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      Former Sunderland chief Sir Bob Murray claims billionaire new owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has given fans their club back

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      SIR BOB MURRAY has a simple message for Sunderland fans: We’ve got our club back. Hope is finally in the Wearside air following what supporters see as the dark days under unpopular owners Ellis Short and Stewart Donald. 
      Billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus stepped in to take over Sunderland in FebruaryCredit: Reuters
      Ex-Black Cats owner Sir Bob Murray says optimism has swept back into the clubCredit: Getty
      Billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, 23, is responsible for the new wave of optimism, having ridden to the rescue in February.
      Local lad Murray, 74, made his fortune in kitchen manufacturing before holding the Sunderland reins from 1986-2006.
      And after meeting Dreyfus and his family for the first time at the Stadium of Light before the last day of the regular season, the former Black Cats chief could not be more buoyant.
      Murray told SunSport: “A supporter pulled me outside the ground and said, ‘Have we got it, Bob?’ 
      “I asked what he meant and, crying, he said, ‘Have we got our club back?’ 
      “I told him we have….all of us. Having experienced what I have over the last couple of months, I really am over the moon.  
      “We had zero hope after all the challenges and setbacks the club has faced over many years.
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      “Since I spent 20 years doing what I did, it’s been heartbreaking for me and my family. 
      “Now I am so positive. I’ve had numerous conversations and met Kyril and the family last weekend. In North-East language – they get it.” 
      Murray is so optimistic that he is even excited about a fourth season in League One if the Black Cats don’t win the play-offs. 
      Lee Johnson’s side were on course for automatic promotion before a stuttering end left them fourth and up against Lincoln.  
      Sunderland are yet to win the play-offs in five attempts, despite being promoted in 1990 having lost the final to Swindon after the Robins were denied a place in the old First Division because of financial irregularities.
      But Murray, who now lives in Jersey, bullishly declared he will be at the final – and reckons they can end their hoodoo and return to the Premier League in no time.
      He added: “We’re not very good at the play-offs, it’s not our thing. 
      Sunderland manager Lee Johnson saw them win the Papa John’s Trophy in March and now they face the play-offs as they bid to return to the ChampionshipCredit: PA
      “But records are there to be broken. We hadn’t won at Wembley in 50 years before we won the Papa John’s Trophy in March.   
      “The last time we were in the third tier in 1987/88 we were promoted straight away and had one year in the old Division Two before winning promotion again. 
      “Sadly we struggled to sustain the team having come from that low. But with these gentlemen’s experience and wealth, it’s different. 
      “We fell from the Premier League to League One in two years, so why couldn’t we go up in three? 
      “But I’m excited about next season whatever division we are in because I know we’ve got a future.”
      Swiss-French businessman Dreyfus inherited his fortune after his father, Robert – the former owner of Marseille- died in 2009.
      The club is now finally debt free after his £40million takeover, and work to turn Sunderland back into a tour de force is well underway.
      And Murray, who moved the club from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light in 1997, points to the academy as the first order of business.
      We have one of the best academies in Britain but it’s like having a factory with no raw materials. It’s ridiculous.Sir Bob Murray
      He said: “He’s got to turn the academy around.
      “We have Sunderland-born children playing for Newcastle, which says everything.
      “When I left we had Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford in there.
      “We have one of the best academies in Britain but it’s like having a factory with no raw materials.  It’s ridiculous.
      “That’s their priority. I’ve been introduced to all the backroom staff and the investment will be more like for a Premier League than a League One club.”
      Murray recognises it will not be easy to turn the great Sunderland tanker around.
      But in Kyril he trusts, pledging his allegiance to the youngster.
      He added: “He’s got a massive job on but one of the good things is that the previous owners got us to such a low base that it can only go one way.
      “They’re not here to make a quick buck.
      “Kyril is considered and articulate with knowledge beyond his years – and his English is better than mine.
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      “He even bought me a Sunderland shirt and had my name put on it, which was a lovely gesture.  
      “His family have a great heritage in football and it was great to see from the outset him taking time to understand the history and heritage of the club, and wanting to engage.
      “I’m sure we’ve got our club back – I’ll put my name to that.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Sunderland takeover confirmed by EFL as billionaire heir Kyril Louis-Dreyfus promises new era for Black Cats More

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      Phil Foden’s mum Claire, 41, caught in alcohol-fuelled brawl which left a woman with black eyes and bite marks

