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      Roberto Mancini reveals emotional final meeting with Gianluca Vialli as late Italy and Chelsea icon made incredible plea

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      HE is the international boss who thought about quitting after a late missed penalty led to World Cup heartbreak.He is worried about the lack of homegrown talent playing in his country’s top division.
      Roberto Mancini will manage Italy for their Euros qualification campaignCredit: AP
      He revealed that Gianluca Vialli told him Italy must win the next World CupCredit: Marc Aspland EURO 2020 Newspapers Pool
      And he is seeking more Euros glory to ease the pain of the recent past.
      No, not Gareth Southgate.
      Because if you think the England boss has had a rollercoaster few years, it is nothing compared to what Roberto Mancini and Italy have faced.
      Southgate led the Three Lions to a first major final in 55 years, only for Mancini to emerge triumphant from their Euro 2020 showdown at  Wembley, thanks to his side’s greater spot-kick composure.
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      But from such great heights came a great fall.
      It was a year ago that North Macedonia stunned football with a   play-off semi-final win which meant Italy would miss a second World Cup in a row.
      But it all could have been so different if Jorginho had scored a penalty a few months earlier.
      Italy won a  spot-kick in the last minute of their qualifier against Switzerland in November 2021, with the score at 1-1.
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      If Jorginho had netted it, Mancini’s side would have gone into the last round of games top of the group, three points ahead of the Swiss and with a better goal difference.
      But just like Harry Kane at a crucial stage of England’s World Cup quarter-final with France, the Arsenal ace blazed his effort over —having had another penalty saved in the away game against Switzerland.
      Unlike Kane, Jorginho and Italy had chances to redeem themselves — and blew them. A draw in Northern Ireland sent them into the playoffs as the Swiss thrashed Bulgaria, then came that luckless night against North Macedonia.
      Mancini later admitted: “When things don’t go well, it’s clear the responsibility lies with the coach. I  thought about leaving.”
      But the former Manchester City boss stayed and guided Italy to the Nations League Finals later that year, winning and drawing against Southgate’s England on the way.
      When the teams played out a dull goalless draw at Molineux last June, pressure started to build on the Three Lions boss.
      When the same venue hosted a 4-0  thrashing by Hungary three days later, the backlash left Southgate on the verge of announcing he would step down after the World Cup.
      But he did not, then quickly ended any speculation about his future following the France defeat by confirming he would stay on until at least 2024.
      Southgate and Mancini go in search of redemption in tonight’s Euro 2024 qualifier singing from the same hymn sheet.
      The England coach warned the falling number of Englishmen featuring in the Premier League will force future managers to look for players in the Championship.
      Mancini, in response, said: “We are worse off than Southgate. I don’t know why there are so few strikers, we are very limited going forward.
      “We have three teams in the Champions League quarter-finals. Yet out of them, there are seven or eight Italians at most.  This is the reality.”
      For the record, it is seven. Meanwhile, England’s two clubs in the last eight, Manchester City and Chelsea, provide eight players in Southgate’s squad.
      And the England party, even without injured Chelsea pair Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount, looks stronger on paper.
      Italy will particularly miss Giacomo Raspadori, whose brilliant goal earned Italy victory over the Lions in  September. Napoli’s Raspadori is out with a thigh injury.
      Vialli passed away in JanuaryCredit: Getty
      But Mancini and Italy have something else spurring them on — the memory of former Azzurri striker Gianluca Vialli.
      The most powerful image of the Euro 2020 final was head coach Mancini embracing  Vialli, his ex-Sampdoria and Italy team-mate, after Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Bukayo Saka in the shootout.
      The former Chelsea striker had accepted a position with the national team during his first bout of cancer in 2018.
      But tears of joy at Wembley in July 2021 became tears of pain in January when Vialli died, aged just 58. Heartbroken Mancini said afterwards he was on a mission assigned to him by his “little brother”.
      He said: “I went to see Luca in London in December, I was a little scared. He told me, ‘I’m relaxed, don’t worry’. He was the one trying to raise my spirits.
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      “Gianluca told me we must win the World Cup in 2026 and that he’ll be with us. We hope to dedicate a great victory to him soon.”
      In Naples tonight, Italy’s first game since Vialli’s death would be a fitting way for Mancini’s  European champions to start that quest. More

