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    Police in Barcelona investigating sexual assault allegedly involving Brazil star Dani Alves inside nightclub

    POLICE in Barcelona are investigating an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub said to have involved Brazil star Dani Alves.Respected Spanish daily ABC has named the defender as the man the victim of the alleged sex crime identified at the scene as being responsible
    Police are investigating a sexual assault allegedly involving Dani AlvesCredit: Getty
    The 39-year-old former Barcelona right-back, who in Qatar last month became the oldest player to represent Brazil at a World Cup, is understood to be denying any wrongdoing.
    He has yet to be questioned by detectives and the woman at the centre of the incident officers are probing say she has yet to attend a police station and present a formal complaint.
    The nightclub where the alleged sexual assault occurred has been named as Sutton which is in the centre of Barcelona and is frequented by famous people from around the world.
    ABC report the incident happened in the early hours of Friday morning although police have said the alleged incident happened around 5am on Saturday morning.
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    ABC also claim the woman pointing the finger at Alves raised the alarm after a man put his hand inside her underwear at the iconic nightclub.
    She is said to have told her friends who then alerted security staff, sparking the activation of a city hall protocol in place for sex assaults and harassment inside privately-owned nightspots which included taking her to a “safe space” and calling in the police immediately.
    ABC said: “The Catalan police went to the venue and when the victim spoke to them about the incident, the supposed aggressor had already left the nightclub.
    “Contacted by this paper, the footballer’s entourage have denied the allegations.
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    “They insist the information is false, although Alves was inside the venue, albeit for a short space of time.”
    A spokesman for the regional Mossos d’Esquadra police confirmed today: “We are investigating an alleged sexual assault at a nightclub in Barcelona said to have occurred in the early hours of Saturday.”
    He declined to confirm reports Dani Alves had been identified by the alleged victim as the aggressor.
    The spokesman added: “The woman who made the allegation has been spoken to by police but she has yet to present a formal written complaint at a police station.”
    Alves, who left Barcelona during the summer and signed for Mexican side UNAM Pumas, has yet to make any official comment on his social media.
    The footballer, who is married to Tenerife-born model Joana Sanz, wished his fans Happy New Year in a message posted on Instagram early this morning/Sunday morning.
    He wrote: “Happy 2023 to all. May the love between us reverberate and evil and grudges diminish from the hearts.”
    Spanish model Joana has made no comment either on her Instagram.
    As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
    He is widely considered as one of the greatest full-backs of all time.
    He has been a full international for Brazil since 2006 and is the nation’s second most-capped player of all time.
    Alves became the oldest Brazilian to play in a FIFA World Cup by playing in his nation’s defeat against Cameroon in the final round of Group G games.
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    He said before the game: “It’s normal people might question me because of my age or because I might not be at my best at this minute.
    “It is something that bothers me but doesn’t affect me. I am reaping what I have planted over the years.”
    Alves with his Tenerife-born wife Joana SanzCredit: EPA More

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    World Cup’s ‘hottest fan’ Ivana Knoll shares incredible photos from 2022 as she stuns on New Year night out

    IVANA KNOLL shared her 2022 photo highlight reel and stunned at a New Year’s Eve party.The Croatia superfan included several sport photos in the compilation.
    Ivana Knoll thanked her fans for a wonderful 2022Credit: Instagram knolldoll
    The model’s fame skyrocketed thanks to her World Cup appearancesCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    Ivana saw in the new year watching Cardi BCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    She also partied in a Miami nightclubCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    And the reel would not be complete without a few snaps from Qatar, which helped Ivana boost her fame and social media following.
    She turned heads in the Middle East and her popularity skyrocketed on Instagram, where she shared the highlights reel.
    In the last 30 days of 2022 the model gained 2.6million followers on Instagram.
    Ivana now has a total of 3.6m followers on the platform and she shared a series of incredible photos with her fans to celebrate the new year.
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    She also added a caption alongside one of the pics wishing her followers a happy new year.
    It read: “2022 best year of my life. 365 days of non-stop travelling where I met wonderful people all around the world.
    “Attended the biggest sport and fashion events, represented my country to the whole world and I am happy and proud as never before.
    “Guys you are the reason why this year was the best year for me. Thank you for all the support and let’s rock 2023!
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    Ivana shared her highlights of the year – including attending the Super BowlCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    She kept herself in shape at the gymCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    The sports fan took in a basketball gameCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    Ivana also had time to dazzle at a music festivalCredit: Instagram knolldoll
    She had a 2022 to rememberCredit: Instagram knolldoll
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    “Wishing you a happy new year and all best! Your Knolldoll.”
    Ivana saw in the new year watching Cardi B live before going to a nightclub in Miami.
    Ivana stunned fans in QatarCredit: Splash
    The Croatia superfan was the centre of attention in the Middle EastCredit: The Mega Agency
    Ivana shared some of her highlights from 2022 on InstagramCredit: Splash More

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    The transfer window is OPEN.. so who could be making a big-money move to the Premier League?

