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    Chelsea pre-season fixtures 2025: Schedule, tickets, TV coverage and live stream with Blues heading to Club World Cup

    CHELSEA are preparing for a first season back in the Champions League in 2025/26.Enzo Maresca guided the side back into the Champions League in his first season at the club.Enzo Maresca qualified the Blues for the Champions League in his first seasonCredit: GettyChelsea will be going into pre-season without Sancho after not paying the obligation to buyCredit: GettyThe side will be playing in the Club World Cup after winning the 2021 Champions League as part of their pre-seasonCredit: GettyChelsea have signed Liam Delap from Ipswich ahead of pre-seasonCredit: GettyThe Blues already know they will be doing it without Jadon Sancho, as the club paid United a £5million penalty fee to not sign the winger.Before the club take on any pre-season fixtures, they will be taking on the Club World Cup, qualifying after winning the 2021 Champions League. The club have already acquired Liam Delap from Ipswich, with Mike Maignan from AC Milan and Jamie Gittens from Dortmund both linked to the side.SunSport has everything you will need to know ahead of Chelsea’s pre-season.Read more FootballChelsea pre-season fixturesChelsea will take part in the 2025 Club World Cup before they take on any pre-season fixtures.So far, their confirmed fixtures are:Club World Cup:vs LAFC, Monday, June 16, 8pm BSTvs Flamengo, Friday, June 20, 7pm BSTvs ES Tunis, Wednesday, June 25, 2am BSTMost read in FootballSunSport will live blog all Chelsea Club World Cup fixtures and other select games from the massive competition, that includes Real Madrid, PSG and Man City.Club World Cup 2025 GuideSOME of the world’s biggest clubs are heading Stateside for a MAMMOTH Club World Cup.Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13.Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane will be showing their skills to packed crowds across the US.Los Blancos are favourites to lift the trophy in New York but will face stiff competition from around the globe.Watch EVERY match of the Club World Cup 2025 on DAZNHere’s everything you need to know ahead of the tournament…INFOLATEST NEWSPre-season friendlies:Chelsea are yet to confirm any pre-season fixtures.Chelsea are yet to confirm pre-season fixtures after the Club World CupCredit: GettyHowever, the side are preparing for the possibility that they may only have TWO WEEKS to prepare for the new season.Enzo Maresca is planning to give the players three weeks off upon exiting the Club World Cup, so if they play until the final in July 13, they will have a hybrid pre-season.Stay tuned to SunSport, as we will update you upon Chelsea confirming any pre-season fixtures. How to watch Chelsea’s pre-season fixtures and are there live streams?Chelsea’s entire Club World Cup campaign will be available for FREE on DAZN.In previous seasons, Chelsea’s pre-season fixtures have been shown on Chelsea’s 5th Stand app, at a price.However, Chelsea are yet to confirm any fixtures after the Club World Cup, therefore SunSport cannot confirm how to watch the potential fixtures.Chelsea pre-season ticketsTickets for the Blues three Club World Cup group stage games are still available for purchase on TicketMaster.Chelsea will take on LAFC, Flamengo and ES Tunis during their Club World Cup group stage clashes.Read More on The SunFurther ticket info for the knock-out stages (should they qualify) and other pre-season games will be announced by the club.*Please note that TicketMaster and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value. More

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    Kyle Walker lifts lid on awkward England WhatsApp group that snubbed players are forced to mute