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      ENGLAND wonderkid Phil Foden’s mum was caught in an alcohol-fuelled brawl which left a woman with two black eyes and bite marks.Claire Foden, 41 — who has guided the young Manchester City starlet’s career ­— also suffered injuries in the clash with Katie Skitt at a get-together.
      Phil Foden’s mum Claire was caught in an alcohol-fuelled brawlCredit: Instagram @philfoden
      Katie Skitt was left with two black eyes and bite marks following the brawl
      A source said: “Claire was at a party for a female pal’s birthday and was having a great time.
      “It all kicked off just after the male stripper had done a turn.
      “Claire asked Katie for a cigarette, but what happened next is unclear as the Prosecco had been flowing.”
      The row spilled out into the street in front of horrified neighbours and a bottle of vodka was hurled and smashed.
      The source added: “Lots of people got involved. It was like something from an episode of Shameless. There was hair pulling, scratching and punching.”
      Midfielder Phil has emerged this season as one of the world’s best young playersCredit: Getty
      Mum-of-one Katie, 32, was left covered in blood and was later given a tetanus jab after discovering that she had suffered bite marks to her stomach and face.
      The 30-minute melee took place at a house in Stockport, Gtr Manchester, close to the £3million home Claire shares with Phil and partner Rebecca Cooke, both 20. The pair are expecting their second child.
      A friend of Katie said: “She was covered in blood. Katie is a mum with a young son and she doesn’t want him to see her injuries.
      “She is very scared after what happened.”
      Midfielder Phil has emerged this season as one of the world’s best young players and is now valued at around £100million.
      His side were last week crowned Premier League champions and he has appeared for England six times so far.
      Phil and partner Rebecca Cooke are expecting their second child

      Claire and husband Phil, 41, have been praised for keeping Phil Jnr’s feet on the ground as his career took off.
      Claire said of her son: “He was the cheapest kid ever. Just get him a ball and he’d be happy.
      “He didn’t care about anything else, games, toys, nothing, just a football.”
      The Manchester City player is now valued at around £100millionCredit: Getty
      Man City ace Phil Foden reveals he and childhood sweetheart Rebecca Cooke have a second baby on the way More

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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury gives up booze for good as he admits drinking up to 12 pints a DAY

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      TYSON Fury has gone teetotal as he looks to keep his mental health demons at bay.The boxing champ, 32 — who confessed to drinking 12 pints a day — has vowed to family and friends he will stay off booze.
      Boxer Tyson Fury has gone teetotal in a bid to keep his mental health demons at bayCredit: Getty
      Champ Tyson confessed to drinking 12 pints a day but has vowed to family and friends he will stay off boozeCredit: Xposure
      “Gypsy King” Fury has spoken openly about his drink, drugs, and mental health issues in the past.
      He was spotted this week with his boxer half-brother Tommy, 22, relaxing by a pool in Miami — with Fury sipping from a bottle of alcohol-free lager.
      A source said: “Tyson has kicked the booze on the head for good.
      “It is not because of the boxing, because he can always get in shape for fights and obviously doesn’t drink during training camps.
      “Tyson is doing this for himself and his family — especially his wife Paris.
      “And he reckons it is the best way to be a great dad and stay in shape physically and mentally.”
      Undefeated heavyweight Fury said in March he was drinking up to a dozen beers a day and had quit training as he was fed up with fights collapsing.
      The 6ft 9in star said: “I have stopped training at the moment, I am on holiday.
      “I am drinking between eight, ten, 12 pints of lager a day.”
      Sources said he could have been joking in a bid to speed up big-fight negotiations.
      And he is set to fight Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia, in August, in a unification bout worth up to £100million each.
      ‘Gypsy King’ Fury has spoken openly about his drink, drugs, and mental health issues in the pastCredit: Getty
      A source said: ‘Tyson has kicked the booze on the head for good’Credit: Getty

      Paris, 31, is pregnant with the couple’s sixth child.
      She sparked fears by posing without her wedding ring on Instagram.
      But our source insisted: “They are rock-solid.”
      Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua likely to start at 9pm UK time More

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      Marcus Rashford splits with childhood sweetheart of eight years following lockdown strain