    PREMIER LEAGUE football may have only just returned after its World Cup hiatus, but clubs are already well ahead on their January business.An unprecedented six week break ahead of the winter window means club chiefs have had plenty of time to get their ducks in a row and get cracking.
    The transfer window opens on Sunday and Mudryk could move to EnglandCredit: Getty
    Felix is on the radar of a number of Prem sidesCredit: Getty
    SunSport runs you through the top targets now that the window has officially opened…
    WORLD CUP WONDERS
    Gone are the days of players getting a huge move off the back of three good games in the group stage at World Cups.
    But football’s biggest stage still offers a platform to cement a growing reputation and earn a move to a bigger club than was previously possible.
    Just look at Cody Gakpo. The forward was on the brink of joining Southampton or Leeds United in the summer before a fine start to the season with PSV and a stellar World Cup earned him a move to Liverpool, sealed on Boxing Day.

    The Dutchman is one of a number who caught the eye in Qatar and could arrive on these shores over the next month.
    Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos, also a target for Saints last summer, now has far greater ambitions after stunning with a hat-trick against Switzerland having been selected ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
    He may not just be replacing the former Real Madrid man for Portugal, with Manchester United linked with a move for the Benfica man after Ronaldo’s exit.
    Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was at the heart of Morocco’s stunning run to the semi-finals.
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    A rock-solid presence in the middle throughout, the 26-year-old is already being talked of as a future Liverpool or Tottenham player – though January may come too soon.
    Liverpool snapped up GakpoCredit: Getty
    BIG NAME MOVERS
    January is not often the time for big name movers, but the extra planning time afforded by the World Cup means clubs have had more than enough time to mull things over.
    Joao Felix is one who could be heading to the Premier League.
    Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has hinted the winger, who joined for more than £100million in 2019, could be on his way having fallen down the pecking order.
    Chelsea are front of the queue in English football, but they will not be alone in trying to bag the Portuguese.
    The name on everyone’s lips at Arsenal is Mykhaylo Mudryk.
    The Shakhtar Donetsk winger has spent the World Cup break perfecting his skills as a professional tease, throwing out comments about Arsenal, posting images of himself watching their games and even following them to Dubai earlier this month.
    Mikel Arteta has responded with an opening bid of £52.5million, but will have to up their efforts to land their top target.
    Finally, Ronaldo will not want to be ignored this month.
    And to take the headlines, the Portuguese great completed a move to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Nassr, after his Man Utd contract was ripped up.
    Ronaldo joined Al Nassr on a free transferCredit: Reuters
    BIG SPENDERS
    With the Premier League title race wide open, Arsenal are not going to want to miss a shot to unseat Manchester City.
    The Gunners are ready to go again in the market, with a striker to help cover Gabriel Jesus being considered as well as midfield additions.
    Palmeiras midfielder Danlio is being tracked, along with Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans.
    Chelsea were planning a quieter window after a huge summer, but with Graham Potter’s side struggling to hit form more spending is on the cards.
    A left-sided defender is a priority, with Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol on their list.
    Armando Broja’s season-ending injury could also force Potter to add another striker to his squad next month.
    Gvardiol is on Chelsea’s radarCredit: Getty
    SCRAMBLE AT THE BOTTOM
    It is not just clubs a the top who need something to kick on.
    There is a desperate scramble to fix problems and avoid relegation.
    Rock bottom Southampton failed to sign a striker in the summer and will again look to bolster the attack to give new boss Nathan Jones a chance.
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    Everton gaffer Frank Lampard wants a new striker to help keep him in a job, while Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus is again a target after a summer move fell through.
    David Moyes has warned budgets are tight at West Ham, but sources at the London Stadium haven’t ruled out the arrival of more attacking talent to fix their goal shortage.
    West Ham could look to bring in more attackersCredit: Alamy More

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    Aston Villa keen to take advantage of England No1 Jordan Pickford’s contract standoff at Everton to replace Emi Martinez

