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      Chris Kamara breaks down in tears over apraxia and speech problems and felt he needed to quit Soccer Saturday

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      CHRIS KAMARA says he feels like a “fraud” following his apraxia of speech diagnosis – and like someone else is controlling his voice.The 64-year-old left his role on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday at the end of last season after being diagnosed with an underactive thyroid earlier this year, leaving him with a condition that affects his speech.
      Chris Kamara became a popular match reporter in his role on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday showCredit: Enterprise
      The former Swindon and Brentford midfielder has continued with his media work as the host of ITV’s Ninja Warrior UK and co-host of the BBC’s Proper Football podcast with Ben Shephard.
      But speaking with watery eyes on the Diary Of A CEO podcast, a clearly choked-up Kammy admitted: “I feel a fraud now in terms of broadcasting – I don’t bring to the table what I used to.
      “I feel I’m doing these programmes and they’re not getting the best of me – they’re tolerating me, that’s how it feels. You take your old self for granted.”
      Kamara first started to feel unwell in March 2020 but ignored the signs for around 20 months before finally getting a diagnosis.
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      And when he returned to TV duties, he said he felt like people watching him were probably wondering if he was drunk or had suffered a stroke.
      Asked what it is like to suffer from speech apraxia, Kamara added: “It feels like someone has taken over my voice box.
      “The voice that used to come out would come out at 300 miles an hour on Soccer Saturday, motormouth, talking and not even waiting for a breath, just keep going and going.
      “Now when I hear myself or see myself on TV it’s someone else. It’s really strange.
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      “Some days the message from the brain to the mouth is really slow and makes it difficult, or some days the words come out different than what you’re trying to say – and that’s even weirder.
      “That’s been hard to accept – and is still hard to accept.” More

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      Gazza made Gazzetta Football Italia primetime viewing as Channel 4 celebrates 30 years since Serie A football came home

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      THIS week marks the 30th anniversary of Channel 4 bringing Italian footy to British and Irish TV screens — as Serie A gained a cult following.Saturday mornings were all about highlights show Gazzetta Football Italia, while Football Italia featured live action from the biggest names in world football every Sunday and a chance to watch Paul Gascoigne.
      Gazza with a snake wrapped around his neckCredit: YouTube
      Gascoigne spent time in Italy’s capital playing for LazioCredit: Getty
      Gullit in action for AC MilanCredit: Getty
      Baggio was one of Italy’s biggest starsCredit: Getty
      Jonathan Grade was a producer when the iconic Gazzetta Football Italia took over our televisions.
      In his new book Golazzo: The Football Italia Years, he talks Gazza, snakes and the finest footballers of the 1990s.
      In those days Serie A was in a class of its own.
      Fans had to pay a subscription to watch Premier League football, but over on Channel 4 the best league in the world had a new home, and you did not have to pay a penny.
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      And while Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Gabriel Batistuta and Co were thrilling viewers every week, it was the arrival of a certain Geordie who took centre stage, as Gazza finally signed for Lazio.
      His three years in the eternal city were a rollercoaster.
      There were some unforgettable times — the highlight being a last-minute equaliser in the Rome derby — but there were lows too, as he suffered repeated injury setbacks.
      Gazza’s weekly appearances on Gazzetta Football Italia were legendary, as he and presenter James Richardson hit it off from the start.
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      James would have him up to all sorts — one week doing links with a giant chocolate Easter egg over his head and the next with a snake around his neck!
      On the field viewers were treated to the finest football in Europe.
      A six-goal thriller between Sampdoria and Lazio was the perfect way to start and set the tone for a thrilling first season.
      Any idea that Serie A was dull was well and truly swept away.
      Football Italia was the first live football programme to not have commentators inside the stadium.
      Instead, Peter Brackley would be based in a voiceover booth — usually alongside Ray Wilkins. The viewer would be none the wiser.
      Brackers would always tell us that when he returned home after a live game that nobody could believe he’d got back so quickly!
      While the show was an enormous success it was not always plain sailing behind the scenes.
      There were times when we’d lose the match feed — on one occasion for a match between Parma and Juventus.
      Thankfully we started filming just in time for a Filippo Inzaghi goal, so the viewers didn’t miss anything!
      The pictures coming from our host broadcaster in Italy may not have been Prem quality, but the football was from another planet.
      Before long C4 would expand the coverage. Both legs of Italy’s crucial World Cup qualifier with Russia in 1998 were shown live, attracting a huge audience.
      The channel’s commitment to Football Italia got stronger. Saturday night’s primetime viewing one week was the Milan derby, as we were able to keep showing the biggest games.
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      Sadly, at the turn of the millennium crowd trouble and racism came to the fore in Serie A and in 2002 Channel 4 decided not to renew its Football Italia contract.
      But the memories still remain of one of the greatest eras in Italian football history — and viewers over here got the chance to see it all. 
      l Golazzo: The Football Italia Years by Jonathan Grade is available on Amazon for €13.57 and the Kindle store for €10.31. More