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      England stars take the Countdown challenge as Gareth Southgate spells out why he couldn’t quit after World Cup heartache

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE spelt out his demands to England’s stars in the Countdown to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and told them: Seize the moment.Arsenal star Bukayo Saka and Co took part in a special edition of Channel 4’s popular TV game show, alongside maths whizz Rachel Riley, at St George’s Park on Tuesday.
      Bukayo Saka took part in a special edition of Countdown with his England palsCredit: Channel 4
      John Stone also took part in the showCredit: Channel 4
      England Countdown, which also features Luke Shaw, will air before the game against ItalyCredit: Channel 4
      Luke Shaw and James Maddison featured with Rachel Riley hostCredit: Channel 4
      Gareth Southgate did not rule out staying on until after Euro 2024Credit: Getty
      And Southgate knows his first conundrum is how England qualify for the finals, starting with facing champions Italy in a tough Group C clash in Naples.
      With the clock ticking, the Three Lions boss told his players not to assume they will be a permanent fixture in the team as heartbreak could be around the corner.
      England are still looking for a first trophy since 1966 World Cup glory.Southgate, whose deal runs out after this tournament, also hinted he could stay on if his team wins.
      He declared: “You have to be careful as a player not to assume this might not be your last chance.
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      “You’re always going to think you’re going to have other opportunities. But injury, form, new players coming in . . . you can never take it for granted.
      “The older ones know the timescale is quite clear. But everybody else has to be mindful as well.
      “The team is always evolving. We have tried to constantly give people their opportunity.
      “That happened with Jude Bellingham and we have one or two others just on the fringes.”
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      Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham starts against the Azzurri and Southgate will field a similar team to the one which lost 2-1 to France in last year’s Qatar World Cup quarter-final.
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      Asked if he will definitely quit England next year, Southgate said: “Well, that depends if we win!”
      Quizzed whether he would sign a new deal if England won in Germany, he added: “Let’s hope we’ve got that opportunity to make that decision.”
      Southgate is hoping to deliver his 50th win as England bossand Three Lions skipper Harry Kane is looking to become England’s all-time record scorer as he is level with Wayne Rooney on 53 goals.
      Asked about Kane, who missed a penalty against France, Southgate said: “We’ve seen with his performances for his club that he has put the World Cup behind him.
      “But he will have added motivation to show what he is about in an England shirt, which is a great position for us.”
      West Ham midfielder Declan Rice stressed England are keen to win in Italy for the first time since 1961.
      Rice said: “There is more expectation now than ever.
      “If you look at this squad it’s full of top-quality players.
      “The record in Italy hasn’t been good and since the Euros this will be the fourth time we have played them and we haven’t won yet.
      “It will be a really big statement if we can go there and win.”
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      England will have a great chance if Bukayo Saka, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Eric Dier and James Maddison dazzle as they did on Countdown.
      Channel 4 will screen the programme before Sunday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine. More

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      Belgium name Premier League star as new captain after ex-Chelsea ace Eden Hazard’s international retirement

