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      Funeral parlour worker who caused outrage by posing next to Diego Maradona’s body hands himself in to cops

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      A FUNERAL parlour worker who caused outrage by posing next to football legend Diego Maradona’s body handed himself in to cops — after rumours spread that he had been murdered.
      A picture of Diego Molina holding the body and giving a thumbs up went around the world.

      Diego Maradona died of a heart attack aged 60Credit: EPA

      Funeral worker Diego Molina took a selfie next to Maradona’s bodyCredit: Twitter

      He went into hiding after two other staff in Argentine capital Buenos Aires got death threats.
      Authorities there are investigating “negligence” after claims an ambulance took an hour to reach the 60-year-old national footballing hero after a heart attack.
      Meanwhile a senior virologist has lashed out at the President of Argentina for allowing huge crowds to gather as Maradona’s body lay in state.
      Hordes of mourners lined the streets to pay their respects, many without masks sparking a potential new Covid wave.

      Friends and family carry the casket of the football legendCredit: Reuters

      Dr Arnaldo Casiro said: ”We have been saying constantly to the people to make sacrifices so we can try and have a Christmas and New Year, we tell them to maintain social distance and then we see the scenes we saw in the streets. It’s totally inconsistent with what we have said.
      ”Of course I was very upset by Maradona’s passing but knowing full well there would be such a massive movement of the people everything should have been organised in a better fashion so as to minimise risks.”

      Fans come out to say good bye to football legend Maradona as he is laid to rest at Bella Vista cemetery
      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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      Fernandinho decides to leave Man City at end of season with midfielder set for transfer to Brazil or MLS

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      FERNANDINHO is ready to call time on his Manchester City career at the end of the season.
      But the Brazilian midfielder may still carry on playing, with several clubs in his homeland and America’s Major League Soccer showing an interest.

      Fernandinho is club captain at Man City but is ready to leave at the end of the season Credit: Reuters

      That could even see him maintaining links with his current employers, as City’s sister club in New York are among them.
      Fernandinho triggered an automatic 12-month extension to his current terms in the summer, after featuring in over 70 per cent of games last season.
      He is free to talk to clubs in January and City insiders claim the former Shakhtar Donetsk star is ready to step aside as Pep Guardiola revamps his squad.
      Fernandinho is very happy in England but will be 36 by the end of the season and knows his playing opportunities are becoming ever more limited.

      The City skipper remains a huge influence inside the dressing room but isn’t expecting the Etihad top brass to renew his stay for another year.

      He has told friends that while he would love to stay, he is also well aware that City are evolving again.
      Fernandinho, who cost £30 million in 2013, returned from a month out with a leg injury for the closing stages of Wednesday’s win over Olympiakos.
      But even though he is back to fitness, he knows openings will be limited this season and the time has come to move on.

      Pep Guardiola agrees two-year Man City contract extension as he looks to finish job by winning Champions League More

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      Leeds want ex-Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui to replace Marcelo Bielsa if Argentine leaves

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      LEEDS will aim high when Marcelo Bielsa’s fantasy reign ends — with Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui top of their wish list. 
      Bielsa’s amazing work has been rewarded with a place on the five-strong shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.

      Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui is top of Leeds’ wish list if Marcelo Bielsa leavesCredit: EPA

      But if the Argentinian decides to pack his bags at any point Leeds chiefs have another of that elite quintet in their sights. 
      Lopetegui — running for the gong alongside Bielsa, Jurgen Klopp, Hansi Flick and Zinedine Zidane — is a favourite of Leeds owner Andrea Radrizanni and has restored his name with a stunning spell at Sevilla.
      Lopetegui was coach of Spain before being axed when Real Madrid came calling.
      But he lasted just four months in the Bernabeu hot seat and was sacked in October 2018.

      He joined Sevilla in June 2019, guiding them to fourth place in La Liga and a sixth Europa League title last term.
      This season, Sevilla find themselves fifth in La Liga and will battle Chelsea for top spot in their Champions League group having already secured qualification to the last-16.

      Marcelo Bielsa has become a hero at Leeds after leading the club back to the Premier LeagueCredit: EPA

      Lopetegui, 54, is under contract until 2022 so compensation would be an issue if the Leeds hierarchy are called into action sooner rather than later.
      Regardless, he will be at the top of the wanted list should Bielsa call it a day.

      The Spaniard came close to joining Wolves in 2016 before accepting the Spain job and has expressed interest in working in the Premier League one day.

      Sevilla lift the Europa League trophy after beating Inter Milan 3-2 More

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      Bournemouth stars furious as chief Neill Blake buys Wag Alesya a £140k Bentley for Xmas… after they took pay-cuts

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      THE players of Bournemouth have been shocked and angered by an Instagram post from a club WAG.
      The Cherries stars were stunned when Alesya Blake, wife of the chief executive Neill, showed off her new car — a Christmas present from her husband.