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      Erling Haaland nicknamed “Daemon” by Man City teammates who say he’s spitting image of House of the Dragon character

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      FOOTBALL sensation Erling Haaland has been nicknamed “Daemon” by his Manchester City teammates thanks to his striking resemblance to Daemon Targaryen from TV show House of the Dragon.The Norwegian striker has taken the Premier League by storm, scoring an incredible nine goals already this season – including two hat tricks.
      Erling Haaland bears a striking resemblance to House of the Dragon character, Daemon Targaryen, according to his teammates
      Matt Smith stars as Daemon in Game of Thrones Spin off, House of the Dragon
      The 22-year-old bears an uncanny resemblance to the character played by actor Matt Smith in the Game of Thrones spin off prequel series.
      On Wednesday night, Haaland scored three in just 38 minutes during City’s 6-0 demolition of Notts Forest – proving he’s a “Daemon” in the box.
      The nickname has stuck in the dressing room, with the likes of John Stones and Phil Foden blown away by Haaland’s talents.
      A club insider said: “A few of the players are huge fans of House of Dragon and they have mentioned to Erling how much he looks like Daemon.
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      “He loves a joke and thinks it’s funny. Daemon is unpredictable and so is Erling so their personality’s fit as well.”
      Fans have embraced the lookalike doubles with One Blues fan joking on Twitter: “Didn’t know Daemon Targaryen plays for Man City with the pseudonym Haaland on the back.”
      Another said: “As well as being a great football player @ErlingHaaland is excellent as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon.”
      Daemon is the volatile younger brother of King Viserys who is known as the Rogue Prince.
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      He is thought to be next in line to the Iron Throne, until King Viserys names Princess Rhaenyra as his heir.
      He is an experienced warrior who rides the dragon Caraxes.
      City signed Halaand this summer for £51m from Borussia Dortmund. More

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      Netflix and Amazon Prime in bidding war to sign Man Utd for revealing fly-on-the-wall docuseries like All or Nothing

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      NETFLIX and Amazon Prime are in a bidding war to sign Manchester United for a new fly-on-the-wall documentary series.TV execs are keen to capitalise on the popularity of the recent All or Nothing documentary which follows the rollercoaster year endured by Arsenal last season.
      Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing: Netflix has been a massive hit
      Manchester City, Tottenham and Sunderland have also appeared in similar shows – and all have proved huge ratings successes.
      SunSport understands that Manchester United are the top of the list for the bosses of streaming giants – and they are willing to pay MILLIONS for it.
      A source said: “The story of the rebuild of Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, the future of Cristiano Ronaldo and the campaign to remove the Glazer family from the club is like a Hollywood movie in itself.
      “That’s why the club has become the new target for both Amazon Prime and Netflix producers and offers have gone in several times.
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      “Producers have made great play of the fact a programme would be a chance for the directors to show a different side to their role at the club, much like the way Arsenal’s owners did in All or Nothing.
      “So far United haven’t given the idea the green light. But the interest remains strong and is unlikely to go away.”