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      BELGIUM have named their next captain following the international retirement of Eden Hazard. Chelsea legend Hazard, 32, stepped down from national team duty following Belgium’s early exit from the World Cup.
      Eden Hazard has retired from international dutyCredit: Rex
      Kevin De Bruyne will take over as captainCredit: Getty
      Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne will take the reins in Hazard’s stead.
      Speaking to RTL-TVI television, De Bruyne said: “It’s an honour for me to be named and represent the country in this way.
      “I’m almost 32. I’ve never considered international retirement. I think I can still bring something to the table and help the youngsters.”
      De Bruyne has made 97 appearances for the Belgium national team.
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      He made his debut in 2011, and has gone on to score 25 goals while also adding a staggering 46 assists.
      Belgium have also confirmed Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku will be the nation’s new vice-captains.
      Domenico Tedesco, who succeeded Roberto Martinez as manager, will face Sweden and Germany in his first fixtures.
      The Sweden clash will see the Red Devils also kickstart their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
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      Speaking in a video released on the Belgium National Team’s Twitter page, De Bruyne said: “It’s a proud moment to be captain of the national team.
      “I have been represeneting Belgium as a footballer for quite a long time.
      “To represent it in this way is an honour. I hope I can fulfil that role well.” More

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      I wolfed down 16 scoops of ice cream on my Home Alone 2 holiday, then Pep subbed me on two days later… I was knackered

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      JACK GREALISH ticked a major item off his bucket list by visiting the locations of his favourite film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.Now the England and Manchester City midfielder is hoping his team can finally achieve something at the top of everyone’s list — the Three Lions to win a major tournament.
      Jack Grealish believes he’s in the form of his life due to extra confidenceCredit: Getty
      Jack Grealish is a huge fan of Macaulay Culkin in the Home Alone movies
      Grealish ordered 16 scoops of ice cream on room service on his New York holiday… just like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2Credit: Kobal Collection – Shutterstock
      Grealish goes into the Euro 2024 qualifiers, starting with tomorrow’s big clash against Italy in Naples, in the best form of his career.
      The ex-Aston Villa midfielder has been box office after the World Cup, which included a pre-Christmas trip to the United States where he visited all the filming spots of the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
      Grealish is a fan of Macaulay Culkin who rose to fame as Kevin McCallister and the £100million star even stayed in the Plaza Hotel hotel where the film was set.
      He said: “It was a little bucket-list moment for me.
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      “I stayed in the hotel and you could get some mad room service, like 16 scoops of ice cream — like what he got in the film. I’ve got an addictive kind of personality!
      “I love that film, man. Someone had told me about the tour so we went round Central Park. I felt like a right little tourist.
      “I was in the back of a horse-drawn carriage thing and every now and again someone would say: ‘I swear that’s Jack Grealish’. I was saying: ‘Mate! Quick! Speed up!’
      “It was good to have a few days off. It was difficult going out of the World Cup. I thought we played so well in the whole of the tournament.
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      “People who I play with, who were there with other countries, told me they thought we were going to win it, which is a credit to us.
      “Going out in the quarter-finals in the way we did, it was a game we could have won. So obviously it wasn’t the best.”
      And after his mountain of ice cream, Grealish was shocked to be called into action again so soon after the break by Pep Guardiola at City.
      He said: “The manager gave us eight or nine days off.
      “I didn’t actually do a lot of running or anything because I just felt I needed a little break.
      I thought, ‘There’s no chance I’ll be involved’. Then in the f***ing 70th minute Pep Guardiola tells me, ‘Jack, you’re going on’. I was like, ‘F***ing hell!’ because I was blowing out of my arse!Jack Grealish
      “We went to New York and then I went back into training on the Wednesday and we were playing Liverpool on the Thursday in the Carabao Cup on December 22.
      “I thought, ‘There’s no chance I’ll be involved’. Then in the f***ing 70th minute Pep Guardiola tells me, ‘Jack, you’re going on’. I was like, ‘F***ing hell!’ because I was blowing out of my arse!
      “Luckily we went on to win. I just didn’t think I’d be involved.”
      City beat Liverpool 3-2 in that cup match and since then, Grealish has clearly grown as a player.
      But he wants to contribute even more for England.
      He made five sub appearances in Qatar but did not start a game.
      And Grealish is hoping England can finally deliver  at a major tournament.
      Grealish believes his face finally fits at the Etihad and hopes it will lead to more England starts with Harry Kane and CoCredit: Getty
      Grealish looks to be enjoying himself as he poses with photos for fans at the England training centre at St George’s Park in BurtonCredit: Getty
      Tomorrow, they face Italy, who beat them on penalties in the final of Euro 2020.
      Grealish, 27, said: “We have come close so many times.
      “The last three tournaments have been a semi-final, a final and then the quarters.
      “It is obvious what we want to do and  we are getting better and better. The players are coming through and playing with so much confidence.
      “I feel like the next one really could be our one.
      “Everyone will be in their prime. I actually feel old at the moment but, when I think about it, I will only be 28 at the Euros.
      “It’s no secret we all want to win a tournament — and I do think it is there to be done.”
      Grealish has played 45 games in all competitions for club and country this season — making 28 starts for City.
      He said: “I was speaking to Rio Ferdinand and he asked me, ‘Are  you doing anything different?’ ‘I’m actually not’, I said.
      “I genuinely can’t put my finger  on what it is. I feel I am in the best form, especially since I moved to City.  
      “If you were to ask me one thing I probably would say confidence. At the moment, I just feel a bit like I did when I was at Aston Villa.
      “I feel like one of the main players, it is the fittest I have been, especially since I have been at Man City.
      “That comes down to playing a lot of games on the bounce and playing in big games.
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       “Just making an impact really, scoring against Arsenal and Manchester United, getting assists at Chelsea away and then Arsenal at home in the Cup, big games like that.
      “I’m really confident at the moment.” More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo’s right-hand man quits Portugal role as boss Martinez begins new era – after Pepe listed as captain

