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    Chinese footie fans brand Messi a ‘thief’ for no-showing a friendly game – and taunt the Argentine over the Falklands

    CHINESE footie fans have slammed Lionel Messi for a no-show — and taunted him over the Falklands.The Argentine legend sparked anger after failing to play for Inter Miami in a Hong Kong exhibition game this month.
    Footie fans were angered when Lionel Messi failed to show up at Inter Miami’s exhibition game in Hong KongCredit: AFP – Getty
    Fans in mainland China took to social media site Weibo to voice their support for Britain’s claim to the Falklands in the wake of Messi’s snubCredit: Getty
    Club officials blamed a hamstring injury but days later Messi played in China’s rival Japan.
    Fans in mainland China saw it as a major snub and started targeting the social media account of the Argentinian embassy in Beijing.
    They blasted Messi, 36, and hailed British rule over the Falkands using the same terms the Communist Party uses for its claim that Taiwan is part of China.
    Landi Xie wrote: “The Falklands are an integral and inseparable part of the United Kingdom.”
    READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
    One user of Weibo – the Chinese equivalent of X/Twitter – said: “The fact that the islands belong to Britain is beyond doubt.
    “Messi is a thief. All his Ballon d’Or awards were stolen.”
    Another – using the name for the Falklands in Spanish – referred to the 1982 war and said: “The Malvinas Islands are part of the UK.
    “They were before, they are now, and of course, they will always be in the future.
    Most read in Football
    “Your country doesn’t have the capability to take them back either.”
    The Falklands defy Argentina with a referendumWhat is the Falkland Islands dispute?

    The Falklands are a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic.
    The UK Government says it has the right to the land based on its long-term administration of the Falklands and on the principle of self-determination for the islanders, who are almost all of British descent.
    In a referendum on the islands in 2013 just three residents out of 1,517 were against remaining British.
    However, Argentina says it has a right to the islands because it inherited them from the Spanish Empire.
    It has also based its claim on the islands’ proximity to the South American mainland.
    In 1982, Argentina’s military junta landed its forces on the Falklands to stake a territorial claim.
    Some 255 British service personnel died in the successful defence of the islands.
    The 72-day war also left 649 Argentine soldiers dead.
    Britain has tried to improve relations with Argentina since the war, although Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the islands. More

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    David Baddiel reveals tiny amount Three Lions song makes on Spotify despite millions of streams

    DAVID Baddiel says he got just 0.003p a time from Spotify for footie anthem Three Lions during the 2018 World Cup.The comedian and writer admitted he did well out of the song when it was first released for the 1996 Euros.
    David Baddiel has revealed the amount his song Three Lions has made via Spotify streamsCredit: Getty
    But he said he, Frank Skinner and band The Lightning Seeds have seen little in the way of royalties since the rise of Spotify and other online  services.
    Asked what the record had brought him apart from greater fame, Baddiel said: “Not money, for a start.
    “It brought me, Frank and Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds a fair wedge.
    “But not since Spotify took over has it brought us much money. In fact, when England played Colombia in the 2018 World Cup, it was downloaded four ­million times — for which Frank, Ian and I received £1,200 from Spotify.”
    READ MORE CELEB NEWS
    He added that, despite the huge success of the song in the Nineties, he and his wife Morwenna Banks have never flashed their money around.
    He told the Comfort Eating podcast: “It (Three Lions) came out in 1996, and it went platinum in 1996 – just to be clear we’ve done OK.”
    He added: “Let me tell you something that just happened today. Because I am from sort of lower middle-class immigrant stock, and I’ve done alright in my life, but I find it quite hard, as does my wife Morwenna Banks, who is from rural poverty in Cornwall, to actually flex anything.
    “Yesterday, two towels arrived, that have a high thread count that were quite fluffy. And that’s because we sat there the other day, having got out the bath, saying ‘Why are we drying ourselves with these rags – surely we can do better that this?’
    Most read in Sport
    “It had never occurred to us in years and years and years.”
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    Pierre Gasly’s model girlfriend Kika Gomes wows in tiny turquoise bikini as she celebrates the F1 star’s birthday

