaperone K9
      TYRONE MINGS
      Towering defender Mings may look an intimidating presence at 6ft 5in, but he feels more secure having man’s best friend in his home.
      Like Sterling and Pogba, he went for an intelligent Rottweiler to protect him and the pooch has helped him settle at Aston Villa.
      “Pablo, he’s a Rottweiler, he is here [in Birmingham] he’s at home,” Mings told the Birmingham Mail when asked who helped him find his feet in the Midlands.
      “He’s great, he’s the best thing ever. We got him as a protection dog.”

      Pablo, who belongs to Tyrone Mings, helped the defender settle in BirminghamCredit: Chaperone K9
      ANDY CARROLL
      The Newcastle striker was left terrified when he was the target of a gun-wielding motorbike rider who tried to steal his watch while he was in his car waiting at the traffic lights.
      So, he bought a Cane Corso to protect him and his family, including ex-TOWIE star Billi Mucklow.
      They named him Bane after the murderous Batman villain played by Tom Hardy.

      Meet Andy Carroll’s Cane Corso, Bane
      RIO FERDINAND
      Back in March, BT Sport pundit Rio added teeth to his home security.
      A German Shepherd, trained by Chaperone K9, was acquired by the former Manchester United star who was concerned his family may become targets if he was away for work.
      A source told The Sun: “They already have stringent measures in place but you can’t be too careful.
      “They also love going out for walks as a family in the countryside, so having a dog makes sense.”

      BT Sport pundit Ferdinand wanted a dog to protect his family when he was on away days (it’s the one on the right)
      HUGO LLORIS
      France goalkeeper Lloris went to a rival firm for his security pooch.
      The Spurs stopper called up Elite Protection Dogs for a four-legged friend to mind his premises whenever he’s away.
      The London-based firm uses only German and Belgian Shepherds that “come from military and police backgrounds”.
      Its website says the dogs are “dedicated to shield you . . .  from any possible danger or threat as taught through intense training, mental stability and obedience”.

      Hugo Lloris got his pet from Elite Protection DogsCredit: Instagram
      HAMZA CHOUDHURY
      The Leicester City star popped into Chaperone K9’s Leicestershire HQ and personally saw his Belgian Malinois in development.
      According to Chaperone K9’s website, the dogs are able to recognise and deal with a number of different threats, including home invasion, road rage, personal attacks on the person and their family and robbery.

      Once given a command, they will spring into action with an apparent initial display of aggression to ward a potential assailant off simply by barking.
      If there is more than one attacker, they are taught to position themselves between you and the potential threat, continuously barking to keep the assailants at bay.
      And should the assailant continue to pose you a danger, a Chaperone K9 has learned, on command, to bite and hold the attacker until you tell the dog to release them.

      Leicester star Choudhury went to Chaperone K9s HQ to see his dog being trainedCredit: Chaperone K9

      The dogs are able to recognise and deal with a number of different threats

      Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms Marcus Rashford injured and Cavani ‘probably’ out for AC Milan match More

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      How ‘drugs kingpin’ linked to boxing and Tyson Fury is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency seems a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — despite never having been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
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      Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Juventus star has 20-plus league goals in past thirteen seasons but who has most?

      by

      THERE is no doubt about it, in the past decade we have witnessed two of the greatest footballers ever push each other to their goalscoring limits.
      Last Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, scored his 20th league goal of the season as Juventus defeated Spezia in Serie A.

      It’s the 12th consecutive season the Portuguese legend has managed to register 20-plus goals in a league campaign across Europe’s top five leagues.
      But how does that compare to his great rival Lionel Messi, 33, who also has managed 20-plus goals in his last 12 campaigns – and is just one away from making 13 in a row.
      SunSport takes a look at their numbers in the past years.
      2008-09
      The first time any one of these greats registered 20 goals came in Messi’s fifth season with Barcelona.

      23 goals in 31 league games saw Pep Guardiola’s team roar to the title – some nine points ahead of nearest rivals Real Madrid.
      It wasn’t enough for Messi to win The Pichichi Trophy – with Diego Forlan netting the most – an astonishing 32 goals.
      Ronaldo, in his final season as a Manchester United player managed 18 Premier League goals.

      Lionel Messi registered his first 20 league goals a season haul in the 2008-09 seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      2008-09 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last year at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      2009-10
      After his £80million transfer to Real Madrid, Ronaldo and Messi would go head-to-head for the first time.

