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      Gareth Bale’s four Tottenham goals have cost the club a whopping £3.4m EACH since Real Madrid loan

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      GARETH BALE has been a whopping £17,400-a-minute flop at Tottenham — with his four goals costing a staggering £3.4million EACH.
      And club insiders fear the Wales superstar was so badly ‘damaged’ at Real Madrid he may never get back to anything approaching his best again.

      Gareth Bale is costing Spurs a fortune for very little return so farCredit: AFP

      Bale, who left Spurs for the Spanish giants in 2013 for a then world-record fee of £86m, returned on a season-long loan on September 19 — exactly 21 weeks ago.
      As part of the deal, Spurs agreed to pay £250,000 of his £650k-a-week wage — with Real Madrid footing the rest.
      In his 21 weeks in North London, Bale has pocketed £13.65m.
      But the move has not gone as planned, with the four-times Champions League winner making just 15 appearances in all competitions — a total of 785 minutes.

      That works out at £17.4k for every 60 seconds of first-team football this season.
      But if you ignore the cup action and focus solely on his Premier League return — a paltry 231 minutes across six games — that figure rises to £59k.
      And the four goals he has mustered in all competitions have cost £3.4m each.
      It is why Spurs are having serious doubts about taking up the option to extend Bale’s loan for a second season.

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      Jose Mourinho and his staff are shocked by how far off the pace the Welshman is after his nightmare spell at Real MadridCredit: Alamy Live News

      The Wales skipper hardly played in his last 18 months at Real after being frozen out by Zinedine Zidane over issues with form and fitness.
      Spurs boss Jose Mourinho warned Bale would not be the same explosive player he once was.
      But SunSport understands even Mourinho and his coaching staff have been shocked by how far off the pace and how much of a shadow of his former self the returning hero has been.
      Insiders insist they are not only concerned about the star’s fitness but also his confidence, application and attitude in trying to make this move a success.
      There are worries if the 31-year-old still has the appetite to play through pain.
      Mourinho says he left Bale out of his squad for Wednesday’s 5-4 FA Cup exit at Everton after he told him he ‘was not comfortable with some muscular area’.
      Spurs are losing patience and Bale is losing face.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      England must use Phil Foden AND Jack Grealish at Euros, claims Three Lions great Wayne Rooney

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      WAYNE ROONEY wants Gareth Southgate to play BOTH Phil Foden and Jack Grealish at the Euros.
      England’s record goalscorer believes playmakers Foden and Grealish offer ‘something different’ and are too good to keep benched this summer.

      Wayne Rooney says Phil Foden and Jack Grealish must both start at the EurosCredit: AFP – Getty

      Gareth Southgate may only have room for one in his systemCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Foden, 20, has dazzled for Manchester City, while Rooney is also adamant Aston Villa skipper Grealish, 25, is top class.
      Rooney said: “Foden’s been one of the Premier League’s best players this season — Guardiola’s managed him really well.
      “He’s very entertaining and should just keep on doing what he’s doing. But there’s Jack Grealish, too. 
      “They bring something different to the national team and they just have to be in the squad for the Euros. And, arguably, they have to play. Because they’re THAT good.”

      While ex-Manchester United star  Rooney is confident Foden and Grealish can shine on the international stage, the duo must continue to show they have learnt lessons from recent off-the-field mistakes.
      Foden missed three  England games after being sent home from Iceland by boss  Southgate in September for flouting Covid-19 rules by inviting girls back to his hotel room.
      And Grealish was fined by Villa and apologised for breaking  national coronavirus lockdown guidelines in March.
      But Rooney, who netted a record 53 times in 120 games for his country, reckons three-cap Foden has the  temperament to become a senior star.

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      England legend Rooney says Grealish and Foden are both good enough to command starting placesCredit: PA:Press Association

      England boast the most-valuable squad of all Euro 2020 nations

      Rookie Derby manager Rooney, 35, added: “I saw him at City when my lad used to train there.
      “Phil would be there picking his brother up but what you want  is the first-team players being around the academy kids.
      “I spoke to Phil a couple of  times and you could see he’s a real level-headed lad.”

      Rio Ferdinand begs Man Utd to seal Jack Grealish transfer from Aston Villa whether Paul Pogba is sold or not More

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      Fraudster splurged £175,000 on Man City ace Riyad Mahrez’s bank card – and star took 5 WEEKS to notice

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      A CROOKED forklift driver spent more than £175,000 on a bank card belonging to Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez.
      Sharif Mohamed, 32, spent £20,000 of the winger’s money partying and on designer clothes in Ibiza.