    KYLE WALKER has lifted the lid on the awkward process of being called up to the England squad.The 35-year-old has been named in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for fixtures against Andorra tomorrow and Senegal on Tuesday.Kyle Walker has revealed how getting an England call-up worksCredit: GettyWalker revealed on his BBC podcast that players first receive a text message from a member of staff to confirm they have been selected.Further information is then passed on through an ongoing group WhatsApp chat ahead of the international break.Walker said: “There is a group chat and normally they will message you individually – just saying that you made it.”Then you will see people getting added into that group chat that have not been in before.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBecause a new group is not formed every time, snubbed players who were in previous squads still able to see the messages.Walker revealed: “No, no, you stay in. But you kind of have to mute it because you’re a little bit disheartened.”Ahead of games against Andorra and Senegal, Chelsea star Trevoh Chalobah would have been a new name added as it is his first England call-up.On his inclusion, Tuchel said: “We have some injuries in defence and he has stepped up massively since returning to Chelsea.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS”He’s contributed to Chelsea’s run for Champions League football and he’s been on our radar for some time.”Meanwhile, the likes of Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen and Harry Maguire would have had to painfully mute the chat after failing to earn a spot in the squad.England star Ivan Toney hits back at Bruno Fernandes with blunt reply after Man Utd star’s Saudi transfer snubThe Manchester City midfielder did not make the cut after a disappointing campaign, which saw him score just ten goals in 45 games.West Ham winger Bowen was surprisingly dropped despite finding the back of the net or assisting in his last six matches.Manchester United centre-back Maguire has not played for England since March last year. More

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    ‘I love the chaos’ – Why Fabio Wardley’s fight with Justis Huni won’t even be the biggest night of his month

    FABIO WARDLEY has the two most important nights of his life inside the next ten DAYS.Ipswich’s 30-year-old former recruitment worker and white-collar boxer headlines Portman Road on Saturday night against tough Australian Justis Huni.Fabio Wardley ahead of fighting Justis HuniCredit: GettyAnd on June 16 his partner is scheduled to give birth to his first child, a bouncing baby girl.For anyone else, the nail-biting fortnight would be a crippling rollercoaster of emotions impossible to combine. But the Suffolk Puncher – who went on an Oleksandr Usyk sparring trip to Ukraine in 2018 when he barely knew how to throw a jab – is loving the chaos.The class act told SunSport: “June 2025 is going to be a wild month I talk a lot about, for the rest of my life.READ MORE IN BOXING“I will be an old man in a rocking chair, telling people about it and wondering how we pulled it off.“Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.”Nine months ago, the 18-0-1 ace got the wonderful news he would be a dad for the first time.And a few weeks later he got the offer of a lifetime, to headline at his boyhood football club, a chance that some Olympic and world champions never get.Most read in BoxingWardley and his girlfriend are expecting their first child togetherCredit: Instagram @fabiowardleyCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIt seems like a psychological and logistical nightmare that would be destined for the divorce courts but Team Wardley is way too tight.“If my little girl is anything like me, then she’ll be chilled out and late, which will give me a little bit more time to decompress from the fight,” he grinned.Fabio Wardley faces off with Justis Huni ahead of his homecoming fight “The flight date has been moved around a few times but my missus has been unbelievable.“I have just promised to her that, as soon as Saturday night is over, I am all theirs.“This week, though, is just my week. I need to be totally focused on me and then it’s all on them.”Wardley – who cracked 2020 Olympic bronze winner Frazer Clarke’s skull in their one-round rematch in October – somehow combines being a brutal boxer with being a lovely bloke and he insists that won’t change with another win or a baby.“I don’t know how parenthood will affect me,” he said. “I do plan to be the fun-dad though. I want mum to do the telling off.“I think I will always be driven to push myself in everything, though. Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.“That’s something just innate in me. And I am sure I will need to feed and stoke that fire regularly.”One thing Wardley would NEVER do, despite the baffling suggestion from some clumsy pundits, is fight his mentor and pal Dillian Whyte.After following all of Wardley’s career, we were stunned to hear the idea even mooted and Wardley floored it.“You’re 100 per cent right, for once.” he laughed.“From the second it would be announced, everybody who knows the sport and who knows us, would know it would be fake and not something I would ever do, because of the amount of love, respect and admiration I have for Dills.“People go on about my story, white-collar, coming from nowhere, sparring Usyk.”But none of that is possible without Dillian at the beginning, giving me all of these opportunities. So I would never spit in his face and fight him.“Even if all the sanctioning bodies called for the fight and somebody was silly enough to put all the money up, I would take a knee in the first round and give him the win.”Whyte was due to feature on the Ipswich undercard but pulled out to secure a summer showdown with Lawrence Okolie.He has not boxed in England since November 2022 and was supposed to have a rematch with Anthony Joshua in August 2023.Read More on The SunBut that O2 sell-out was scrapped when Whyte failed a doping test.Whyte has boxed in Gibraltar and Ireland since that big-money clash was binned, landing underwhelming wins.Wardley is managed and mentored by Dillian WhyteCredit: matchroom boxing More