      Having the benefit of experience playing in LaLiga, the Argentine was top goalscorer in the competition with 34 goals in 35 games.
      Ronaldo, who wasn’t even Real’s top scorer (Gonzalo Higuain managed 27), scored 26 goals in as many games. Ronaldo might’ve marginally had the better goalscoring ratio, but Messi had the numbers.

      Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in 2009 for £80m to ignite his rivalry with MessiCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      2010-11
      With Messi setting the bar, Ronaldo knew he had to record special numbers to defeat his rival in the goalscoring charts.
      Astonishingly, he bagged 40 goals in the 2010-11 season – nine more than Messi managed.
      Still, for all his efforts, Barça were champions once again.
      2011-12
      The numbers went astronomical in 2011-12, with both players reaching the peak of their powers.
      Between them they managed an incredible 96 league goals, in a season where Jose Mourinho wrestled the title off Guardiola after three years of Barcelona dominance.
      Messi hit a remarkable 50 league goals, while Ronaldo managed an equally impressive 46. Nearest to them was Radamel Falcao with 24, which was a measure of how far ahead the pair were of everyone else.

      At the peak of their powers Ronaldo and Messi managed 96 league goals between them in the 2011-12 campaignCredit: EPA
      2012-13
      Barcelona reclaimed their title in impressive fashion – by 15 points in the end.
      Messi, was of course, central to that with 46 in just 32 games and was top scorer again.
      Ronaldo was second with 34 in as many games. Although he did finish top scorer in the Champions League that season.
      2013-14
      Injuries meant both Messi and Ronaldo didn’t play as many league games as they had managed previously.
      The latter won back the Pichichi Trophy with 31 goals to Messi’s 28, but both both missed out on the LaLiga title, as Atletico Madrid were crowned champions.

      Messi and Ronaldo’s fight to be crowned the GOAT continues to rage on
      Again, it’s worth noting Ronaldo excelled in the Champions League – with 17 in a campaign that saw Real crowned European champions. It’s a record that’s not been broken.

      Ronaldo landed the Pichichi Trophy for the 2013-14 seasonCredit: Getty – Contributor
      2014-15
      In one of the closest title races in years, Barcelona pipped Real by just two points in the end.
      But Ronaldo amassed his highest ever league goal total – scoring 48 goals in 35 matches.
      Messi’s 43 would’ve done it any other year, if the former Manchester United player wasn’t around.
      2015-16
      The top scorer mantle was passed on in 2015-16 to Luis Suarez – the first time it wasn’t Ronaldo or Messi in six seasons.
      Messi’s 26 was his lowest since 2008-09, while Ronaldo’s 35 showed he was still on top of his game.
      Again, Barcelona were champions by just one point in what was a nail-biting climax to the league season.

      For the 2015-16 Messi had to share his goals with Neymar and Luis SuarezCredit: Corbis
      2016-17
      Despite recording his lowest amount of league goals (25), Ronaldo’s Real were champions for the first time since their 2011-12 season.
      Messi, who had the presence of Suarez and Neymar around him, managed an impressive 37 goals.
      However, he would’ve been frustrated to see Ronaldo’s lifting ANOTHER Champions League trophy.
      2017-18
      Domestically, Messi proved he was king again.
      His 34 strikes helped propel the Catalans to the LaLiga trophy. Ronaldo’s 26 were an improvement from the previous season.
      However, a new challenge was around the corner.

      Messi proved he was the domestic king in 2017-18 scoring 34 times in the leagueCredit: AFP or licensors
      2018-19
      At 33, Ronaldo embarked on a new challenge and moved to Juventus in an £88million deal.
      With his rival gone, Messi still continued to deliver – scoring 36 times in La Liga.
      In his debut season in Italy, Ronaldo just passed the 20 goal threshold with 21 in 31. He finished a disappointing fourth in the Capocannoniere hunt.
      2019-20
      Ronaldo came back with a bang in 2019-20 – recording 31 goals in a campaign that delivered back-to-back league titles for his club.
      It wasn’t enough to be crowned top scorer – with Ciro Immobile managing an amazing 36 – equalling a Serie A record of most goals in a season.
      Messi ended his LaLiga campaign on 25, six less than Ronaldo, but as Pichichi Trophy winner.