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      MARCUS Rashford has split from his school sweetheart Lucia Loi after eight years together.She was with him as he made his name with Manchester United and England.
      Marcus Rashford has split from his childhood sweetheart girlfriend after eight yearsCredit: Getty
      Marcus is said to be devastated following his split from PR executive Lucia Loi
      Sources say the pair, both 23, broke up amid lockdown pressures but still have a “mutual love and respect”.
      Anti-child poverty campaigner Marcus is said to be devastated following his split from PR executive Lucia.
      Lucia has moved out of the Manchester United forward’s plush pad.
      But pals say the split — which did not involve anyone else — was amicable.
      The pair are still keeping in touch and there are even hopes they might get back together if they can work through their issues.
      Friends blamed the breakdown on the pandemic forcing Marcus and Lucia, both 23, to spend too much time together.
      Marcus and Lucia, pictured in 2018, are said to have split due to the strain of being cooped up during lockdownCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      The couple jetted to Barbados and were pictured on a jet-ski together after the 2018 World Cup in RussiaCredit: Mega
      Lucia has moved out of the Manchester United forward’s plush padCredit: Getty
      A source close to the football hero said last night: “After eight years together, Marcus and Lucia have made the mutual decision to part ways.
      “It is a result of the pressures and strains of the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, and the confinement that has brought with it over the last 12 months.
      “There is a strong mutual love and respect for one another, having met at school, and there is a continued dialogue with the hope of a reconciliation in the future.”
      They first fell for each other at Ashton on Mersey School in Sale, Greater Manchester.
      Marcus — made an MBE in the Queen’s Honours list last year — has recently devoted much of his time to charity work on behalf of underprivileged children.
      Last year, he helped raise £20million for kids to receive free school meals during the pandemic.

      TOUGH UPBRINGING
      His campaign resulted in the Government providing summer vouchers for 1.3million children eligible for free school meals.
      Then he prompted Boris Johnson to agree to provide £400million of support to poor children and their families in a winter grant scheme.
      Marcus — who relied on free school meals during his tough upbringing in Wythenshawe, Manchester — said it would improve the lives of 1.7million.
      He has spoken to the PM about child poverty issues on several occasions.
      And in February he led attacks on a company providing measly school meal parcels.
      The source said: “Marcus has had so much going on, with his football and campaigning and people wonder whether that contributed to the situation with Lucia.
      Pals say the split — which did not involve anyone else — was amicable
      The pair are still keeping in touch and there are even hopes they might get back together
      “She has supported everything he has done on child poverty but it has added to his workload.
      “Maybe, after a break, they will be able to work things out and get back together.”
      Marcus broke into Manchester United’s first team in 2016 when he was just 18.
      He celebrated scoring two goals on his debut by playing pool in the common room of his and Lucia’s former school.
      Two years later, Lucia was seen supporting Marcus and his England teammates at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
      Sporting a Three Lions shirt with Rashford printed the back, she watched from the stands as England beat Sweden in the quarter-finals, in a match where Marcus came on as a sub.
      Last July Lucia graduated in Advertising and Brand Management with first-class honoursCredit: Refer to Caption
      And she posted a selfie — again in an England shirt — from the stands as the team lost to Croatia in the semis, with Marcus again coming on from the bench.
      After the tournament, the couple jetted to Barbados and were pictured on a jet-ski together off the west coast of the Caribbean island.
      Last July Lucia, who worked for Manchester-based PR company Sugar, graduated in Advertising and Brand Management with first-class honours.
      She has also carried out charity work in Zambia, helping to host educational and sports classes for impoverished children. And she has previously done charity work in Sri Lanka.
      Lucia and Marcus did not talk about their relationship publicly. And she removed an Instagram snap of Marcus taken to celebrate his birthday in 2016.
      In online biographies, Lucia says she loves “fitness, art and cooking” and also enjoys travelling.
      ‘MASSIVE DIFFERENCE’
      Marcus has scored 19 times for United this season, including in their 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on Thursday.
      He has helped the Red Devils qualify for next season’s Champions League and reach the final of the Europa League in Poland on May 26.
      He is also likely to play for England in this summer’s delayed Euro 2020 tournament, which will see some games — including the final — played in the UK.
      The pair are said to have split three months ago.
      Speaking about his food campaigning last month, Marcus said help during the summer holidays would have made a “massive difference” to his family.
      He added: “Is it fair if people go hungry? No, it’s not.”
      Marcus has recently devoted much of his time to charity work on behalf of underprivileged childrenCredit: marcusrashford
      Last year, Marcus helped raise £20million for kids to receive free school meals during the pandemic
      Marcus has scored 19 times for United this seasonCredit: Getty
      Marcus — the youngest of five siblings brought up by single mum Melanie — then received a special award at last December’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his tireless campaigning.
      He has also set up his own book club, with publisher Macmillan Children’s Books.
      In an interview with The Sun, he said: “I wasn’t to know that it was a normal thing for somebody to be read a bedtime story.
      “I only started reading books when I was 17 and it completely changed my outlook and mentality.”
      Friends say that Lucia loves travelling and is passionate about helping others.
      A source added: “She’s very good at her PR job because she’s got a great personality so things like networking and events organising come naturally to her.
      “She gets on really well with all of her colleagues.”
      Marcus received a special award at last December’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his tireless campaigningCredit: PA

