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      Hansi Flick WON’T be sacked and will stay on as Germany boss until after Euro 2024 despite horrendous World Cup KO

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      HANSI FLICK will stay on as Germany boss until Euro 2024 despite their early World Cup exit.Germany failed to qualify for the knock-out stages after losing to Japan and drawing with Spain.
      Hansi Flick will stay on as Germany boss until Euro 2024Credit: Getty
      Flick’s side did manage to beat Costa Rica but finished third and exited the World Cup in the group stages for a second successive tournament.
      Despite the poor performance the German Football Association has decided to continue with Flick for the next major tournament.
      Flick sat down with German FA bosses Bernd Neuendorf and Hans-Joachim Watzke for a two-and-a-half-hour meeting.
      It was decided that Flick would continue in his post and German FA president Neuendorf offered his support to the 57-year-old in a public statement.
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      He said: “We are all convinced that the 2024 European Championship in our own country represents a great opportunity for football in Germany.
      “Our goal is to make this tournament a sporting success. We have full confidence in Hansi Flick that he will master this challenge together with his team.”
      Flick is confident his team will learn lessons from their Qatar heartbreak and will be ready to improve at the Euros.
      He said: “My coaching team and I are optimistic about the European Championship in our own country.
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      “We as a team can achieve much more than we showed in Qatar. We have missed a great opportunity there. We will learn our lessons from that.”
      Flick only took charge of Germany in the summer of 2021 following Germany’s knock-out defeat to England in Euro 2020. More

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      Watch Roy Keane rip off shirt after scoring winner in ITV vs BBC match days after slamming exuberant Brazil celebrations

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      ROY KEANE went topless to celebrate a goal earlier – just days after slamming Brazil’s dancing after scoring against South Korea.The Manchester United legend is currently out in Qatar covering the World Cup as a pundit for ITV.
      Roy Keane produced an epic celebration after scoring the winner for ITV against BBCCredit: ITV Football
      The Man Utd legend then pulled off his shirt before jumping over a wheelie binCredit: ITV Football
      The tournament reached the end of the last-16 stage on Tuesday after Portugal thrashed Switzerland and Morocco had shocked Spain on penalties.
      That has led to a two-day break before the quarters get underway on Friday when Croatia take on five-time winners Brazil at 3pm.
      That meant that after a hectic 16-day run of matches, TV presenters and pundits alike finally had a chance to unwind off camera.
      But football was still very much the main agenda for Britain’s two main broadcasters, BBC and ITV.
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      The pundits of both TV stations came together on the pitch earlier to take part in a game.
      And it was Keane that earned himself the headlines as he scored the “golden goal” to earn ITV victory – and he notched past none other than his Sky Sports pal and ex-Manchester City ace Micah Richards in the net.
      Fortunately for the usually no-nonsense Republic of Ireland great the cameras were there to capture his moment of magic.
      And the 51-year-old celebrated by ripping off his T-shirt, swirling it around his head, and then jumping over a wheelie bin prior to being mobbed by his colleagues.
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      A clip of it was shared by ITV Football’s Twitter account and was captioned with: “A day off for the @ITVSport team today in Doha so of course we played football. So enjoy this glorious moment as Roy Keane scores the golden goal against none other than special guest @MicahRichards. Fancy a rematch @BBCSport?”
      It comes after Keane slammed Brazil for celebrating with a team dance that included manager Tite during their 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday.
      He said: “Fantastic finish by Vinicius, great start to the game. But I’ve never seen so much dancing.
      “I can’t believe what I’m watching, I can’t believe what I’m watching, it’s like watching Strictly [Come Dancing]. I don’t like this.
      “People say it’s their culture. But I think that’s really disrespecting the opposition.
      “It’s four goals, and they are doing it every time.
      “I don’t mind so much the first jig, it’s the one after that, and the manager getting involved.
      “I’m not happy about it. I don’t think it’s good at all.” More

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      FA want Southgate to stay as England manager REGARDLESS of France World Cup result, and do not have succession plan

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      THE FA want Gareth Southgate to stay on as England manager after the World Cup, according to reports.The Three Lions boss has been in charge since October 2016 and is England’s most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey.
      The FA want Gareth Southgate to stay as England manager until Euro 2024Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Southgate has guided England to a semi-final and final in his two major tournament campaigns and has set up a quarter-final clash with France on Saturday.
      And according to the Daily Mail, the FA want Southgate to continue managing England regardless of the result against France.
      Southgate, 52, is under contract until Euro 2024 but his future is not clear.
      The FA want him to oversee that European Championship campaign but the former Middlesbrough boss could step down.
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      Southgate is believed to be open to a return to club management but English football’s governing body is hoping to convince him to stay on.
      And the two parties are reportedly set to discuss his future in a post-World Cup debrief.
      It is believed the FA do not have a succession plan in place if Southgate does leave, which is another factor behind their desire for him to continue.
      But they will not stand in his way if he decides he is ready for a new challenge.
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      Southgate has been linked to the likes of Fulham and Nottingham Forest if he does decide to leave his England post.
      And Chelsea boss Graham Potter has been tipped as one of the favourites to take over.
      Newcastle’s Eddie Howe is another manager who has been linked to the role. More

