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      Man Utd takeover by Qataris will be great for club as Sheikh is ‘very good person’ – reveals Barcelona boss Xavi

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      XAVI believes a Qatar takeover will be good for Manchester United.The Barcelona coach played for Qatar side Al Sadd between 2015-19 and went on to coach them from 2019-21.
      Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi warmed up for Thursday’s Europa League second leg at Old Trafford by praising United bidder Sheikh JassimCredit: EPA
      Man Utd would flourish if Sheikh Jassim took over, Xavi suggests
      He was also an ambassador for the recent World Cup and knows United bidder Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
      Ahead of Barca’s Europa League match against United he said the club-owning Glazers would do well to accept his bid.
      Xavi said: “I have a good relationship with the Sheikh and I think he would do a good job.
      “I think he is a very good person with serious responsibilities.”
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      Sheikh Jassim is up against Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group to take control of the club after the Glazer’s put it up for sale for around £6billion.
      In a statement last week Sheikh Jassim made his intentions clear to buy the club out right and make it number one again.
      His statement said: “The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football club once more.
      “The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.
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      “The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”
      Xavi also believes that the Sheikh would be buying a club on the up again under Erik Ten Hag’s management.
      He said: “Manchester United are one of the best teams in Europe at the minute, showing their quality and competitiveness through great results.
      “They’re the best United I’ve seen in the last few years, with a great coach, and great players who show a lot of personality and passion.”
      To beat them tonight Barcelona will have to try and keep Marcus Rashford quiet.
      He scored in the 2-2 first leg of this tie, which has a place in the last 16 of the competitions as the reward.
      After his double at the weekend against Leicester he now has 16 in his last 17 games since returning from the World Cup and 24 in all for the season.
      Centre-back Joules Kounde had a tough time handling him in the first leg and Ten Hag was furious that he had not been sent off when coming into contact with the England international as he broke away in the second-half.
      But Kounde said: “I think it was 50-50. There is contact but I think it’s very light.
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      “I think it’s very light and the referee decided to not give me a red card, so I don’t feel lucky. I feel it’s part of the decision of the referee.
      “It’s true that I think I could have been sent off because it was 50-50 but the referee made the decision and obviously I’m very happy.” More

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      Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun urged to QUIT England and switch international allegiance to become ‘poster boy’

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      ARSENAL prodigy Folarin Balogun has been told to snub England and instead become America’s new poster boy.The 21-year-old is the joint-leading scorer in Ligue 1 alongside PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe and Lille’s Jonathan David with 14 goals for loan club Stade de Reims.
      Folarin Balogun is eligible to play for England, USA and NigeriaCredit: AFP
      The Gunners could be ready to cash in on the hotshot, who only has 18 months left on his contract, this summer after his exploits surprised many at the club.
      However, at international level, the USA is ready and waiting to convince him to switch his allegiance.
      Balogun was born in New York, America, to Nigerian parents and raised in England and is eligible to represent all three nations at international level. 
      He has represented the States four times for their Under-18s, but he has also been capped by the Three Lions at youth level and has seven goals in 13 appearances for the U21s.
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      But with a host of young talents such as Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah and Yunus Musah, USA legend Eric Wynalda says that the forward can be the man to fire his country to glory.
      And he is adamant that the US Soccer Federation should be promising him all-sorts of endorsements and incentives to get him to turn his back on England.
      Speaking to The Action Network’s Wondergoal Podcast, Wynalda, who scored 34 goals in 107 caps, said: “If we get Folarin Balogun him we solve a lot of problems. 
      “I’m impressed with everything about him. The power that he has, the timing of his runs.
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      “We have to appeal to his ego which is the reality of this. We should let him know that he will be a star.
      “An absolute star at a World Cup, in his own country as he was born in New York.”
      Wynalda added: “We need to lock him in with some sponsors too. 
      “He will be a star with us. He won’t necessarily be a star with England.
      “It will come down to how important it is for him to be in the spotlight. That’s the only chance we’ve got to get him.” 
      “Everything from the Mastercards, the Budweisers, the Coca-Cola’s, the big ones that will be sponsors of this World Cup. They have to figure out how to fit him into the budget.” More