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    Arsenal interested in shock transfer for Real Madrid star Rodrygo as Mikel Arteta targets two priority positions

    ARSENAL are interested in Real Madrid star Rodrygo as they prepare to strengthen two key attacking areas this summer.Left-wing and striker are the priority positions for Mikel Arteta and the club have a number of targets in each category.Arsenal are interested in Real Madrid star RodrygoCredit: GettyThe Gunners are prepping for a big summer window after narrowly falling short of the Premier League title for a third consecutive season.And Rodrygo is high among the left-wingers on Arsenal’s list, along with Spain star Nico Williams and Leroy Sane, who will be a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich this summer.According to reports, Rodrygo is set for crunch talks about his future with new Madrid manager Xabi Alonso this week.Despite having three years left on his Real deal, the Brazil international lost his starting place this season under former boss Carlo Ancelotti. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSThe arrival of Kylian Mbappe last year resulted in less game-time for Rodrygo, who’s also been linked with Chelsea and  Manchester City.Rodrygo, who has scored 68 goals and provided 50 assists for Real Madrid in 267 games, is unhappy with his playing time after winning two Champions League titles with Real.Arsenal are on red alert after Madrid splashed out £33million on Argentine wonderkid Franco Mastantuono. No price tag has been confirmed for Rodrygo, but the 24-year-old is expected to cost at least £67million. Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The EmiratesIf Rodrygo and Atletico Madrid winger Williams aren’t available, Arsenal could also move for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.Rogers, who scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists for Villa in the Premier League this season, would still demand a significant fee – likely north of £50million. David Raya reveals Arsenal career changed overnight following two-hour meeting Meanwhile, after finishing second three times in a row, Arteta is desperately searching for a world class No 9.Newcastle’s £150m striker Alexander Isak and Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres are two top targets to lead the line.But Eddie Howe is confident of keeping Isak after the club qualified for next season’s Champions League.RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has been linked with Arsenal since January and has been valued at £70million. More

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    Women’s Euro 2025 star who turned down Playboy reveals she is constantly flooded with photos of naked men