      The streaming giants are prepared to pay Man Utd a huge sum to allow the cameras inside the club.
      The source continued: “Amazon paid about £10m for the All or Nothing series.
      Most read in FootballFly on the BallFOOTBALL’S best docuseries

      Amazon PrimeAll or Nothing: Man City (2018)All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur (2020)All or Nothing: Arsenal (2022)Take Us Home: Leeds United (2020)The Pogmentary (2022)
      NetflixSunderland ‘Til I Die (2018)
      DisneyWelcome to Wrexham (2022)

      “But producers would be willing to go much, much more than that if they could get access to the biggest club in the world.
      “Viewers from China to America to Manchester would be tuning in if they could pull it off.”
      Sun Online understands Barcelona are also being targeted for a fly-on-the-wall show with interest high following the club’s financial turmoil.
      The story of Wrexham’s purchase by Hollywood owners is also currently drawing in viewers from around the world on Disney Plus and has been acclaimed by critics.
      Our source added: “Fly on the wall football shows are very much in fashion at the moment and Amazon and Netflix want to show more and more of them.
      “Most top clubs have their own TV channel these days but they don’t show the true inside story of what goes on, which is why fly on the wall programmes are proving to be so popular right now.”
      Read More on The Sun
       Amazon also reportedly want to film Newcastle for the duration of the 2023/24 season.
      The season would hit the silver screen in the summer of 2024 and could provide a unique insight into life at the club since the Saudi-led takeover last October.
      Former chairman Stewart Donald on Netflix’s Sunderland ‘Til I DieCredit: Netflix More

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      Carl Frampton stuns viewers as he solves maths round on Countdown after BOTH contestants fail in Dictionary Corner stint

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      FORMER world champion boxer Carl Frampton stunned Countdown viewers by solving an incredibly tough maths round on the show.The 35-year-old, who hung up his gloves last year, was the celebrity guest alongside Susie Dent in dictionary corner for this week’s episodes of the Channel 4 programme.
      Frampton won world titles in two weight classes and unified the super-bantamweight divisionCredit: PA:Press Association
      It looked like he stunned himself by successfully getting the 698 target
      Rachel Riley was left thoroughly impressed by Frampton’s maths skills
      And the Northern Irishman stepped up to show his number skills when both contestants had failed to get the target.
      The task was to work out a way of reaching 698 using 75, 7, 8, 10, 4 and 2.

      Frampton, a two-weight world champion in the ring, started by multiplying 75 by 10 to get 750.
      He then multiplied the 8 and 7 together to make 56 and took that off the 750 – leaving him with 694.
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      The former fighter then simply added the four to reach the magical 698 without even using the 2.
      He appeared to stun himself, everyone in the studio and even those watching from home by reaching the target.
      And he received a round of applause for the superb effort.
      But Frampton gave no indication that he was skilled at Countdown before the show aired.
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      Speaking to Belfast Live about how it went, he said: “It was a great experience.
      “I’ve done things in TV studios before and there was no audience so maybe that helped, but it wasn’t nerve-wracking or anything, and the fact that I was confident I was going to be helped along made things a wee bit easier for me.
      “It was a great day, you do five shows and get them all done in one day, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it actually comes out like and I feel like I didn’t let myself down!”
      Revealing he does watch the show at home from time to time, he went on to add: “If I was in the house at that time I would have stuck it on [the TV] because I don’t mind doing wee things like that because I feel like the odd thing like that every now and again keeps your brain active, especially when you’re not doing much with it.
      “I’m probably equally as bad [at numbers and letters] but I’d say I’m slightly better with numbers than with letters.” More

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      Tyson Fury’s Netflix series could scupper December date for Oleksandr Usyk fight as directors want to film retired life

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      TYSON FURY’S Netflix series could scupper plans for an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk taking place before the end of the year.The streaming platform announced earlier this week that a docu-series following The Gypsy King is in production.
      Tyson Fury retired after knocking out Dillian Whyte at Wembley in AprilCredit: Getty
      The Netflix show is set to centre around Fury’s life post-retirementCredit: Instagram
      Usyk beat Joshua to defend his world heavyweight titles on Saturday nightCredit: Getty
      It will feature “exclusive access to the heavyweight champion of the world as he exits the ring and tries to embrace retirement with his extraordinary family”.
      The working title for the multi-part series is “At Home with the Furys”.
      However, if Fury does choose to come out of retirement to face Usyk, his training camp could clash with Netflix’s filming schedule.
      According to World Boxing News, this is set to leave the British fighter with a decision to make.
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      Either he goes ahead with the Usyk bout in December or postpones it until next year in order to film the Netflix show.
      No serious negotiations have taken place between Fury and Usyk’s teams as of yet.
      The Ukrainian, 35, beat Anthony Joshua for a second time over the weekend to successfully defend his heavyweight belts for the first time.
      He now appears to be on a collision course to face Fury for the undisputed crown.
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      However, the Morecambe-based fighter has set the price for his comeback at £500million.
      And he has also given Usyk’s team just one week to negotiate a deal for the undisputed dust-up.
      Speaking on social media, Fury said: “To all these suitors out there who want to make the fight.
      “I will give you all seven days, until 1 September, to come up with the money.
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      “If not, thanks very much, it’s been a blast, but I’m retired.
      “All offers submitted must be to my lawyer Robert Davis, in writing, with proof of funds. So let the games begin.” More