      In his second season at Juventus Ronaldo scored an impressive 31 Serie A goalsCredit: AP:Associated Press
      2020-21
      This season, with still plenty of games left to play, Ronaldo leads the Serie A scoring charts with 20 goals in his 21 games.
      He beat Messi to 20 by a fraction, who has 19 in his 23 league games.

      Even though they’re perhaps past their peak, the numbers still remain positive, despite current advesity.
      Their clubs are trailing behind in their respective title races, which hasn’t helped their cause.
      But who will finish on top? Messi or Ronaldo?

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

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      Brazil icon Zico still drives the Toyota Celica he won 40 YEARS AGO for earning Man of the Match vs Liverpool

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      BRAZIL legend Zico still drives the Toyota Celica he won 40 YEARS AGO as his Man of the Match prize against Liverpool.
      The playmaker received the car for orchestrating Flamengo’s 3-0 demolition of the best side in Europe in the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, played in Japan.

      In 1981 Zico famously won a Toyota Celica for a man of the match performance against Liverpool in the Intercontinental CupCredit: Facebook: ZicoOficial

      Incredibly, some 40 years later, Zico still drives the Toyota CelicaCredit: YouTube

      Zico was the proud recipient of a Toyota Celica, worth around £8,000, gifted by the Japanese car giants after the game at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
      And the Brazilian icon still owns the motor today…. and even drives it around Rio de Janeiro.
      And he won’t be parted from it.
      He said: “I have already received many offers to sell Celica, but it never crossed my mind. 

      “It is a great trophy, a fantastic memory, it is the most important competition that Flamengo has won to date. 
      “The car is at home and working very well, everything normal. And it will stay there forever as long as I am alive.”
      SPONSORED CAR
      Between 1980-2014 Toyota were the official sponsors of the Intercontinental Cup, now better known as the World Club Cup.
      Normally, whoever was the best player on the pitch took a car home with them.

      Often, the man-of-the-match winner would sell the car and divide what it made between his team-mates.
      However, Zico wanted it as a keepsake.
      “Toyota wanted me to bring the car to Brazil anyway, because of the closed import at that time,” e later told Autoesporte.
      “And I really wanted to bring Celica as a trophy.”

      Toyota famously sponsored the Intercontinental Cup from 1980-2014

      Zico bamboozled Kenny Daglish and Co as Flamengo beat Liverpool 3-0Credit: Rex Features

      After the game Zico was presented with a Toyota Celica STCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Zico drives his Toyota Celica out of his garage
      IMPORT ISSUES
      Brazil’s strict import rules made it nearly impossible for Zico to bring his car back to his homeland
      Between 1976-90, it was only people who worked for embassies and consulates that were allowed to get vehicles from abroad.
      “In order to bring Celica in, I had to ask for help from some people, such as the Minister of Finance at the time, Francisco Dornelles, Carlos Langoni, president of the Central Bank, and Marcio Braga, who was president of Flamengo from 1977 to 1980,” Zico revealed.
      Zico played against Liverpool in 1981. However, he didn’t get his car until April 1983 after red tape was resolved.
      By that time, the midfielder was heading to Udinese to play in Serie A.
      Amusingly, the car he did get wasn’t the one that was sat on the running track at Tokyo’s National Stadium – the Celica ST.
      Zico was given an upgrade – the Celica 2.0 GT – the third generation of the model that boasted a 2.0 engine with 145 hp of power and 19 kgfm of torque.
      IN SAFE HANDS
      The 1982 World Cup star didn’t get behind the wheel of his Toyota until 1985, when he returned to Rio.

      Ironically, when Zico finally got his hands on the infamous Toyota Celica it was actually an upgraded model – the Celica 2.0 GTCredit: Instagram @zico

      Zico, seen behind the wheel of his Toyota Celica, has clocked around 70,000 miles in his 40-year-old car

      Flamengo legend Zico played 580 games for the club in two spells scoring 401 goalsCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      [embedded content]
      For two years it was in the safe hands of his brother Edu.
      “He made very good use of Celica,” Zico joked.
      The motor is believed to have around 70,000 miles on the clock, and occasionally finds itself the showpiece in football museums in South America.

      And the Brazilian icon STILL loves to get behind the wheel of his cherished prize.
      But he does have one complaint.
      He said: “The steering is not hydraulic and is very heavy, so when I’m in Brazil and I want to do weight training, I go out driving Celica.” More