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      ‘Gonna cause accidents on the streets’ – World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll dances around lamppost in skimpy outfit

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      THE World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll is living her best life as she holidays in London.The Croatia megafan gathered a huge fanbase during the tournament in Qatar as she stunned in a series of creative outfits.
      Ivana Knoll has gotten into the London spiritCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Co7xsuFIzew/?hl=en
      The Croatia megafan performs a twirlCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Co7xsuFIzew/?hl=en
      Since the tournament finished she has mingled with celebs and partied in the United States.
      And now, she has come over to sample life in London.
      Ivana took in Arsenal vs Manchester City last week, being gifted a shirt with her name on the back by the Gunners.
      She then went out in London, before attending the Baftas after-party on Sunday.
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      As is customary, she also had to go and see Big Ben.
      Donning a skimpy outfit and heels, Ivana embraced her surroundings by walking into a typically British telephone box.
      She then strutted up to a street sign, performing a twirl around it.
      Ivana captioned her post: “Someone said: ,,London got a bit warmer today” 🥵”
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      And her 3.5million Instagram followers are loving her London exploits.
      One joked: “Gonna cause accidents on the streets.”
      A second commented: “Typical British weather.”
      While a third added: “London got hotter that day.”
      And a fourth gushed: “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
      In addition to exploring London, Ivana has also recently taken in some warmer climates.
      She recently visited St Tropez, donning orange swimwear in the nice weather.
      Ivana loves wearing Croatia-themed outfitsCredit: Instagram / @knolldoll
      The World Cup’s hottest fan wore an Arsenal shirt last weekCredit: https://www.instagram.com/knolldoll/
      She wore a sparkly dress for the Baftas after-partyCredit: Splash
      Ivana took in the sunshine in St TropezCredit: Instagram @knolldoll More

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      Diego Maradona ‘Hand of God’ ball fails to sell at auction for SECOND time as 1986 World Cup ref holds out for more cash

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      DIEGO MARADONA’S “Hand of God” ball has failed to sell at auction for a second time in four months.Bids were made but fell short of the £2.5million asking price.
      Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball has failed to sell at auction againCredit: The Mega Agency
      It is the ball from the 1986 World Cup quarter final against EnglandCredit: Getty
      Ali Bin Nasser is hoping to make £2.5million from the ballCredit: AFP
      The person selling the ball is Ali Bin Nasser, the referee from the 1986 World Cup clash between Argentina and England when the iconic moment happened.
      He failed to spot Maradona using his hand to beat England’s Peter Shilton to the ball and guide it into the goal to help his side win the quarter-final 2-1
      Despite the incident being one of the most controversial and iconic of football history, bids for the ball only reached £1.4m.
      In November, the ball failed to sell at London-based auction house Graham Budd Auctions.
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      Bids then reached a monumental £2m.
      However, that was £500,000 under the asking price set by Bin Nasser.
      Maradona’s shirt from that game was sold for £7.7 million last May.
      This sale is believed to be the highest price ever paid at an auction for a piece of sports memorabilia.
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      Argentina went on to win the World Cup in 1986 after dumping out England.
      Maradona scored twice against Belgium in the semi-finals to help his side to a 2-0 win.
      He did not get on the scoresheet in the final, but goals from Jose Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga were enough to edge out West Germany 3-2 to win the trophy. More

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      England women Euro 2022 winners up for Laureus team of the year award against Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Real Madrid