    GERMANY captain Giulia Gwinn has detailed the harassment that she has received from men online.Gwinn, 25, will wear the armband as Germany go for glory at Women’s Euro 2025 next month.Giulia Gwinn is set to star at Euro 2025 for GermanyCredit: GettyGwinn, 25, is one of Bayern Munich’s star playersCredit: GettyThe defender has received plenty of attention onlineCredit: Instagram @giuliagwinnAhead of the tournament, the defender opened up on what she has had to deal with on social media.In her new autobiography, Gwinn revealed: “I constantly receive photos of naked men.”So-called penis pics. This kind of stuff constantly pops up in my Instagram inbox. The photos are always from anonymous accounts.”I delete the photos and messages, and I report the accounts. It’s just plain bad harassment.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHaving suffered with a cruciate ligament injury, Gwinn was offered a lucrative deal to pose for Playboy in 2023.The German star called the offer “very tempting” – but instead decided: “I prefer to present myself as a footballer on the field.”Gwinn has since received further offers from the magazine, but has stuck to her stance.The Bayern Munich star added: “They’re beautiful and aesthetic photos, no doubt.Most read in FootballGwinn has over 600,000 Instagram followersCredit: https://www.instagram.com/giuliagwinn/The Bayern ace has had offers to model for PlayboyCredit: https://www.instagram.com/giuliagwinn/Gwinn is set to captain Germany at the Euros next monthCredit: Getty”But they’re not for me. Posting a bikini photo on my account is fine, but anything else exceeds my personal limits.”Gwinn, who has more than 600,000 Instagram followers, remains on Playboy Germany boss Florian Boitin’s radar.England Lionesses announce squad for Euro 2025 after THREE withdrawalsHe said: “Giulia Gwinn is not only an outstanding athlete, but also a beautiful young woman. So a personality like her is naturally interesting for Playboy.”Gwinn recovered from her nasty knee injury to reclaim her spots with both Bayern and the German national team.She scored twice at last summer’s Olympic Games as Germany won bronze.While she also netted as her side beat England 4-3 at Wembley last October.Germany will begin their Euro 2025 campaign against Poland in St Gallen on July 4.They will then face further group stage tests against Denmark and Sweden.Gwinn and Co get their campaign underway on July 4Credit: GettyGwinn enjoys posting snaps on InstagramCredit: https://www.instagram.com/giuliagwinn/The defender’s pictures routinely receive thousands of likesCredit: Instagram @giuliagwinn More

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    Brit athletics champion, 81, is a MONK who took 70 YEARS to claim first gold after ‘nearly collapsing’ on first run

    A MARATHON monk has become a British athletics champion after SEVENTY YEARS despite “nearly collapsing” on his first run.Father John Gribben is a sprightly 81 years old and can now claim to be top of his field after winning a gold medal at the British Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships.A sprightly elderly monk has become a gold medal British athletics championCredit: GuzelianFather John Gribben, 81, is known as the ‘sprinting monk’Credit: GuzelianHe took home top prize in the 400m sprintCredit: SWNS:South West News ServiceWhen he’s not running, Gribben works in his West Yorkshire parishCredit: SWNSKnown as the “sprinting monk” among parishioners, he won the 400 metre dash in two minutes, three seconds and 190 milliseconds.Gribben also secured bronze medals in the 60 metre and 200 metre events in London.But it took him 70 long years to finally achieve running stardom, with Gribben’s first attempt at the sport coming in the 1950s.That didn’t exactly go to plan, with octogenarian admitting he could barely stand up straight after a half-mile effort.READ MORE IN ATHLETICSHe told The Times: “I nearly collapsed after that first run. I said, ‘I’m not a runner’, but I never stopped after it.”Gribben started to master the art of running when he moved to Mirfield, West Yorkshire, in 1979 — where he remains to this day.And like any good athlete, Gribben dedicates himself to a gruelling mid-week training schedule.He explained: “Three nights at least of a 5km run, most days I’ll do a 60 metre sprint, and then the other things are an hour at the local gym a couple of days a week.”Most read in AthleticsThe Belfast native, who attended a theological college in Dublin, mainly gets his racing kicks at Greenhead Park’s Parkrun in Huddersfield.He’s since completed over 250 events, boasting an impressive 5km personal best of 26 minutes.I’m a parkrun fanatic – here are my top 10 tips for first-timers as the event turns 20Gribben, who takes TWO buses to reach the course, started attending when he was nearly 70 years old.He now runs 5km in around 40 minutes, and those Saturday morning slogs finally paid dividends when he clinched gold at the Masters.Gribben also revealed the spiritual kick he gets from running, adding: “There’s something in the spring, you hit one point where it is ecstasy, you’re outside yourself almost, when you hit that speed that carries you the last whatever you need to get to the line.“Sometimes I just say to my saviour, ‘Well I’ll run if you run with me’.“I don’t know that I get an answer but… I start putting on my trainers and it feels good to do.” More

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    Liverpool release SEVEN players after winning Premier League title as Arne Slot prepares for new season