      Bournemouth players were less-than impressed with the wife of their CEO showing off her new £140,000 Bentley on InstagramCredit: Instagram @alesya_blake

      Neill Blake did give up a portion of his wage at the start of lockdownCredit: Instagram @alesya_blake

      The Bournemouth dressing room was amazed as most have had to take pay cuts in these tough times of Covid.
      The picture of the new £140,000 Bentley, complete with personalised number plate, on the Russian beauty’s social media was the talk of the squad before their match with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
      Back in April then-manager Eddie Howe became the first top-flight figure to take a wage cut during the pandemic.
      While the PFA continued to dither over a uniform donation of players’ salaries, the Bournemouth boss voluntarily agreed to give up a ‘significant’ chunk of his £4million-a-year pay packet during this uncertain time.

      The Cherries also furloughed a number of staff across all areas of the club for a minimum of three weeks.
      Jason Tindall who was Howe’s assistant before replacing him as manager, technical director Richard Hughes and Blake himself all followed suit.
      And the players are believed to have done their bit to ease the financial strife at the south coast club.
      Despite their relegation from the Premier League, Bournemouth look like a good bet to bounce straight back.

      Alesya Blake shares stunning shots of her self on her Instagram pageCredit: Instagram @alesya_blake

      The car was a £140,000 Christmas present from her husbandCredit: Instagram @alesya_blake

      They are currently second in the Championship, but will feel it was two points dropped ina 2-2 draw at struggling Rotherham this weekend.
      Freddie Ladapo’s fluke ended Bournemouth’s three-match winning streak and earned battling Rotherham a well deserved point.
      Ladapo left the Cherries gobsmacked with a miscued 50th minute cross that sailed over keeper Asmir Begovic’s head and into the far corner of the net for his side’s second. More

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      Man Utd line up shock transfer for Jonny Evans with former star’s Leicester contract up next summer

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are keeping a close eye on Jonny Evans’ contract situation at Leicester.
      And if he has still not signed a new deal by the turn of the year, they are considering a shock move to bring their former defender back to Old Trafford.

      Man Utd are keeping a close eye on former star Jonny EvansCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would like to add a left-sided centre back to his squad, but has a kitty of just £20 million in January – unless he can bring in more from sales.
      Evans, 32, is in the final year of his deal with the Foxes, and although he has admitted he’d be happy to extend his stay, so far nothing has been agreed.
      And his name has been flagged up by United’s player acquisition team as a possible cut-price transfer option if he has not been nailed by Leicester when the next window opens.
      Evans came through the Old Trafford ranks as a schoolboy and spent a decade at the club before joining West Brom in 2015.

      He moved to Leicester two years ago, but a United source revealed: “Johnny’s name has come up in conversation.

      Jonny Evans won three league titles and two League Cups at Old TraffordCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      “There are still a lot of people here who have plenty of time for him – and that includes Ole and Mike Phelan.”
      Evans, who has played in six league games for Leicester this term, made 131 Prem appearances for United. 
      And the Belfast-born defender and his Leicester team-mates will take on Fulham in their tenth top-flight game this term.

      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Wayne Rooney reveals he was keen to swap Manchester United for Barcelona in 2010 More

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      Lautaro Martinez demands Inter Milan QUADRUPLE his wages to £150k-a-week as Man City eye record £98m transfer

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      INTER MILAN will have to quadruple Lautaro Martinez’s wages to kill off interest from Manchester City.
      The crack Argentine striker is on Pep Guardiola’s hit list as he seeks a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero, despite a £98million release clause.

      Lautaro Martinez wants Inter Milan hike his wages if they want to keep himCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      He still has three years on his contract, yet Inter want to tie him to two more on top – and have already offered to double his £38,000-a-week salary.
      But Martinez, 23, wants over four times his current terms before he will commit to staying at the San Siro.
      And Guardiola is keeping a close eye on the situation, as he has been tracking the highly-rated hitman for the best part of a year.
      Spanish duo Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keen, yet will struggle to outbid City in the present climate.

      Talks between Martinez and Inter have so far hit a stalemate, but further meetings are planned over the next month.
      Although the forward, who averages better than a goal every other start for Inter, is happy at the club, he is unhappy at being one of the lower paid senior stars at Milan.
      Martinez is ironically now Argentina’s spearhead striker – ahead of Aguero – with 11 goals in 21 internationals.
      Now he could find himself doing the same at the Etihad, even though City’s all-time leading scorer has been told he will get an extension beyond next summer if his fitness holds up.

      Martinez is a target for Manchester City despite his £98million price tagCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Martinez has been in fine form for Inter so far this term netting five goals in nine Serie A appearances. 
      And the striker’s team, who are second behind rivals AC Milan, will take on Bologna in Italy’s top tier.
      Their tenth Serie A game will follow after their Champions League clash with Monchengladbach.

      Christian Eriksen shows off his goal scoring skills in Inter Milan training More

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      Nicky Hunt stopped breathing TWICE after horror head injury but Darlington star to play just three weeks later in FA Cup

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      HE MAY not remember a thing but Nicky Hunt feels simply lucky to be alive.
      On November 10, the Darlington defender fell backwards during a game against Boston and was out cold.