    MODEL Kika Gomes gets the pulses racing after celebrating her Formula One star boyfriend’s birthday.The Portuguese showed off her figure in a turquoise bikini for a Drope Clothing swimwear shoot.
    Kika Gomes stunned in this bikini after she celebrated her Formula One star boyfriend’s birthdayCredit: Capture Media Agency
    Kika is dating Alpine driver Pierre GaslyCredit: Instagram / @francisca.cgomes
    Kika and Pierre celebrate the racer’s birthdayCredit: Instagram
    Kika is dating French driver Pierre Gasly and was with him as he turned 28 last week, after they toasted her 21st last month.
    He wrote online: “I’m filled with love & joy going into the 28th season of my life!”
    Kika has been dating F1 driver Pierre since last October.
    She grew up in the fast lane with racing driver dad Gonçalo and TV host mum Maria.
    READ MORE ON KIKA GOMES
    Kika, real name Francisca, has collaborated with several beachwear brands including Calzedonia and Natura Portugal.
    Her mum Maria is a top TV presenter and model, and dad Goncalo was a racing driver.
    Gasly, 27, drives for the Alpine team now co-owned by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce.
    He is considered as one of the sport’s biggest rising stars.
    Most read in Motorsport
    Frenchman Gasly showed good clutch control as he hugged Kika on a holiday in Italy earlier this year, after joking she was his “lucky charm” at race weekends.
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    F1 champ Jenson Button in legal row after ‘fraudulently’ selling prized 1970’s Ford Bronco

    FORMER F1 champion Jenson Button has been accused of fraudulently selling a vehicle that did not belong to him.Button, 44, sold the blue 1970 Ford Bronco truck in 2022 for £130,000 via website Collecting Cars, saying he had owned it for four years.
    Jenson Button has been accused of fraudulently selling a vehicle that did not belong to himCredit: Getty
    Jenson Button uploaded a snap to Instagram of him behind the wheel of the 1970’s Ford Bronco
    But the 2009 world champion had earlier admitted that it was actually owned by his wife Brittny Ward, 33.
    Leo Eccles, 45, who bought the Bronco, has launched a legal action claiming Button was “not the legitimate owner”.
    Mr Eccles, who runs a gaming firm in Gloucestershire, claims he paid a premium believing that the car was Button’s and wants his money back.
    Documents filed at Los Angeles County Court accuse Button and his wife of fraud, intentional misrepresentation and breach of contract.
    READ MORE F1 NEWS
    Lawyer Ethan Brown, speaking on behalf of his client Mr Eccles, said: “No date has yet been set for the full trial but there is a case management hearing due in the next few weeks.
    “In essence the claim is the car at the time it was sold, didn’t belong to Mr Button but to his then girlfriend and the payment made was sustainably more than it was worth but that was on the understanding it was owned by Mr Button, which our client says it wasn’t.
    “The car is still in California and hasn’t moved, Mr Button is contending that our client can’t get the car registered in South Africa and that is the real issue, and not the ownership of the car, which we are contesting.
    “What we are saying is Mr Eccles paid a substantial amount of moment for a car that he was led to believe was owned by Mr Jensen Button but he says it wasn’t and the owner was Brittny Ward, what he would like is the sale rescinded and his money back.”
    Most read in Motorsport
    Button did not comment.
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    Man City star Jamal Baptiste fined after being caught inhaling laughing gas while driving

    A PREMIER League rising star has been fined after he was caught inhaling laughing gas while driving.Man City defender Jamal Baptiste, 20, remained stationary at traffic lights in his VW Polo for about a minute after they turned green.
    Jamal Baptiste has been fined after he was caught inhaling laughing gas while drivingCredit: PA
    He was seen inhaling the balloons with a pal in Dagenham, East London, on July 7 last year.
    He pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and was given six penalty points and a £1,000 fine by magistrates at Bromley, South ­London.
    He also had to pay a £400 victim surcharge plus costs of £110.
    It comes a week after The Sun revealed that a Premier League star was receiving rehab treatment for addiction to nitrous oxide.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Baptiste is a former West Ham ­centre-back once billed as the next Rio Ferdinand by the club’s former striker Carlton Cole.
    Last May the club reportedly offered Baptiste a new deal but slashed his wages due to issues off the pitch.
    He moved to Man City on a free transfer in September. He is described on the club website as “an athletic and technically gifted defender who featured twice for West Ham while representing England at youth level.”
    Football clubs are testing players for laughing gas after epidemic of players doing Class C “hippy crack” – one star left clubless after rejection for nerve damage More