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      Tyson Fury’s Netflix docuseries CONFIRMED with filming underway amid talks for Oleksandr Usyk undisputed title fight

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      NETFLIX have announced production of their blockbuster documentary series with Tyson Fury is underway.Filming began shortly after The Gypsy King announced his retirement from boxing following his brutal knockout of Dillian Whyte in April.
      Tyson Fury announced his retirement from boxing in AprilCredit: GETTY
      Fury’s post-retirement life will be the subject of a Netflix seriesCredit: Getty
      The global streaming platform has confirmed production of the series is underwayCredit: TWITTER
      And the streaming platform has revealed they’re currently putting the finishing touches on their series documenting the WBC heavyweight champ.
      They tweeted: ‘“NEWS: Netflix is in production on a multipart documentary with global boxing star Tyson Fury!”
      “The series will have exclusive access to the heavyweight champion of the world as he exits the ring and tries to embrace retirement with his extraordinary family.”
      Fight fans were quick to comment, with one saying: “I’ll definitely be given this a watch when it comes out.”
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      Another said: “Big that.”
      And another said: “Fury’s story is wild. Heavyweight champ of the world, fallen into depression and addiction, gains hundreds of pounds.
      “Then comes back to be the best in the world by miles.”
      One remarked: “Shut up and take my money.”
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      Another chimed in: “Best thing Netflix have ever done.”
      News of Fury’s upcoming documentary comes amid talks of an undisputed title fight with unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk.
      The Brit revealed he’ll come out of retirement to face the Ukranian after seeing him defeat Brit rival Anthony Joshua in Jeddah last weekend.
      But the WBC king wants a whopping £500million to face the slick southpaw.
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      He wrote on Instagram: “The world’s biggest fight has to be the world’s biggest money if I’m to put it all on the line vs some unknown foreigner.
      “Boys, better get that half a billy. If not, keep that little mug.”
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      ITV announce they will show LaLiga games FREE to air from this season – with Real Madrid or Barcelona in every game

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      ITV have announced they will show 10 LaLiga matches free to air this season, with Barcelona or Real Madrid involved in every one.The three-year deal, which was confirmed on Friday, will see games be shown on ITV, ITV4 and ITV Hub.
      Real Madrid are the reigning LaLiga champions heading into the 2022/23 campaignCredit: Reuters
      The first free-to-air match selected is Real Sociedad vs Barcelona which will be on ITV4 from 8.30pm on Sunday, August 21.
      As part of the deal, Premier Sports will also continue to show LaLiga games in the UK.
      Following the news, ITV Director of Sport, Niall Sloane, said: “This deal ensures free to air coverage for all football fans of one of the most entertaining leagues in the world.
      “The deal with Premier Sports will give fans the chance to see some of the most iconic clubs and world-class players in action, live on ITV.”
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      The deal means ITV have secured the rights to show LaLiga football up until and including the 2024/25 campaign.
      Real Madrid are the current LaLiga champions after they clinched their 35th Spanish title last season.
      Carlo Ancelotti’s men finished 13 points ahead of rivals Barcelona and 15 in front of Atletico Madrid.
      And they then also went on to lift a 14th European Cup after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final.
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      Meanwhile, last season saw Barcelona eliminated in the Champions League group stages for the first time in 20 years.
      They then dropped down to the Europa League but lost to Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.
      However, a trophyless season has been followed up by a spree of summer signings – despite the club’s financial crisis.

      They have brought in Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen.
      The Catalan giants are also strongly linked with Marcos Alonso and Bernardo Silva. More