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      THE LIONESSES have been recognised for their spectacular Euro 2022 triumph by being shortlisted for the Team of the Year category at the Laureus World Sports Awards.Head coach Sarina Wiegman masterminded England women’s stunning victory in extra time over Germany at Wembley last summer.
      England celebrate after winning Euro 2022Credit: Getty
      The squad have been nominated for the prestigious team accolade alongside World Cup winners Argentina, the France men’s rugby team, the Golden State Warriors basketball team, Red Bull F1 team and Champions League winners Real Madrid.
      England forward Ella Toone, who scored the first goal in the final against the Germans, said: “It’s amazing to be nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award Team of the Year.
      “It’s nice to have that recognition but we deserve it.
      “We deserve the attention we’re getting because of how well we did over the summer.
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      “We’re being recognised to show young girls that, yes, women can do it.
      “Women can put their mind to anything and achieve whatever they want to.
      “For us it’s about being role models to all those young girls starting out in their journey. We just hope that we can be role models to so many more.
      “We just want to show them that you can dream big and achieve your dreams.”
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      Manchester United midfield star Christian Eriksen returned to football last year after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch in June 2021 when he was playing international football for Denmark against Finland in Copenhagen.
      The playmaker, 31, is on the shortlist for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award alongside 15-time major-winning golfer Tiger Woods.
      Footballers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, tennis icon Rafa Nadal and F1 world champion Max Verstappen are on the shortlist for the Laureus Sportsman Award.
      Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is among the Breakthrough Nominees.
      The shortlists were compiled by a Laureus panel consisting of more than 1,400 global sports media.
      Winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards will be revealed in the next two months.
      2023 LAUREUS SPORTS AWARDS
      World Sportsman of the Year: Steph Curry (Basketball), Mondo Duplantis (Athletics), Kylian Mbappe (Football), Lionel Messi (Football), Rafael Nadal (Tennis), Max Verstappen (F1)
      World Sportswoman of the Year: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Athletics), Katie Ledecky (Swimming), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Athletics), Alexia Putellas (Football), Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine Skiing), Iga Swiatek (Tennis)
      World Team of the Year: Argentina men’s football team, England women’s football team, France men’s rugby team, Golden State Warriors, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Real Madrid
      World Breakthrough of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz (Tennis), Tobi Amusan (Athletics), Nathan Chen (Figure Skating), Morocco men’s football team, Elena Rybakina (Tennis), Scottie Scheffler (Golf)
      World Comeback of the Year: Francesco Bagnaia (Motorcycling), Christian Eriksen (Football), Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Athletics), Klay Thompson (Basketball), Annemiek van Vleuten (Cycling), Tiger Woods (Golf)
      Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Diede de Groot (Wheelchair tennis), Catherine Debrunner (Para-athletics), Declan Farmer (Para ice hockey), Cameron Leslie (Para-swimming and wheelchair rugby), Oksana Masters (Para cross-country skiing), Jesper Saltvik Pedersen (Para alpine skiing)
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      World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Justine Dupont (Big wave surfing), Stephanie Gilmore (Surfing), Eileen Gu (Freestyle skiing), Chloe Kim (Snowboarding), Rayssa Leal (Skateboarding), Filipe Toledo (Surfing) More

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      World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll sunbathes in barely-there string bikini on holiday in St Tropez

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      THE World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll has stunned while sunbathing in a barely-there bikini. The Croatian rose to fame at the tournament in Qatar, supporting her nation in several revealing outfits as they made the semi-finals.
      Ivana Knoll has stunned fans in a revealing bikiniCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      The World Cup’s hottest sunbathed in southern FranceCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Ivana Knoll has snubbed doing OnlyFansCredit: Instagram / @knolldoll
      She often flaunts her curves on InstagramCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      She caught the attention of photographers at the World Cup with her patriotic attireCredit: EPA
      Ivana continues to jet around the globe and has left fans hot under the collar while enjoying a holiday in St Tropez, France.
      She took to Instagram while posing suggestively in orange swimwear.
      Her followers were left in awe as she flaunted her incredible figure.
      One said: “I don’t know how many times I watched the video, please don’t even ask me this question.”
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      Another commented: “Ivana, you are a beautiful dream come true and I love admiring your unparalleled beauty.”
      A third added: “Wow you’re perfect.”
      Ivana continues to dazzle as she moves on from the World Cup.
      She is now an influencer, having seen her social media following grow from 600,000 to 3.5million.
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      The former Miss Croatia winner recently took a trip to London and revealed she is an Arsenal fan.
      She also was in attendance at the Baftas afterparty, wearing a dress that left little to the imagination.
      And Ivana is no stranger to grabbing attention after she donned a braless outfit and posted a clip of her in just a towel in recent weeks.
      Ivana Knoll has seen her following grow by millions after her World Cup exploitsCredit: Getty
      She now has 3.5million followers onlineCredit: Instagram @knolldoll
      Ivana was even invited to a Baftas afterpartyCredit: Splash More

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      World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll wows at Baftas afterparty with fans ‘beyond obsessed’ with revealing outfit