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO’S right-hand man has quit his Portugal job and will take a bigger role with the legend in Saudi Arabia.Agent Ricky Regufe was involved with the national team for 20 years and part of its delegation.
      Ricky Regufe was instrumental in his friend and client Cristiano Ronaldo landing a contract with Al-Nassr worth around £175million a yearCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Icon Ronaldo, right, is playing on for Portugal, having won 196 capsCredit: Getty
      He was also the key to Ronaldo’s big-money move to Al-Nassr after the ex-Manchester United hero split from long-term representative Jorge Mendes.
      It comes as Roberto Martinez prepares for his first two games as Portugal boss.
      And Regufe’s announcement follows speculation over the captaincy – long held by Ronaldo
      Centre-back Pepe, 40, was listed as skipper at the recent FIFA Best Awards.
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      But Martinez has yet to make any decision on the matter public.
      On stepping down from his Portugal position, Regufe posted: “It was a pride and a privilege to have served my country as a member of the National Team over two decades.
      “I lived unforgettable moments and made friendships for life. 
      “I saw up close the National Team winning the two major trophies it has won so far and I watched Cristiano Ronaldo become the best player in the world. 
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      “I thank the players, coaches and staff for everything we’ve experienced together. A new stage begins but the desire to see our National Team win is always the same!”
      Regufe added a picture of Portugal triumphing at Euro 2016, which was followed by winning the Nations League three years later.
      38-year-old Ronaldo remains in Martinez’s plans despite bowing out of the World Cup in tears after only coming on as a sub in the last two games, including a shock quarter-final loss to Morocco.
      Portugal manager Fernando Santos stepped down following that humiliation. More

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      Lionel Messi looks startled as he’s mobbed by hundreds of fans leaving Buenos Aires restaurant