      Manchester City ace Riyad Mahrez, 29, took five weeks to realise a fraudster had spent £175,000 on his bank card

      Mohamed blew £20,000 of the winger’s money partying and on designer clothes in Ibiza and in the UK, his spree included a casino splurge

      Mahrez failed to realise for over a month that a fraudster had blown the money.
      The £200,000-a-week star took nearly five weeks to block the card Mohamed had got hold of to enjoy a taste of the high life.
      In that time, Mohamed burned through £20,000 partying in Ibiza.
      He guzzled champagne at trendy beach bars and blew thousands buying designer clothes from boutiques on the holiday island.

      In the UK, his spree also included a splurge in a casino — as well as more modest outings to Nando’s, KFC and Greggs.
      But the spending — equivalent to less than one week’s pay for the Algeria international — went unnoticed for more than a month.
      Commenting on the case, former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville said: “The most amazing thing is that someone can blow £175,000 on a bank card without the loser even realising.”
      The fraud, totalling £175,830, took place in 2017 while Mahrez, 29, was playing for Leicester City.

      A caller posing as the Etihad Stadium favourite phoned Barclays bank to order a new card in his name. Mohamed said that he was working on behalf of crooked bank staff who allowed him to use the card — but he produced no evidence to back up his claim.
      He travelled from his home in East London to Leicester to withdraw cash from ATMs to avoid raising suspicion.

      The fraud, totalling £175,830, took place in 2017 while Mahrez was playing for Leicester CityCredit: PA:Press Association

      Mohamed posed as the Etihad Stadium favourite to phone Barclays bank and order a new card in his name

      Former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville said ‘The most amazing thing is that someone can blow £175,000 on a bank card without the loser even realising’Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Prosecutor Alex Matthews said he admitted going on a trip to Ibiza where, apart from blowing thousands on champagne in bars, he visited designer boutiques.
      In one, he paid £1,400 for a pair of Armani jeans. Ms Matthews added: “He spent £900 in one and £600 in the other — and that’s just one night in Ibiza.”
      His spending on the trip included the flights, accommodation in the smart Shangri—La hotel and meals at the upmarket Edward John Lucas restaurant.
      Mohamed denied suggestions he had made a second trip to Ibiza or that he had used the card during another break in the Spanish region of Murcia.
      It was nearly five weeks before the card was stopped. Spending in the UK included a trip to Aspers Casino in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in London.
      His barrister, Daniel Higgins, appealed for Mohamed, from East Ham, to be given a suspended sentence, saying he had made little from the fraud.
      He said: “In terms of personal benefit he can’t exactly qualify. At least he had a very nice holiday and other benefits.
      “One of the difficulties is that this was during a period of his life when he was drinking and taking drugs and his ability to recall in detail is rather limited.”

      Prosecutor Alex Matthews said Mohamed blew thousands from footie ace Riyad Mahrez’s money on champagne and in designer boutiques

      Ms Matthews said: ‘He spent £900 in one and £600 in the other — and that’s just one night in Ibiza’

      Mohamed, of East Ham, East London, now faces jail

      He also enjoyed flights and a nice accommodation in the smart Shangri—La hotelCredit: Alamy

      But after listening agog to the spending, Judge Laurie West-Knights, QC, was unconvinced.
      He said: “I need to resolve whether he has come clean. If he is deceiving me at this stage, there is only one place he can go.”
      Mohamed admitted one charge of fraud at Snaresbrook crown court. He was bailed ahead of sentencing on February 25. He previously received a suspended sentence for a hotel booking scam and was jailed for 45 months in 2009 for robbery.
      But he now claims to be married and living “a modest life”.
      Mr Neville was left puzzled by the case, saying: “Why on earth would an elite footballer be spending at fast food joints and Britain’s favourite steak bake supplier?
      “Banks are normally very quick off the mark to spot unusual spending but if the sums were low then it probably wouldn’t flag up.”

      Dawn Ward’s daughter Taylor goes Instagram official with Man City footballer Riyad Mahrez
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      Liverpool warn Bayern Munich that Mo Salah is NOT for sale as Germans eye blockbuster transfer

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      LIVERPOOL’S message to Bayern Munich is: Mo Salah is not for sale.
      The German giants are the latest club to target the Kop striker after chief exec Karl-Heinz Rummenigge branded him the “Lionel Messi of Africa”.