    ASTON VILLA are keeping an eye on Jordan Pickford’s contract issues — as they brace themselves for offers for World Cup winner Emi Martinez.England goalkeeper Pickford, 28, has yet to settle a new deal at Everton and that has alerted his admirers.
    Jordan Pickford is on Aston Villa’s radarCredit: Getty
    Villa keeper Martinez is attracting interest after winning the World CupCredit: Getty
    Those, of course, include Chelsea — as we first revealed in November.
    But Villa are keen on him, too, if Argentine hero Martinez gets a big-money move in this month’s transfer window.
    There has been a lot of noise from the Martinez camp about interest from several clubs.
    Bayern Munich are among the big sides who may make a move.
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    If he does leave, that creates a gap for Pickford at Villa.
    Villa boss Unai Emery said he’d hold talks with the World Cup winner on controlling his emotions.
    Martinez’s more than colourful World Cup celebrations caught the attention of his club boss.
    His antics back in Buenos Aires have sparked controversy after he goaded France’s Kylian Mbappe by holding a baby doll with the star’s face on it during the victory parade.
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    That came after the former Arsenal ace’s obscene gesture after being awarded the Golden Glove for the tournament’s best keeper.
    The Villa manager said: “I want to speak with him when he will come here next week but I am thinking more about his performance and his win, than his celebration.
    “The celebration is for the supporters, with really big emotions. It’s not really a good moment as a coach to identify why.
    “I prefer to be focused on how he performed and how he is going to win with us afterwards. I am going to speak with him because I want to control him about that as well – his emotions.
    “We have to have values, we have to focus on behaviour when we are together and with the opposition players.
    “We can speak in 90 per cent of the cases about very good things, and be very proud of him, for his performance, for his win. It is about more than small details like celebrations.” More

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    Cristiano Ronaldo ‘to team up with long-time rival Messi as he becomes Saudi Arabia ambassador’ after joining Al-Nassr

    CRISTIANO RONALDO will try and help Saudi Arabia land the 2030 World Cup with an ambassador role after joining Al-Nassr, reports say.The legendary 37-year-old joined the Saudi side on a free transfer on Friday after giving up on his dream of continuing to play Champions League football.
    Ronaldo will try and help Saudi land the 2030 World CupCredit: Reuters
    Ronaldo had his contract ripped up by Manchester United following his bombshell interview with SunSport columnist and TalkTV main man Piers Morgan.
    In that sit-down chat, Ronaldo accused Man Utd of betrayal, while also revealing he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag.
    United released Ronaldo on the eve of Portugal’s World Cup campaign.
    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner then endured a torrid tournament, scoring just once, and was dropped for Portugal’s knockout campaign, which ended in the quarters at the hands of dark horses Morocco.
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    Ronaldo will earn an eye-watering £173million-a-year in the Middle East on a two-year contract.
    But the 819 career-goal forward will stay on for a further five years as an ambassador for Saudi football.
    That means Ronaldo would pocket as much as £1.2BILLION over the course of the contract.
    And according to Marca, part of Ronaldo’s ambassadorial role will see him try and help Saudi land the 2030 World Cup in a joint bid with Greece and Egypt.
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    Should such a bid be successful, it would see three continents host the major tournament.
    It will also see Ronaldo team up with long-time rival, Lionel Messi, in promoting the Gulf state.
    Despite backlash, Messi signed a lucrative deal with the Kingdom in May.
    And the Argentina captain even lost to Saudi in the group stages of the World Cup, a tournament they later went on to win.
    Saudi have faced fierce criticism for its human rights record, as well as crackdowns on women’s rights activists, LGBTQ+ people and those who speak out against the rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
    Qatar faced similar criticisms before the November-December tournament. More

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    Card-crazy World Cup ref Antonio Mateu Lahoz dishes out 15 yellows and two reds during fiery Barcelona vs Espanyol clash

    CARD-CRAZY World Cup referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz is back in action.. and playing the pantomime villain this festive season.The Spaniard, 45, was sent home from Qatar after showing 15 yellows and a red card in the heated quarter-final between Holland and eventual champions Argentina.
    Card-crazy World Cup ref Antonio Mateu Lahoz showed 15 yellow cards and two red in the fiery 1-1 derby draw between Barcelona and EspanyolCredit: Getty
    Mateu Lahoz sent off Barcelona’s Jordi Alba and Espanyol’s Vinicius Souza and also got carried away with his yellowCredit: AP
    Mateu Lahoz stole the show in Argentina’s penalty shootout win over Holland in the World Cup quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
    And he was at it again in his first match back in LaLiga just three weeks on.
    Mateu Lahoz took charge of Saturday’s fiery clash between Barcelona and Espanyol and couldn’t help but steal the show yet again.
    He brandished 15 yellow cards, TWO reds and even awarded a late penalty to visitors Espanyol as they stole a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp.
    Barcelona had taken a seventh-minute lead thanks to ex-Chelsea star Marcos Alonso.
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    The wing-back, 32, nodded home to give Xavi’s side hope of increasing the gap over Real Madrid at the top of the LaLiga standings
    But things quickly unravelled for Barca – who last won the league title in 2018-19.
    Alonso went from hero to villain in a chaotic finale as he stood on Espanyol star Joselu’s heel.
    The former Los Blancos striker made no mistake from the spot to ensure they made the short trip home across the city with a share of the spoils.
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    Soon after, Jordi Alba was sent off for Barcelona following a furious protest against a booking from Mateu Lahoz.
    And Espanyol’s Vinicius Souza was also sent for an early bath for a foul on Robert Lewandowski minutes later.
    Incredibly, Mateu Lahoz actually brandished THREE red cards in the feisty derby – with the one shown to the visitors’ Leandro Cabrera overturned by VAR.
    Following a check, Cabrera’s challenge – a kick to the head of Robert Lewandowski – was deemed to only be worthy of a yellow.
    But as both sides pushed for a winner, Mateu Lahoz once again produced a flurry of cards.
    He booked THREE players in the sixth minute of added time – two of whom weren’t even on the pitch, including Barca sub Raphinha – as well as Xavi for heated protestations on the touchline.
    The result leaves Barcelona top of LaLiga – but now only level on points with Real Madrid following their 2-0 win over Real Valladolid on Friday night. More

