The Sun Newspaper

MAHETA MOLANGO’S CV makes him the ideal man to succeed Gordon Taylor as PFA chief executive.He understands the game as a former player but also has had insight into law, business, tax and transfers — and he even scouted players for an English club.
German legend Mesut Ozil was advised ahead of his move from Real Madrid to Arsenal in 2013 by Maheta MolangoCredit: Getty – Contributor
Maheta Molango, seen with then-Mallorca loanee Takefusa Kubo, was chief executive of the Spanish clubCredit: Getty
This column can reveal he even advised Mesut Ozil ahead of his move from Real Madrid to Arsenal.
Former Brighton, Lincoln and Oldham forward Molango was the outstanding candidate for the £500,000-a-year role and spent four impressive years as chief executive of Real Mallorca.
He did a great job overseeing back-to-back promotions and turned a loss-making club into one which made a £17million profit.

They parted company in early 2020 because Mallorca wanted to go in a different direction.
Before his time in Majorca, Molango qualified as a lawyer and worked for a top firm in Madrid.
He offered legal advice to Ozil when he left Real  for Arsenal in 2013 and sorted the German’s termination agreement.
Molango  advised Toby Alderweireld ahead of his 2014 loan from Atletico Madrid to Southampton,  then negotiated a good contract with the notoriously difficult Daniel Levy for the defender’s permanent move to Spurs.
The Swiss, while also scouting in Spain for Charlton, did not only deal with the big moves but also advised Luciano Becchio’s switch from Merida to Leeds, Emmanuel Ledesma’s Walsall to Middlesbrough deal  and Leonardo Ulloa’s transfer from Brighton to Leicester.
For one year, Molango  was Atletico’s in-house lawyer and  worked on the return of Filipe Luis from Chelsea in 2015, Mario Mandzukic’s move to Juventus and Antoine Griezmann’s  contract extension.
A few weeks after leaving Mallorca last year, Molango  was questioned in connection with tax fraud and money laundering allegations against big-hitting agent Fali Ramadani.
FITS THE BILL
Quizzed by Spanish police, Molango handed over all his player documents, insisting everything was legal.
He was questioned as a witness and NOT a suspect, so was never in any trouble.
Ramadani and his associates, who look after a string of top stars including Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, have been charged.
Molango, meanwhile, now has the task of helping to sort out English football and certainly fits the bill.
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FOOTBALL LEAGUE clubs could face a cracking pre-season — with all of the Premier League teams planning to remain in the UK.
Top clubs know Covid-19 restrictions will make it impossible to travel abroad for  money-spinning tournaments   and they would face huge penalty clauses if forced to pull out.
This means we may go back to the old days and see the big sides boosting the  coffers of  smaller local sides.
Arteta says he doesn’t like excuses after Arsenal’s draw with West Ham More

GEORGE BEST will always be Northern Ireland’s most celebrated player — but one current star eclipses him, according to Michael O’Neill.The former Northern Ireland boss names Steven Davis as all-time No 1 in a landmark week for the captain.
Steven Davis will make history for Northern Ireland on WednesdayCredit: PA
Midfielder Davis, 36, will collect his 125th cap in Italy tomorrow, drawing him level with England’s legendary keeper Peter Shilton on the all-time list.
By next Wednesday at the latest he should have nosed ahead and become the UK’s most-capped player – although will still be a decent way behind Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo, Europe’s most-capped active players.
O’Neill managed Davis for nine years from 2011, taking in the fairytale run to Euro 2016, where Northern Ireland reached the knockout stage.
That was the easy bit. Davis has been in it for the lows as well as the highs and it is that enduring commitment which, O’Neill claims, makes him better than glamour boy Best.
The Stoke boss joked: “I would honestly pick Steven Davis. He would be easier to manage than George for a start.
“Steven is incredible. One thing you need as a manager is players you can trust and rely on and I never doubted I had that with him.
“It is an added achievement given he has only been to one major tournament. He deserves his place up there with the greats of European football.
“When I look down the years of Northern Ireland players, everyone loves George Best and rightly so. But when you look at Steven’s career, there has never been a better player that has played for Northern Ireland.
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Europe’s top dogs