      Bayern Munich are interested in signing Mohamed SalahCredit: PA

      Jurgen Klopp has no intention of letting Mohamed Salah leave AnfieldCredit: AFP

      But the Premier League champions have no intention of letting go of their prized asset.
      The Egyptian’s current £200,000-a-week Anfield contract does not run out until 2023.
      And last month the 28-year-old insisted he wants to be a Reds player for the rest of his career and “win as many trophies as possible”.
      However, Bayern have now joined Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid in chasing Salah.

      Rummenigge declared: “It would be an honour to have him.
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      “Salah is the Messi of Africa and has the skills to play for the best teams in the world.
      “What he has achieved can be compared to what Messi and Ronaldo did with Barca and Real.”

      Salah, who has bagged 22 goals in just 32 appearances this season, sparked speculation on his future in a Spanish interview in December when he refused to rule out the chance of joining either LaLiga outfit.
      However, he then declared: “I want to stay in Liverpool for as long as possible but the matter is in the hands of the club.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Scott McTominay hits out at ‘absolutely disgusting’ racist abuse aimed at Man Utd team-mates

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      SCOTT McTOMINAY hit out at the “absolutely disgusting” racist abuse suffered by his Manchester United team-mates — as Instagram finally vowed to punish offenders.
      Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Axel Tuanzebe and Manchester United Women’s Lauren James joined a growing list of black footballers who have been sent vile messages this season.

      Scott McTominay says meeting ‘one of his brothers’ Axel Tuanzebe at training, knowing the defender has been racially abused, feels horribleCredit: Rex Features

      Axel Tuanzebe has joined a big list of targets for disgusting online commentsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Scott McTominay believes it’s an ‘absolute shambles’ that players like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial still face abuse onlineCredit: Getty – Pool

      A man who abused West Brom’s Romaine Sawyers was arrested last week.
      McTominay said: “It’s a disgrace. Honestly, it makes me feel sick coming in seeing Axel the next day after the game.
      “It’s an absolute shambles. That’s  one of my brothers who I’ve grown up with, and to see that happen to him is absolutely disgusting.”

      Manchester United Women’s teen striker Lauren James – sister of Chelsea star Reece – is among the victims of racial abuse on social mediaCredit: PA:Press Association
      United rallied round the victimised players.

      And Instagram have now promised to be quicker to ban the racists and will  work closer with police.
      The social media app admitted their systems have struggled to block abusive posts but have now launched a new initiative to tackle the problem.
      Fadzai Madzingira, content policy manager at owners Facebook,  said: “I am horrified that they have to deal with that sort of abuse. As a company we take it very seriously.
      “We’ve always had rules around people who abuse our community standards.

      “What we’re announcing today is that we’re taking tougher measures on  people who violate those rules in Instagram direct messaging. Instead of just extending the time, we’ll be removing the accounts.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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      “That allows us to ensure we have a lower tolerance for that sort of abuse.
      “We’ll be closing those accounts more quickly in Instagram direct messaging than anywhere else on the platform.”
      Despite welcoming the move, Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden made it clear social media giants would be fined heavily if they failed to bring an end to the abuse.
      He said: “For too long the world’s most popular and powerful social media companies have failed to tackle the stream of horrific racist attacks on their platforms.
      “I welcome Instagram’s improved policies but racist abuse is still a fact of life for too many  people and more has to be done  to stamp it out.
      “We’re introducing a new age of accountability for these companies through our  Online Safety Bill. This could see huge fines for firms which fail to clearly and transparently protect their users.”

      Man Utd star Donny van de Beek’s looks heartbroken as he to sees he is about to be subbed against West Ham More

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      Kepa given Chelsea lifeline as Thomas Tuchel says keeper has clean slate before first game under new boss vs Barnsley

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      THOMAS TUCHEL has promised troubled Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga a fresh start.
      The £71.6million Spaniard starts his first game under the new boss in Thursday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Barnsley.

      Thomas Tuchel is set to give Kepa a clean slate at Chelsea, starting vs Barnsley on ThursdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Kepa was ditched by former boss Frank Lampard but Tuchel believes his world-record fee is a huge burden.
      Tuchel said: “From outside we had a view on his situation and some difficulties on the sporting side.
      “Maybe the circumstances of his transfer are a little bit on his shoulders. That was the impression from outside.
      “From inside, I see an open personality. A hard working guy with a lot of quality. He deserves to be here. 