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      Workers begin dismantling Qatar’s temporary Stadium 974 ‘before it is rebuilt in Uruguay for World Cup 2030’

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      THE World Cup may just be reaching its business end, with eight countries remaining – but one of the stadiums is already being dismantled.Crew got to work on taking apart the temporary Stadium 974 in the Ras Abu Aboud area of Doha.
      Stadium 974 is already being dismantledCredit: Getty
      The ground was built using 974 shipping containersCredit: Getty
      The workers wasted no time getting to work on relocating the venueCredit: Getty
      It hosted seven matches for the World CupCredit: Getty
      The unique ground was primarily built using 974 repurposed shipping containers – 974 is the dialing code for Qatar.
      Inside, it held around 40,000 seats – officially bumped up by 4,089 after the tournament kicked off.
      But fans may get to take their seat in the ground again – on the other side of the world.
      Opened on November 20, 2021, the stadium was used for just 13 matches.
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      That included six at the Arab Cup and seven at the World Cup, the last of which was Brazil’s thumping 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday night.
      Within hours of the full-time whistle, though, the trucks and forklifts were out in force to start the mammoth dissembling job.
      However, this is not expected to be the end of the story for the Stadium 974.
      Because as reported by the Financial Times, the plan is to transport the shipping containers – presumably by boat – 8,000 miles to Uruguay.
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      The South American nation plan to rebuild the stadium back to its original structure and host World Cup matches there in 2030.
      Uruguay are hoping the proposed initiative to reduce the wasted derelict venues will help sway the votes for the hosting rights for the tournament in eight years’ time – exactly 100 years since they staged the inaugural event.
      Their bid will be a joint effort with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay.
      But it faces competition from the European bid of Spain, Portugal and Ukraine.
      A bid from Morocco and a cross-confederation campaign from Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia has also been proposed.
      Brazil won the last of the 13 matches at the stadiumCredit: Getty More

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      Brazil’s press officer leaves World Cup journalists in disbelief as he brutally disposes of CAT in Vinicius Jr interview

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      BRAZIL’S press officer shocked reporters after picking up a cat and throwing it on the floor.The official was sat alongside Vinicius Jr at the time of the incident.

      The cat was relaxing after jumping up on the table
      The press officer picked it up in a shocking manner
      He then threw the cat on the floor as Vinicius Jr watched on
      Vinicius was answering questions to the press when a cat jumped up onto the table.
      The Brazil star laughed as the curious feline chilled out during the press conference.
      But the press officer decided to pick up the kitty by the fur on its back before dropping it over the front of the desk.
      The reporters present could be heard gasping in shock but the Brazilian looked puzzled as he shrugged his shoulders.
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      He quickly asked for the next question as Vinicius burst out laughing.
      The 22-year-old appeared to ask the press officer why he decided to get rid of the cat and seemed to laugh out of shock.
      Fans on social media were also shocked by the press officer’s actions, with one writing: “Why did he throw it???”
      Another added: “He didn’t have to throw it like that.”
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      And a third said: “Why did he pick the cat up like that …. I hope Brazil don’t win the world Cup now 😒.”
      Vinicus was speaking ahead of Brazil’s quarter-final clash with Croatia on Friday.
      The Real Madrid winger scored in the previous round against South Korea, which Brazil won 4-1. More

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      Argentina star Rodrigo De Paul – nicknamed Lionel Messi’s ‘bodyguard’ – an injury doubt for Holland World Cup clash

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      ARGENTINA are sweating on the fitness of the man dubbed “Lionel Messi’s bodyguard” for their crunch clash with Holland.Rodrigo De Paul failed to train alongside his team-mates earlier today and is preparing to undergo tests.
      Rodrigo De Paul has provided Argentina an injury scare ahead of the World Cup quarter-finalCredit: Getty
      The star has been dubbed Lionel Messi’s ‘bodyguard’Credit: AP
      The 28-year-old midfielder has featured in all of his nation’s World Cup matches in Qatar so far.
      Now Argentina are preparing to face Holland in the quarter-final on Friday.
      But there is concern whether the Atletico Madrid man will be fit enough to face the Dutch.
      He is believed to have a problem with his right hamstring and was forced to train away from the rest of the squad earlier.
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      De Paul has often been referred to as “Messi’s bodyguard” by Argentina fans.
      However, it is not only in a physical sense that moniker was devised.
      The ace also covers the free-playing magician in a tactical sense.
      He played a key role in the success at last year’s Copa America and boss Lionel Scaloni has trusted him immensely again so far in the Middle East.
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      He has played every minute of the World Cup for Argentina.
      But now it appears that he faces a race against time to be fit for Friday’s crunch showdown.
      De Paul has 48 caps for his country, scoring twice, and will be desperate to add to that before football’s biggest showcase concludes. More

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      Jamie Carragher names his best World Cup XI of all time using no more than one player from each country

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      JAMIE CARRAGHER has named his best World Cup XI of all time with just one player allowed per country. And he made the controversial call to leave both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi out of the team.