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    Hippy crack footballer’s transfer breaks down after more clubs start testing aces for laughing gas

    TOP football clubs have started testing players for nitrous oxide use, with a growing number addicted to the “laughing gas” drug.Teams are noticing huge differences in the expected lung capacity of players and how they can actually perform.
    One footballer saw his transfer collapse after signs that his nervous system was ravaged by his use of laughing gas was found (stock image)Credit: Getty
    Top football clubs have started testing players for nitrous oxide useCredit: Alamy
    One player set to sign for a ­second-tier Championship club saw the deal collapse after doctors carrying out his medical discovered signs that his nervous system was ravaged by his use of the gas.
    The revelations come days after The Sun revealed that a Premier League star was in rehab for addiction to nitrous oxide, also known as “hippy crack”.
    His usage came to light when a car he was travelling in was stopped by police who found dozens of canisters.
    His family alerted the club and a medical intervention was made.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Dozens of Premier League stars, including England internationals, are known to be regular users of the drug — with many wrongly believing that it is harmless.
    But long-term use can reduce the body’s levels of Vitamin B12 — essential for nerve function.
    It was criminalised last November in a government crackdown and is now a Class C drug, in the same category as cannabis.
    One Prem player spent £10,000 on laughing gas canisters for a recent birthday party. And now clubs are testing for nitrous oxide abuse when carrying out medicals.
    Most read in Football
    A source said: “One player was massively addicted. He was with a club and during a fitness test they said the nerves in his legs were f****d.
    ‘Hippy crack’ laughing gas to be BANNED in major clampdown on ‘scourge’ of anti-social behaviour
    “He admitted he was doing loads of balloons and they got rid of him.
    “His agent got him into another club for a trial and they were keen to sign him.
    “But when they carried out his medical they basically said ‘You’re an addict’ and ended their interest. He’s now without a club.”
    Other players have been questioned by medical teams after their legs twitched uncontrollably while they were being treated for other injuries.
    Another source said: “It’s an absolutely massive problem, which clubs are only just starting to understand and get a grip on.
    “Players think they can get away with it because it doesn’t show up in drug tests and until recently it wasn’t illegal, but some are addicts and it’s having a hugely negative effect on their health and their careers.”
    In 2022 doctors warned they were seeing increased numbers of patients with neurological injuries caused by laughing gas including spinal cord and nerve damage.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    Sport science professor and former FA performance head John Brewer warned of the impact that it could have on players.
    He said of the drug: “If you’re a top-level footballer trying to make skilful movements and pass a ball effectively, you don’t want your nerves to be damaged in any way because you need that peripheral ability to sense movements.”
    PREM STAR DRUG RIDEAmir Razavi & Richard Moriarty
    A PREMIER League rising star has been fined after he was caught inhaling laughing gas while driving.
    Man City defender Jamal Baptiste, 20, remained stationary at traffic lights in his VW Polo for about a minute after they turned green.
    He was seen inhaling the balloons with a pal in Dagenham, East London, on July 7 last year.
    He pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and was given six penalty points and a £1,000 fine by magistrates at Bromley, South ­London. He also had to pay a £400 victim surcharge plus costs of £110.
    It comes a week after The Sun revealed that a Premier League star was receiving rehab treatment for addiction to nitrous oxide.
    Baptiste is a former West Ham ­centre-back once billed as the next Rio Ferdinand by the club’s former striker Carlton Cole.
    Last May the club reportedly offered Baptiste a new deal but slashed his wages due to issues off the pitch.
    He moved to Man City on a free transfer in September. He is described on the club website as “an athletic and technically gifted defender who featured twice for West Ham while representing England at youth level.” More