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    Real Madrid ‘ready to offer £89m for Jude Bellingham transfer’ but refuse to pay ‘crazy money’ for England World Cup ace

    REAL MADRID are ready to offer £89million for Borussia Dortmund and England ace Jude Bellingham, according to reports.Bellingham, 19, has impressed in Germany since his £25million 2020 transfer from Birmingham City.
    Real are willing to offer £89m for BellinghamCredit: PA
    And he took the World Cup by storm for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions.
    Bellingham played five times in Qatar and scored in the 6-2 group game win over Iran.
    The teenager’s performances have reinforced his place on the wishlists of a number of Europe’s elite clubs.
    And according to ESPN, Spanish and European champions Real are ready to offer Dortmund £89m for the midfielder.
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    However, they will refuse to pay “crazy” money for Bellingham, which could come as a boost to other interested parties.
    As SunSport exclusively revealed, Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City hierarchy are determined to win the fight for Bellingham.
    Etihad sources reckon the prospect of working with Guardiola will swing the Dortmund star’s decision in their favour.
    The likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also keen.
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    Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson tried to convince Bellingham Anfield was the place for him while they were in Qatar for the World Cup.
    Asked about a January move, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: “I’m the wrong person to ask about whether Jude is available in January.
    “The January window? We are looking and if something happens, we’ll see. From a sports side, we are always prepared.” More

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    I filmed myself getting huge Messi tattoo across my forehead after World Cup win – two weeks later I hate it

    A LIONEL Messi fan says he regrets tattooing the footballer’s name on his forehead following Argentina’s victory in the World Cup.Colombian influencer, Maicol Quinonez, shared the shocking moment he got ‘Messi’ tattooed in huge letters across his head in a social media post.
    Colombian Maicol Quinonez says he regrets getting the tattoo
    He got the footballers name, three stars and D10s on his face
    Now only two weeks later, the influencer more widely known as Mike Jambs says he hates the tattoo.
    The bizarre inking was a tribute to World Cup champion Lionel Messi and Quinonez captioned his post “Fulfilling the challenge. I love you @leomessi’.
    The digital creator also had three stars tattooed on one of his cheeks representing Argentina’s World Cup wins and D10s on the other – a play on the Spanish word for ‘God’ and the footballers famous shirt number.
    Quinonez has racked up over 143,000 followers on Instagram, many of whom mocked the influencer for his latest ink.
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    Viewers commented their thoughts on the influencers tribute tatts, one wrote: “People for likes do very stupid things, I don’t know why I follow you”.
    Another commented: “People are so backwards”.
    A third said: “Hopefully one day you won’t have to regret it and it’ll actually be worth it, I doubt it”.
    Initially, he defended his decision to get the tattoo, telling his followers: “I’m not harming anyone, I’m not doing anything illegal.”
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    But now he has admitted in a recent social media video that he wishes he could turn back the clock, saying: “I regret having done the tattoo because instead of bringing me positive things, it’s led to lots of negative things, both personally and for my family.”
    “I didn’t think I would say this so soon. I was very proud [of it] the first few days, but I regret it.”
    “They just say that I am not a positive example for society.”
    “Be careful with your words. You don’t know the damage you can do to someone because of social media. You don’t know how you can destroy your life,” he added.
    Tattooists in Argentina were flooded with requests for Messi tributes following the triumphant World Cup win.
    Many fans were also left in hysterics after one fan got a tattoo of the Paris Saint-Germain striker on his back that was labelled the ‘worst ever’ by some viewers.
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    The ink showed Messi holding up the World Cup trophy but his giant head seemed unnaturally large for his body.
    One critic joked: “When the tattoo artist is a Brazil supporter”.
    A second said: “Looks like Messi in 2026 being 39 and overweight”. More