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      LIONEL MESSI looked startled as he was mobbed by hundreds of fans when leaving a restaurant. Amid mounting speculation regarding his future at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi has headed home for the international break.
      Lionel Messi is seen leaving a restaurantCredit: Twitter
      With a huge crowd of fans outsideCredit: Twitter
      Messi looked startled as he leftCredit: Twitter
      Messi captained Argentina as they won the World Cup in QatarCredit: AP
      It is the first time he has been home on Argentina duty since leading the nation to win the World Cup in Qatar in December.
      And as he left a restaurant in Buenos Aires hundreds of adoring fans swarmed the 35-year-old.
      Messi could be seen leaving the restaurant accompanied by bodyguards, with chefs and other restaurant patrons all gathering to try and get a glimpse of him.
      As he stepped outside, the crowd became more animated.
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      They could be seen visibly pushing and shoving, with one fan capturing footage of Messi’s startled face as his bodyguards guided him through the crowd.
      The ex-Barcelona star had cast a nervy broad smile, appearing to both enjoy the adulation he was receiving but also be scared because of it.
      Fans online rushed to the comments to share their thoughts.
      One fan said: “This is the face of pure joy and terror at the same time.”
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      A second commented: “He is national treasure.”
      A third added: “He is getting bullied and he is loving it 😭😭.”
      Argentina are in action against Panama and Curacao over the international break. More

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      Unique Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup sticker sells for eye-watering sum

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      A UNIQUE Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup sticker has sold for £115,000.It was the only one framing the Argentina footballing great with a black border.
      A unique Panini sticker of Lionel Messi issued for the 2022 World Cup has sold for a staggering £115,000 at auction in the USACredit: BNPS
      Henry Barrios found it among 300 Panini packs he bought in September.
      The American realised it was the sticker world’s equivalent of the holy grail — and put it up for sale when Argentina won the tournament last year.
      After white, less common borders were blue, red, purple and green.
      All players had just one with a black frame, with the Messi sticker the most sought-after.
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      For the 2022 World Cup Panini decided to issue a limited number of stickers for all 600 players with different coloured borders to go alongside the standard white outlines.
      It sold at Goldin Auctions, New Jersey.
      A spokesman said: “It was a very lucky find.”
      A 1980 Panini sticker of Diego Maradona sold for a record £470,000 in 2021.
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      That beat the previous record for a Pele sticker from 1958 that sold for £237,000 in 2020.
      Last year a Panini sticker of a young Cristiano Ronaldo from his time at Sporting Lisbon in 2002 sold for almost £60,000. More

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      Man Utd ace Marcus Rashford one of three England stars to pull OUT of squad as Gareth Southgate names shock replacement

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      THREE England stars have pulled out of the squad ahead of Thursday’s trip to Italy.Gareth Southgate named a 25-man squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers last week, including the likes of Ivan Toney and Kyle Walker.
      Gareth Southgate has had to make changes to his England squadCredit: PA
      Marcus Rashford picked up a knock in the 3-1 win over FulhamCredit: Getty
      But the Three Lions have confirmed Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Nick Pope did not link up with the team today.
      Goalkeeper Pope managed to get through 90 minutes for Newcastle at Nottingham Forest on Friday but has been nursing a minor injury.

      So he has been replaced by Tottenham stopper Fraser Forster to join Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale.
      Forster has six England caps to his name, making his debut in 2013 and last featuring in 2016.
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      He was last part of the camp in March 2022 – his first call-up for five years – but did not feature.
      Forster is currently filling in for Hugo Lloris at Tottenham.
      However, no one has come in for Rashford or Mount.
      The Manchester United striker withdrew from the squad after picking up a knock in Sunday’s FA Cup win over Fulham on Sunday.
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      And the news is a blow for Southgate because Rashford, 25, has been in terrific form since the World Cup, scoring 19 goals in 25 games.
      Another injury is also a frustration because over the last three seasons, he has pulled out from a number of internationals with injuries.
      Mount, 24, was initially called up by Southgate with England not realising he was still not fully fit.
      The Chelsea midfielder last played on February 26 and although he has returned to training with his club side, he is not ready to feature on international duty.
      It means Mount will stay at Cobham to continue his rehab with Raheem Sterling but Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Conor Gallagher all travelled to St George’s Park.
      England play Italy in Naples on Thursday and Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.
      Mason Mount is still not fully fit and ready to returnCredit: Getty
      Fraser Forster has not played for England since 2016Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More