      She is said to have been “very supportive” of Marcus’s school meals campaigning but has kept out of the spotlight and tried to keep their relationship private over the years.
      A separate source said: “Marcus may want to get back with Lucia.
      “But if that does not happen, I am sure neither will stay on the shelf for long.”
      Marcus Rashford to teach kids how to cook cheap dinners as part of food poverty campaign More

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      Newcastle United has most bald fans in Premier League – where does your club rank?

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      NEWCASTLE United boasts the highest number of bald fans in the Premier League — with many blaming the stress of supporting them.A poll found 49 per cent of followers of the Toon Army have lost their locks — above the national average for men of 39 per cent.
      A poll revealed that Newcastle United has the highest number of bald fans in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty

      And the average for Premier League fans is 30 per cent.
      Researchers found Newcastle fans believe regular relegation fears make their hair fall out.
      The Geordie team had been close to the drop zone again all this season but survived.
      Liverpool fans are the second biggest baldies, with 47 per cent admitting to a thinning dome — despite the team’s recent on-field success.
      Researchers at BuzzBingo.com asked 2,000 male Premier League fans if they are bald or balding and asked which club they support.
      Spokesman Rich Kearns said: “We were stunned to find about 30 per cent of fans are bald.
      Fans believe relegation fears is the reason behind their locks falling out, researchers foundCredit: Getty
      Spokesman Rich Kearns said: ‘It seems Newcastle’s season has taken a greater toll on their fans’Credit: Getty

      “But maybe it should be no surprise considering the stress involved — particularly at this time of year when relegation battles are decided.
      “It seems Newcastle’s season has taken a greater toll on their fans.”
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      Liverpool will snub Ozan Kabak transfer putting Prem rivals on high alert for Schalke loanee defender

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      LIVERPOOL will say farewell to Turkish centre-back Ozan Kabak at the end of this season — and put their rivals on alert.Kabak, 21, helped out the Reds by signing on loan in the winter window and went straight into Jurgen Klopp’s side as they coped with a defensive crisis.
      Ozan Kabak is set to head back to Schalke in the summerCredit: AFP
      But now the decision has been taken to scrap a full-time deal that would have meant paying £18million to his German side Schalke.
      Boss Klopp believes Kabak would not be in the first-team picture at Anfield next term.
      And the cash-conscious club are not prepared to splash out that kind of money for the defender to sit on their bench.
      It is a massive blow for Kabak, whose parent club dropped out of the Bundesliga while he was away.
      The German outfit will also struggle to get such a big fee this summer.
      That news will alert rivals as Kabak has done enough to suggest he can handle the Premier League and improve with experience.
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      Liverpool will hand keeper Adrian a Kop lifeline with a new contract offer on less cash.
      The Spaniard, 34, had a bad run in the first-team and his days at Anfield looked numbered.
      But boss Klopp is now happy to keep him.
      Former West Ham keeper Adrian may also have to settle for being third choice at the Reds.
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      Jurgen Klopp reacts to the Sadio Mane incident after Liverpool’s win over Man Utd More

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      Chelsea out to make history and join Arsenal as only English Women’s Champions League winners