      “The good thing for him is that we start new, that this is a new start for him because I don’t have a history with him. 
      “He does everything to impress in training and this is the only thing he could do.
      “It is a special position, it has its own rules. If you make mistakes, everybody sees it, talks about it so you need a lot of mental strength and quality.
      “Kepa gets the chance tomorrow and I hope he can show what he shows in training.”

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      Tuchel is keen for Kepa to play without the pressure of his £71.6m transfer fee burdening himCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Kepa has been in limbo with a huge fee and wages putting off rival clubs to buy him and end his misery – while Chelsea brought in Edouard Mendy to replace him.
      With Euro 2020 this summer his place as his country’s number one is in serious jeopardy.
      Tuchel said: “I want him to play a normal match.
      “He does not have to show me or anybody else that he is ready to be Spain’s No1 in the summer.
      “He has just to show his quality. Not more and not less. 
      “We have to manage our own expectations because I don’t expect him to score and to play with a clean sheet.
      “I just expect he is there and he helps us with the quality he has and gives a solid performance to help the team.”
      Midfielder N’Golo Kante will also start his first game under Tuchel’s new era against Championship opposition.
      Timo Werner is out with a dead leg to be replaced by Hakim Ziyech.

      Kepa is set to replace Mendy for the FA Cup fifth-round clash vs BarnsleyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      This will be Tuchel’s first FA Cup match as a manager and he is a fan of football’s oldest cup competition.
      The German, 47, who liked Tottenham as a kid, said: “If I’m looking for that in my brain now there is this huge stadium, Wembley, this famous name. And this pretty, pretty cup that I can remember.
      “We played out in the garden after watching these finals. To win cups and to play in cups is something all supporters and players love. 
      “Everything is possible in the 90 minutes… it has its surprises and you feel this tension in knockout games and it’s something you can only feel in cup games.
      “The closer you get to the final the more the tension and excitement grows.”
      Uefa have confirmed Chelsea will play the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Atletico Madrid in Bucharest due to restrictions on travel between the UK and Spain.
      Atletico fear they will lose home advantage and Tuchel has sympathy.
      He said “I can absolutely understand the feeling.
      “Do I have anything to do with it? No. Was it our decision? No.
      “So from now on, no more reflection for that. And they will be ready 100 per cent to fight in Bucharest against us.”

      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to unleash N’Golo Kante in new ‘double six’ role More

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      Fraudster blew £175,000 on Man City ace Riyad Mahrez’s bank card – and star took 5 WEEKS to notice

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      A CROOKED forklift driver blew more than £175,000 on a bank card belonging to Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez.
      Sharif Mohamed, 32, spent £20,000 of the winger’s money partying and on designer clothes in Ibiza.

      Manchester City ace Riyad Mahrez, 29, took five weeks to realise a fraudster had spent £175,000 on his bank cardCredit: PA:Press Association

      Crook forklift truck driver Sharif Mohamed, 32, enjoyed a taste of the high life during his five-week spree

      Mohamed blew £20,000 of the winger’s money partying and on designer clothes in Ibiza and in the UK, his spree included a casino splurge

      Mahrez failed to realise for more than a month that a fraudster had blown the money.
      The £200,000-a-week star took nearly five weeks to block the card Mohamed had got hold of to enjoy a taste of the high life.
      In that time, Mohamed burned through £20,000 partying in Ibiza.
      He guzzled champagne at trendy beach bars and blew thousands buying designer clothes from boutiques on the holiday island.

      In the UK, his spree also included a splurge in a casino — as well as more modest outings to Nando’s, KFC and Greggs.
      But the spending — equivalent to less than one week’s pay for the Algeria international — went unnoticed for more than a month.
      Commenting on the case, former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville said: “The most amazing thing is that someone can blow £175,000 on a bank card without the loser even realising.”
      The fraud, totalling £175,830, took place in 2017 while Mahrez, 29, was playing for Leicester City.

      A caller posing as the Etihad Stadium favourite phoned Barclays bank to order a new card in his name. Mohamed said that he was working on behalf of crooked bank staff who allowed him to use the card — but he produced no evidence to back up his claim.
      He travelled from his home in East London to Leicester to withdraw cash from ATMs to avoid raising suspicion.