      Darlington star Nicky Hunt will play just three weeks after a horror head injury saw him stop breathing TWICECredit: ANDYFUTERSPHOTOGRAPHY 2020

      The night game at Blackwell Meadows was abandoned and Hunt, 37, drifted in and out of consciousness during a 69-minute wait for an ambulance.
      He was eventually taken to hospital at 11pm before being released at 5am.
      But if it was not for the quick reactions of physios from both sides, the ex-Bolton favourite knows how it could have ended.
      Speaking to SunSport, Hunt said: “I spoke to our physio, Danny, the day after and he was like, ‘Your pulse was always there but you stopped breathing twice’. It was a scary time.

      “Because the ambulance took so long, if the medics weren’t there then I would have been in a whole heap of trouble.
      “The first week was bad. I was on tablets, painkillers, everything. I had swelling on my neck so I had to get that down.
      “I’ve just got to thank them from the bottom of my heart and I see myself as lucky to be ready to play today.”
      Hunt trained for the first time again on Thursday and has been passed fit to face Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup second round.

      Hunt, 37, was asked by his dad whether it was time to retireCredit: Steve Halliday
      Quakers officials had feared they were losing him overnight — and his dad asked whether now was the time to retire.
      But Hunt said: “I am itching to get back. I know myself, I know my own body and I know my mental state.”
      Back-pedalling to meet a header, Hunt did not see Darlo team-mate Tony McMahon’s challenge with an opponent.
      He went over, with all of the impact on his neck.
      Ex-Middlesbrough defender McMahon said: “We had both ended up on the floor and it looked as if it was nothing.
      “But it became clear it was and I didn’t leave his side until the ambulance came. It was really scary.”
      Hunt has no recollection of the match and has only recently started to feel normal again.
      He added: “I remember driving to the game and then I remember waking up in hospital with shining lights in my face.
      “It puts a lot of things into perspective. Enjoy things in life and enjoy football as long as you can because you don’t know when it’s going to be taken away.”
      “The video of the incident is so innocuous, it was next to nothing.
      “I go up for a header, pull back awkwardly and yeah, you wonder how I ended up in such a state.

      Ex-Bolton defender Nicky Hunt in action against Cristiano Ronaldo Credit: AFP
      Before the incident, Hunt was loving life with the Quakers in the National League North.
      A semi-pro for the first time, the veteran is eyeing up life after football – which he hopes is a year or two off yet.
      Coaching is an option, with just his Pro Licence to complete.
      But a life in property or as a football agent appeals to the former England U21 international who reached the FA Cup quarters with Bolton in 2005 under Sam Allardyce.
      Adam Campbell’s brace against League One Swindon put sixth-tier Darlington in the third round for the first time since 2003.
      And Hunt, who won promotion from League Two with Crewe last season, reckons Alun Armstron’s side have it in them to cause another shock at the Memorial Stadium.

      He added: “I thought that non-league was nowhere near league standard, but it’s a very fine line now. A lot of non-league clubs would do well in League Two.
      “They will be out to impress new manager Paul Tisdale but we are under no pressure and it’s a free hit. The onus is on them.
      “A lot of the lads are from the North East so want Newcastle away if we win.
      “I’ll take anyone. I’ve been lucky enough to play at all the Premier League grounds, but I’d love to have another crack at the whip against world-class players.
      “I supported Bolton as a kid but I was in a school in Manchester so all my friends tried to convert me to Manchester United.
      “I caved into them but in my heart I’ve always been a Bolton fan.
      “They were beaten by Crewe so that fairy tale has gone – though possibly only until next season!”

      Watch Cristiano Ronaldo shred on the guitar in Christmas-themed advert for Portugese telecom company MEO More

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      Diego Maradona was unplayable in his day… but he would have been absolutely untouchable now

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      IT ALWAYS amazed me when anyone said of Diego Maradona: “Yes, he was a great player but what would he be like in the modern game?”
      I’ll tell you what he’d have been like… if he was unplayable back then, he’d have been absolutely untouchable now.

      Diego Maradona wowed football fans with his feats at the 1986 World CupCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      Maradona (pictured with Pele) would have been formidable if he was playing todayCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Anyone who questions if Diego — or Pele, George Best, any of the greats from back then — could cut it these days really has no idea.
      This wasn’t a time when the slightest touch meant a foul and probably a yellow card as well. It was a time of anything goes.
      To any younger ones who didn’t see him play, I’d tell them to get their hands on as many videos of Maradona as they can and then ask themselves the same question.
      Look at the amazing things he could do with a ball, of course. But as much as anything, look at the tackles he had to put up with, too.

      I say tackles, but some of them would have made you wince if they’d been in a wrestling ring.
      Waist high, scything, studs-up challenges, defenders putting the boot in every time Diego came close. It was X-rated, scary stuff.
      And it was every game he played.
      But Diego would just get on with it, he’d ride the tackles and could give as good as he got.

      He wasn’t just brilliant, he was tough as well.

      The Napoli icon was on the receiving end of some brutal tackles during his playing careerCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      For me, there’s never been the slightest doubt whether Diego or Pele would cut it now — more whether the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo could have done it back then.
      As far as who’s the greatest, I’ll always be split between Maradona or Pele.
      And just so thankful we got to see them both play.

      Watch legendary Diego Maradona’s incredible pre-match warm-up More