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      THE World Cup’s hottest fan Ivana Knoll left fans stunned as she attended the Baftas afterparty in a revealing outfit. The Croatian wowed at the tournament in Qatar, cheering her nation on all the way to the semi-final in various sexy ensembles.
      Ivana Knoll stunned at the Baftas afterpartyCredit: Instagram: @knolldoll
      The World Cup’s hottest fan continues to set pulses racingCredit: Instagram: @knolldoll
      Ivana dazzled in a sparkly dressCredit: Splash
      She boasts an Instagram following of 3.5millionCredit: Instagram / @knolldoll
      Ivana Knoll often flaunts her curves onlineCredit: Instagram / @knolldoll
      Moving on from the World Cup, Ivana was invited to the celebrate the Baftas with a number of celebrities.
      And she did not disappoint as she swapped her football kit for a sparkly see-through dress with a split in the side.
      The outfit left fans in awe and many took to Ivana’s Instagram to comment.
      One follower said: “Beyond obsessed.”
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      Another reacted: “My crush Knoll.”
      A third simply reacted: “Goddess.”
      Ivana posted a number of snaps from the night after being invited to the afterparty by Vogue.
      She has seen her social media following grow from 600,000 to 3.5million after the World Cup.
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      Ivana used to catch the eye of photographers in the stands, but she is now dazzling while in London after jetting in to watch her favourite team Arsenal play Manchester City.
      The former Miss Croatia winner recently set pulses racing in just a towel.
      And she also left her supporters astonished when going braless and covering up with just nipple tape.
      The racy snaps have kept coming as she has flaunted her curves in a tight black dress and squeezed into a tiny bikini.
      Ivana Knoll left little to the imagination once againCredit: Instagram / @knolldoll
      The ex-Miss Croatia winner attended all of her country’s games in QatarCredit: Getty
      Ivana is an Arsenal supporterCredit: Instagram / @knolldoll More

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      Lionel Messi’s wife Antonela stunned as World Cup winner nicks PSG victory with stunning 95th-minute free-kick

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      LIONEL MESSI’S wife Antonela summed up a 4-3 PSG win that was full of pain and drama with a stunning reaction to his 95TH-MINUTE winner.Messi took pressure off boss Christophe Galtier with a free-kick clincher after the Ligue 1 leaders led 2-0 at home to Lille but trailed 3-2 late on.
      Argentinian model Antonela Roccuzzo looked amazed by husband Lionel Messi’s last-gasp winner for PSGCredit: Twitter

      But even eventual victory was overshadowed by concern for Neymar, who was carried off in tears following calf and ankle injuries.
      Antonela, however, just enjoyed the moment when Messi rescued PSG.
      He swerved a 22-yard free-kick in off the bottom of keeper Lucas Chevalier’s left post, albeit posing questions over Lille’s defensive wall. 
      Argentinian model Antonela, 34, leapt open-mouthed from her seat in the stands, turned back to acknowledge someone then hugged a female companion.
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      One fan responded by posting: “Messi’s really won in life, none of his on field achievements compare to her.”
      Kylian Mbappe’s solo effort and Neymar’s rebound finish had put PSG 2-0 up inside 17 minutes.
      But Bafode Diakite, Jonathan David and Jonathan Bamba put sixth-placed Lille in front.
      With Neymar having long since departed on a stretcher, Mbappe pounced to level on 87 minutes.
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      Then World Cup winner Messi, 35, stole three points from the penalty area ‘D’ in the dying seconds of stoppage time.
      One Twitter user claimed: “I knew he was scoring the second he was fouled, it was meant to be.”
      But a few others blamed Lille’s defence of the freekick.
      Five players were in the wall, plus one lying down beside them.
      But Messi bent his free-kick outwards, past a sixth man standing close to the wall and into the bottom corner.
      Critics posted messages like “OMG that space was too much for Messi” and “Wait o….he played the ball in-between the guy on the floor and those jumping”.
      Nonetheless, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner showed he’s still a man for big moments, leaving one fan to post: “Qataris please Bring Messi to Old Trafford.”
      Lionel Messi hails the moment that ended PSG’s dreadful runCredit: Getty

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