      The fraud, totalling £175,830, took place in 2017 while Mahrez was playing for Leicester CityCredit: PA:Press Association

      Mohamed posed as the Etihad Stadium favourite to phone Barclays bank and order a new card in his name

      Former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville said ‘The most amazing thing is that someone can blow £175,000 on a bank card without the loser even realising’Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Prosecutor Alex Matthews said he admitted going on a trip to Ibiza where, apart from blowing thousands on champagne in bars, he visited designer boutiques.
      In one, he paid £1,400 for a pair of Armani jeans. Ms Matthews added: “He spent £900 in one and £600 in the other — and that’s just one night in Ibiza.”
      His spending on the trip included the flights, accommodation in the smart Shangri—La hotel and meals at the upmarket Edward John Lucas restaurant.
      Mohamed denied suggestions he had made a second trip to Ibiza or that he had used the card during another break in the Spanish region of Murcia.
      It was nearly five weeks before the card was stopped. Spending in the UK included a trip to Aspers Casino in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in London.
      His barrister, Daniel Higgins, appealed for Mohamed, from East Ham, to be given a suspended sentence, saying he had made little from the fraud.
      He said: “In terms of personal benefit he can’t exactly qualify. At least he had a very nice holiday and other benefits.
      “One of the difficulties is that this was during a period of his life when he was drinking and taking drugs and his ability to recall in detail is rather limited.”

      Prosecutor Alex Matthews said Mohamed blew thousands from footie ace Riyad Mahrez’s money on champagne and in designer boutiques

      Ms Matthews said: ‘He spent £900 in one and £600 in the other — and that’s just one night in Ibiza’

      Mohamed, of East Ham, East London, now faces jail

      He also enjoyed flights and a nice accommodation in the smart Shangri—La hotelCredit: Alamy

      But after listening agog to the spending, Judge Laurie West-Knights, QC, was unconvinced.
      He said: “I need to resolve whether he has come clean. If he is deceiving me at this stage, there is only one place he can go.”
      Mohamed admitted one charge of fraud at Snaresbrook crown court. He was bailed ahead of sentencing on February 25. He previously received a suspended sentence for a hotel booking scam and was jailed for 45 months in 2009 for robbery.
      But he now claims to be married and living “a modest life”.
      Mr Neville was left puzzled by the case, saying: “Why on earth would an elite footballer be spending at fast food joints and Britain’s favourite steak bake supplier?
      “Banks are normally very quick off the mark to spot unusual spending but if the sums were low then it probably wouldn’t flag up.”

      Dawn Ward’s daughter Taylor goes Instagram official with Man City footballer Riyad Mahrez
      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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      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp frustrated with transfer policy after £100m Kalidou Koulibaly move was snubbed

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      THINGS are not going well on the pitch at Liverpool.
      And behind the scenes, they have become a bit tense.

      Jurgen Klopp is growing increasingly annoyed by Liverpool’s transfer policyCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      Jurgen Klopp has grown increasingly frustrated with the club’s transfer policy, although owners Fenway Sports Group believe they have gone above and beyond, considering the disastrous financial climate.
      Klopp is annoyed they failed to move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly last month due to his side’s big defensive injury problems.
      Koulibaly, 29, never appeared a serious prospect as the Italian club’s owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, demanded a fee of £100MILLION.
      But, privately, Klopp made it clear he wanted the Senegal international.

      He still believed that a club the size of Liverpool should have done everything to sign Koulibaly.
      Instead, they moved for Ben Davies, 25, from Preston, and 20-year-old Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke.
      Kop sporting director Michael Edwards – considered a genius by the club’s fans for his brilliant transfer record – appears to find himself in an awkward situation between manager and owners.
      There also seem to be frustrations from FSG that Klopp has not really got to grips with the dire financial situation at the club.

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      Klopp had hoped to sign Kalidou Koulibaly in the January transfer windowCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The champions have a squad wage bill of £230m-plus and are haemorrhaging millions each week.
      Their next set of financial results are expected to be extremely worrying.
      FSG, looking to cut costs as the pandemic struck last year, were shocked by the uproar among fans at the decision to place some of their non-playing staff on furlough.
      They thought they had done nothing wrong and had behaved like other businesses, only to reverse the decision 48 hours later.
      And they then bowed to Klopp’s relentless pressure in September and signed Diogo Jota for £45m and Thiago Alcantara for £27m.
      The signing of the latter appears an odd one with the Spanish midfielder, 29, not really fitting into the team’s pressing style.
      Klopp has always enjoyed a good relationship with previous employers and Liverpool fans will be praying this continues and any differences can be resolved.
      And that the team stops losing at home.

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