“His enthusiasm for international football at 36 is every bit what it was when he first came into the squad.
“It’s amazing to have the desire to continue to do it. He has had some reward but played through all the bad times. He would have played when there were long runs without a win or even scoring a goal.
“When you look through the great players of European football that have amassed statistics at international level, he will be up there.
“You get captains that can be a little bit on the wane but have a presence. More often than not though, when Northern Ireland are at their best, Steven Davis is at his best. It’s no coincidence.”
Best played 37 times for his country but his off-field antics are as notable on his CV as the undoubted talent.
MOST INTERNATIONAL CAPSThe UK’s most-capped international footballers:
Peter Shilton (England)              125
Steven Davis (N Ireland)           124
Wayne Rooney (England)         120
David Beckham (England)         115
Pat Jennings (N Ireland)            119
Steven Gerrard (England)         114
Aaron Hughes (N Ireland)         112
Bobby Moore (England)            108
Ashley Cole (England)                 107
Bobby Charlton (England)         106
Frank Lampard (England)          106

Family-man Davis made his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Canada in February 2005. A year later he was made captain for another loss, this time to the USA.
Two goals against Greece sent Northern Ireland to Euro 2016, an adventure which captured hearts across the Continent.
Shilton represented England at two Euros and three World Cups over 20 years.
And Davis deserves at least the same standing for turning up relentlessly, especially when you consider even home games mean taking a flight.
He signed a new one-year contract at Rangers on Saturday to underline his durability and abiding worth — although he does have flaws.
Former Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has hailed the midfielder as the country’s best-ever playerCredit: Pacemaker
O’Neill joked: “We used to  try to give him diminished responsibilities at set-pieces because he had a habit of forgetting what we wanted him to do.
“But I also remember when we knew we were going to Euro 2016, we had a late night and  had to fly to Finland the next morning.
“I put my arm around Steven at one point and made sure he didn’t have to face the cameras. He knows how to enjoy himself.
“He is a brilliant player. Every manager that has handled him will say what I would.
“He is a top professional, a top player, a top lad to have around you.”
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GARETH BALE has been backed to provide the leadership in Ryan Giggs’ absence and pull Wales through a crisis.The Dragons kick-off their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in Belgium tomorrow with boss Giggs still on ‘special leave’ by the Welsh FA.
Gareth Bale is used to carrying Wales’ hopes on his shouldersCredit: Reuters
With Giggs sidelined for a second international window, Robert Page takes caretaker charge but inspirational captain Bale is viewed as the man to follow on and off the pitch.
Wales team-mate Joe Allen said: “Being the captain is a huge role. But one he is made for. He’s been a talisman for years now for us.
“You can see that the young players and the senior ones – and I speak for myself – that I really look up to him.
“The way he approaches every camp for Wales, the dedication and commitment he shows, on top of his world-class ability is inspiring.
“He keeps the standards really high and sets the tone for everyone, especially the younger players to look up to and follow.”
Page addressed his 30-man squad when Wales met up in Cardiff on Sunday night with Giggs absent following his arrest on November 1 on suspicion of assaulting his on-off girlfriend. The Manchester United legend, 47, denies the allegations.
But Allen, back in a Wales squad for the first time in 17 months following a ruptured Achilles, says there will be no excuses from his team-mates despite the managerial uncertainty in Leuven when they take on the Red Devils, who they famously beat in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
The 56-cap Stoke midfielder, 30, added: “He reiterated the message he gave in November which is we all know the task ahead, where our focus needs to be and what our job is which is to give absolutely everything this week in training and the three games.
“That won’t change regardless of the situation. Coming into this camp, you can see that everyone is fully focused and everyone’s mentality where they need to be in terms of their approach. Everyone is ready for what lies ahead.
“I was devastated at the time at the thought of missing the Euros and it’s sad circumstances why it’d been delayed a year.
“But it was hugely motivating for me to get back fit and get a second chance to be involved in the Euros. During my rehab I watched the 2016 game and took that trip down memory lane.
“What a summer it was and we’ll all get a taste of something similar, with one eye on getting to a World Cup. The older players realise it could be a last chance to get to one.
“We want to get the campaign off to a good start, it’s a hugely challenging game but it’s a team we know pretty well and hopefully they’re not looking forward to coming up against us.
“Hopefully we can use the disappointment they have had from playing us before to our advantage.”
Allen and co must find a way to stop Manchester City ace Kevin de Bruyne.
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The ex-Liverpool star said: “He’s one of the best players in the world and he’s a player I hugely admire.
“As a team, we know we’re going to have to be at the absolute top of our game just to try to deal with him and all the other talents they’ve got in their team.
“But, as individuals, you love to challenge yourself against the best players in the world and in Europe. We’re all keen to get out there on Wednesday night and show what we can do as well.” More