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      ARSENAL are still the ONLY English club to have carved its name on to the Women’s Champions League trophy.And my name is written in the history books for scoring the winner in the final against Swedish side Umea in 2007.
      Emma Hayes wants to lead Chelsea to Champions League gloryCredit: Getty
      Alex Scott scored the winner in the 2007 Champions League finalCredit: Getty
      We went in as total underdogs not expected to win the competition that was then known as the Uefa Women’s Cup.
      The clock was ticking in the dying seconds of the game when the ball fell to me from far outside the box.
      With the scores stubbornly locked at 0-0 I knew what I had to do.
      I took a touch, looked up and sent a sweet, long-range strike dipping and curling beyond the Umea goalkeeper.
      There was stunned silence before I realised what had happened as mayhem ensued on the Arsenal bench.
      It was the only goal over the two legs and of course my name made all the headlines.
      But it was the WHOLE team and our hero goalkeeper Emma Byrne who propelled the club to European glory.
      It was never about one player,   which the game never should be.
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      Years later when  I bitterly watched the Germans lift the European Championship trophy in 2013, Hope Powell gave me some pearls of wisdom.
      After England were spanked in the group stages the Lionesses boss told me: “Remember this feeling because you’ll never want to experience it again.”
      Those words of wisdom should be etched in every Chelsea player’s mind today as they go toe-to-toe with Barcelona in their first Champions League final.
      They’ve tasted defeat on the European stage after they crashed out in the semi-finals to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
      Every one of those Blues aces deserves to be at the Gamla Ullevi stadium in Sweden tonight.
      But I don’t want them to be the ones with their heads hanging in shame while Barca lift the trophy.
      Boss Emma Hayes will not rest on her laurels and she’s got one last hurdle to make history.
      When Chelsea made Pernille Harder the most expensive player in the history of women’s football in 2020, it was a real statement of intent.
      The final between Chelsea and Barcelona will take place in Gothenburg’s Gamla Ullevi stadiumCredit: EPA

      They had just won the WSL for a third time and the Continental Cup for the first time.
      Hayes had every domestic trophy in her cabinet – and her sights were set on that elusive European stage.
      Cue Harder, who put the Blues 4-3 up on aggregate against Bayern in the dying moments of the Champions League semi-final second leg, before Fran Kirby secured victory in stoppage-time.
      Blues may have broken the bank for the Denmark star but that winning strike was priceless.
      You could tell by the emotion on Hayes’ face.
      But keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined in January 2019, has also been crucial in the quest for a European trophy.
      Harder, Sam Kerr and Kirby will get all the plaudits but Berger has been sensational.
      Every single one of those Chelsea players has had key moments to get them on the brink of toasting Champions League glory tonight.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Chelsea release 1960s inspired home kit for 2021-22 season More

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      Man City told Lionel Messi transfer is on – if they pay him a whopping £500k per week AFTER TAX

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      MANCHESTER CITY have been told they can have Lionel Messi if they pay him £500,000-a-week AFTER TAX.The superstar’s contract with Barcelona runs out at the end of the season and his father Jorge has started the process of deciding where his future lies.
      Lionel Messi’s future is still up in the air with his contract set to expire at the end of June
      Father Jorge has started the process to decide where his son’s future lies
      SunSport understands the 33-year-old is open to the idea of a 12-month contract, with an option for a further year, if a club will stump up £25million-a-year.
      That would make him the best-paid player in Premier League history and the lack of a transfer fee plus the enormous commercial cut gained by signing Messi could make financial sense.
      Until now City boss Pep Guardiola has preferred to wait in the wings, watching to see how the Argentine’s future pans out.
      But now they have the chance to make their move with the La Liga club so far only proposing terms which would see his £1m-a-week wages drop by two-thirds.
      Messi accepts he will not match his current terms, but the cut Barca are proposing is a huge one and has meant his camp are looking to see what is on offer elsewhere.
      They want to see if any of the major spenders in world football will come up with a better package.
      Realistically only City and Paris Saint-Germain have the kind of post-pandemic clout to offer a mega-deal, although feelers have also gone out to other teams including Manchester United and Chelsea.
      The Blues have shown little interest and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side also look to be passing up on the opportunity in favour of building a squad full of younger players.
      Staying at Barcelona still looks the most likely.
      But with president Joan Laporta going all out to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, 20, it may be the club are not able to put together a package at the levels Messi is looking for.
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      Pep Guardiola could be eager to reunite with Messi, having last managed him in 2012

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      Now City must decide if the time is right to move in.
      They have the advantage of knowing Messi wants to move to America in a year or two, so they can dangle their New York City franchise to him as part of any offer.
      With Sergio Aguero leaving the Etihad, there is space up front, particularly if the club cannot persuade Tottenham to sell them Harry Kane.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Lionel Messi urged to snub transfer exit by new Barcelona president Joan Laporta in passionate plea More