    LIVERPOOL have released seven players after winning the Premier League title.Arne Slot is forming his squad for next season, having already signed Jeremie Frimpong and the club are closing on a record deal for his old Bayer Leveruksen team-mate Florian Wirtz.Liverpool have released seven playersCredit: GettyBut seven players have had their departures from Liverpool confirmed.They are all academy stars in Dominic Corness, Louis Enahoro-Marcus, Harry Evers, Lee Jonas, Jakub Ojrzynski, Jacob Poytress and Reece Trueman.Corness and Ojrzynski, both 22, are the most senior to depart.Both spent last season out on loan at Gillingham and Swedish side Utsiktens BK respectively.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDefensive trio Enahoro-Marcus, Evers and Jonas after all featuring regularly for the Under-21s this season.Jonas has represented England at three age groups, as high as the Under-19s.Goalkeeping pair Poytress and Trueman are the other teenagers showed the exit door.The youngsters join back-up stopper Caoimhin Kelleher, who has joined Brentford in a £18million deal, in leaving Anfield already this summer.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSLiverpool added that Kareem Ahmed, Emmanuel Airoboma, Keyrol Figueroa, Kyle Kelly, Michael Laffey, Wellity Lucky, Terence Miles and Ranel Young have been offered new deals.Striker Figueroa, 18, is the son of ex-Wigan and Hull full-back Maynor.He made 214 Premier League appearances and won the FA Cup with the Latics in 2013.Dominic Corness has been let go by LiverpoolCredit: Shutterstock Editorial More

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    Horror moment Max Verstappen’s dad flips rally car in terrifying crash revealed in unseen footage

    THIS is the horror moment Max Verstappen’s dad Jos crashed and flipped his rally car at high speed.Disaster struck for the former F1 driver, 53, as he was competing in the Royal Rally of Scandinavia in Sweden.Max Verstappen’s father Jos suffered a nasty crash on Friday but emerged unscathedCredit: https://x.com/FIAERCJos’ rally car rolled after his rear wheels dipped in the gravelCredit: https://x.com/FIAERCHe cracked the windscreen of his car and caused other damage, being forced to retireCredit: https://x.com/FIAERCThe rollover crash brought Jos and his navigator Renaud Jamoul’s day to a halt earlier than expected last Friday.The pair started well – they were 18th overall and best out of the Master classification – but came unstuck on stage nine. Verstappen admitted they entered a corner “too quickly” before ending up in a ditch after their rear wheels dipped in the gravel. It caused the Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 to do a 360, suffering damage in the process, with newly released video painting a grim picture.READ MORE SPORT NEWSThe latest clip showed the car with a huge crack in the windscreen, but fortunately, both Jos and Renaud escaped uninjured.Verstappen said: “I went a little bit too quick into the corner and then I missed the apex, the inside of the corner.”I was in the loose gravel, on full grass and I couldn’t make the corner. Very easy to happen in this kind of rally. “It was a typical Sweden roll. I flipped it and I was back on the four wheels. Every crash should be a lesson.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”The roll cage is all fine but the front was a little bit damaged, there was some rear damage and one damper was broken.”I must say I really enjoyed it, the way of driving. Obviously these people from these countries they used to that, the only driving they do is on these kind of stages.”Lewis Hamilton hit with grid penalty at Monaco Grand Prix after blunder saw him forced to apologise to VerstappenIt was Verstappen Snr’s third-ever start on an unfamiliar gravel surface. He didn’t manage to travel to Barcelona to watch his son Max compete in the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. The Red Bull ace endured a weekend to forget after a 10-second penalty dropped him from P5 to P10, and a hefy 49 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.The 27-year-old also picked up three-penalty points after “deliberately” colliding with George Russell on Lap 61, when asked to let the Mercedes driver through after using an escape road.The punishment moves the Dutchman to 11 penalty points – one point away from a race ban.  More