      Pele is probably the greatest World Cup player everCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Diego Maradona unsurprisingly makes the incredible line-upCredit: Getty
      The Portuguese representative is forward Eusebio, who leads the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation for Carragher.
      Eusebio scored all nine of his World Cup goals as he led his country to the semi-finals in 1966, including four in the stunning comeback win over North Korea – when Portugal won 5-3 from 3-0 down inside 25 minutes.
      Supporting the clinical striker are three of the all-time footballing greats.
      From Argentina, operating on the right, is none other than Diego Maradona, who led his nation to glory in 1986 – thanks in part to his famous double against England.
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      The magician scored eight goals in his 21 appearances in the competition and is considered one of the best ever.
      Alongside Maradona is another of the sport’s greatest icons in Pele.
      The Brazilian is the only player ever to win three World Cups, is the youngest winner and goalscorer and arguably the very best World Cup player.
      To complete a fearsome front four for Carragher is Holland maverick Johan Cruyff.
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      He led the Dutch to the final in 1974 with the beautiful brand of football but the Oranje fell short by losing to West Germany in the final.
      Providing the balls into the elite attack are two of the great passers the game has seen.
      Ultimate technician Xavi, winner of the 2010 World Cup, is in the team for Spain.
      And next to him is his former El Clasico rival and 2018 finalist Luka Modric.
      In fact, the Real Madrid star is the only active footballer in the XI – currently representing Croatia in Qatar.
      The back four is made up of some of the titans of the game with 1998 winner Lilian Thuram, 1974 champion Franz Beckenbauer, 1966 victor Bobby Moore and 1994 runner-up Paolo Maldini.
      Bobby Moore is the only England captain to lift the World CupCredit: PA
      Xavi helped Spain to glory in South Africa in 2010Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Jamie Carragher left out Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel MessiCredit: Getty
      Thuram played for France 142 times across 14 years and managed two goals – incredibly both came in the 2-0 1998 semi-final win over Croatia.
      Beckenbauer is one of just three men to win the World Cup as a player and as a manager – the supreme defender leading West Germany from the dugout in 1990.
      England’s player is none other than their only captain to lift the World Cup – Moore was the linchpin in the heart of the defence when the Three Lions secured the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil 58 long years ago.
      Maldini, meanwhile, may not have won the World Cup for four-time champions Italy but still gets the nod for Carragher as one of the game’s top left-backs.
      And this all-star team apparently needs a goalkeeper, too – although one doubts he would be very busy.
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      The man chosen is Denmark hero Peter Schmeichel, who only played at one World Cup – reaching the quarters in 1998 – but is widely regarded as the No1 goalkeeper ever by many.
      Ironically, his son Kasper has played at more – representing the Danes in Russia and Qatar. More

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      Croatia star Mateo Kovacic shows off nasty face injury after freak gym accident ahead of World Cup clash Brazil

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      MATEO KOVACIC showed off his nasty-looking facial injuries ahead of Croatia’s clash with Brazil.The losing finalists in 2018 take on the five-time champions in the quarter-final of the World Cup at 3pm on Friday.
      Mateo Kovacic had nasty looking cuts on his faceCredit: Alamy
      The midfielder revealed he had an accident in the gym
      Kovacic is fit to play in the tie despite suffering a freak accident in the gym this week.
      The Chelsea star had cuts to his right eyebrow and just below his right eye.
      But he is looking forward to taking on Brazil and admitted he has room for improvement after the last 16 game against Japan.
      He said in a press conference: “It’s easier when the opponent plays out and leaves more space.

      “But I can improve some things in my game, especially when the team closes and I have room for improvement. But every match is different.”
      Croatia booked a meeting with Brazil after beating Japan 3-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
      Kovacic has featured in every World Cup game for Croatia – who are unbeaten in four matches.
      And while Croatia have impressed on the pitch, superfan Ivana Knoll has captured attention off the pitch.
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      The former Miss Croatia trolled Japan fans by eating sushi following Croatia’s win and many fans have stopped to take photos with her.
      Ivana says she has been warmly received in Qatar with men, women and children all keen to take photos with her. More