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    Lewis Hamilton debuts new look ahead of his transfer to F1 Team Ferrari

    GRAND Prix ace Sir Lewis Hamilton freshens up ahead of his transfer to F1 team Ferrari — with a bushy red hairdo.The seven-times world champ, 39, who will leave Mercedes at the end of the year, revealed his new look on a break in Brazil.
    Lewis Hamilton showed off his new bushy red hairdo in BrazilCredit: Instagram
    It’s a notable change from his tight plaited braidsCredit: Tim Goode / PA Wire
    His tight plaited braids have been replaced with fluffy locks that billowed from under a sun hat.
    A fan joked: “Maybe it’s a tribute to Ferrari’s classic red livery.”
    Hamilton has been world champion a joint-record seven times – in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
    In 2008, aged 23, he became the youngest ever world champion after five wins and a further five podiums took him to the title by a single point.
    READ MORE LEWIS HAMILTON
    2014 saw him enjoy Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid’s dominance, taking 11 wins en route to his second world title.
    Team-mate Rosberg pushed him all the way with the championship only decided in the final race.
    In 2017 he won the Mexican Grand Prix and defended his title again in 2018, before doing the same in 2020.
    Hamilton won the Turkish Grand Prix to go level with the legendary Michael Schumacher in 2020.
    Most read in Motorsport
    His astonishing achievements were recognised and he was knighted in December 2021 for his services to sport.
    In 2014, Lewis was named the most marketable sportsman in the world.
    He has had personal sponsorship deals with Bose, L’Oreal, Mercedes-Benz, Monster Energy, Police, Puma, Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, Vodafone-USD.
    Hamilton is said to be raking in an additional £16.6million from these sponsorship deals.
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    Harry Maguire’s Greek retrial for assault and bribery shelved for over a year – and may never go ahead

    HARRY Maguire’s retrial for assault and bribery has been shelved for more than a year — and may never go ahead. The England and Manchester United centre-back was due to plead his innocence this week at a long-awaited hearing on the Greek island of Mykonos. 
    Harry Maguire’s Greek retrial for assault and bribery may never go aheadCredit: Getty
    Maguire spent two nights in a cell after an altercation on a night outCredit: The Mega Agency
    But a legal strike saw it postponed and lawyers say it will now not take place until March next year at the earliest.
    Officials are now said to be reluctant to pursue the case amid fears it has damaged the island’s reputation and harmed tourism. 
    The move to postpone the case prolongs the ordeal for the ace who has vowed to clear his name after his shock arrest in summer 2020. 
    A source said: “Harry has — and always will — contest the charges.
    READ MORE ON HARRY MAGUIRE
    “He was on holiday with friends and family and was understandably distraught. He doesn’t want this hanging over him another day but respects the Greek legal system.” 
    Maguire, 30, was held by police and spent two nights in a cell after an altercation on a night out. 
    He was hauled into court days later and his lawyers were given just two hours to prepare a case. 
    Crucial evidence was withheld from the trial and Maguire was found guilty of bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence.
    Most read in Football
    The footie hero, who has won 62 caps for the Three Lions, got a suspended jail term of 21 months. 
    Maguire’s lawyers immediately lodged an appeal — quashing the original verdict — and vowed to return to court to clear his name. 
    Luke Littler takes on Harry Maguire in incredible darts challenge as fans say Man Utd star should ‘switch careers’
    The player later told how the ordeal unfolded as he, his wife Fern, sister Daisy and six others waited for a taxi.
    He said two Albanian men approached Daisy and tried to talk to her. 
    Fern said she then saw Daisy’s eyes had rolled back as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
    Maguire said the group shouted at the men but there was no fight.
    Harry Maguire spoke to the BBC’s sports editor Dan Roan in 2020Credit: BBC
    Harry Maguire during his infamous 2020 interview about the Mykonos brawl
    Harry (right) with sister Daisy Maguire in MykonosCredit: Refer to CaptionHARRY MAGUIRE MYKONOS BATTLE TIMELINE More