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      Cameroon star Andre Onana RETIRES from international football after he was sent home from World Cup over bust-up

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      ANDRE ONANA has retired from international football after being sent home during the World Cup. The Cameroon goalkeeper played just once for his nation at the World Cup before he was sent home owing to a fallout between him and his manager.
      Andre Onana penned a shock retirement from international footballCredit: Getty
      Taking to his social media pages, the 26-year-old said: “After endless hours of training, endless trips and a lot perseverance, I can proudly say that I have fulfilled my great dream.
      “But every story, however beautiful it may be, has to end. And my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end.
      “Players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player.
      “Cameroon remains eternal and so does my love for the national team and for our people who have always supported us…
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      “My feeling will never change. My Cameroonian heart will continue to beat and wherever I go I will always fight to lift the flag of Cameroon as high as possible.”
      Onana flew home after only appearing in the Indomitable Lions opening clash against Switzerland.
      He was then left out of the matchday squad to face Serbia entirely, with Onana and manager Rigobert Song clashing over his playing style.
      Following the disagreement, Onana expressed his love for his nation and blasted the “other side” due to them having no willingness to work out the issues.
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      He wrote at the time: “I have put all my efforts and energy into finding solutions to a situation that a footballer often experiences, but there has been no will on the other side.
      “Some moments are difficult to assimilate. However, I always respect and support the decisions of the people in charge of pursuing the success of our team and country.”
      Leaked footage also appeared to reveal that Onana “cried” after his axing, with Song believed to be speaking to a member of his coaching team.
      Cameroon would end up crashing out of the World Cup at the Group Stage, drawing 3-3 with Serbia before beating Brazil thanks to a stunning late goal from Vincent Aboubakar.
      On his retirement, Onana added: “I will continue to support as a fan, just as the more than 27 million Cameroonians do at every match.
      “I can only thank all those who trusted me and believed that I could add and contribute to this team.” More

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      James Milner reveals he and another England star were almost KIDNAPPED at 2014 World Cup

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      JAMES MILNER has revealed how he was one of two England players almost kidnapped at the 2014 World Cup.The versatile Liverpool star was part of Roy Hodgson’s squad for the miserable tournament in Brazil which saw the Three Lions dumped out at the group stage.
      James Milner has revealed how he was almost kidnapped at the 2014 World CupCredit: Rex
      But Milner says himself and England team-mate Phil Jagielka came close to trouble as they finished a round of golf before walking back to the team hotel.
      Milner told ex-keeper Ben Foster, also in the 2014 squad, in an interview for Amazon Prime: “We went for a round of golf and couldn’t quite get the holes in.
      “Your group finished in front of us and  a car picked you up. Me and Jags said: “We will finish the last two holes and then we’ll come back.
      “I said to the guy,  we will leave the buggies and then we will walk back.
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      “We’ve come out of the gate, the gate shut behind us. We’re walking down the street and turn around and there’s a group of guys.
      “We’re glancing and we’re walking a bit quicker, and they’re walking a bit quicker.
      “Then they start jogging, so we start running and I’m like, ‘we’re in trouble in here’ so we’re sprinting. We can outrun them.
      “But the next thing, a car pulls up next to us, so I’m like, we’re getting kidnapped here, it’s game over.
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      “The doors slides open and it’s the security boys shouting ‘Quick, get in!’ so we jumped in  on the move back to the hotel.”
      Luckily, the two players were unharmed. Jagielka is still going strong playing for Stoke in the Championship at the age of 40.
      While Milner started for Liverpool at right-back in last night’s Carabao Cup defeat to former club Manchester City, but was forced off with a hamstring problem in the first half. More

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      FIFA forced into humiliating admission over Salt Bae after celeb-chasing chef’s World Cup pitch invasion to pester Messi

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      FIFA has been forced to make a humiliating admission about Salt Bae crashing the World Cup final.It said the famous chef, who was pictured pestering Argentinian players after their win against France should not have been on the pitch.
      Salt Bae was pictured holding the trophy against Fifa’s strict rulesCredit: instagram
      The chef was pictured pestering the players for a selfieCredit: instagram
      Fifa is conducting an internal investigation into how Salt Bae gatecrashed the World Cup closing ceremony
      Salt Bae also badgered Lionel Messi after the game
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – was seen trying to get a selfie with the players and even touch the winning trophy- against strict regulations.
      According to Fifa’s guidelines, only World Cup winners and heads of state are allowed to touch the trophy.
      It states on its website “As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original FIFA World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state.”
      Now Fifa is conducting an internal investigation to see how the chef got onto the pitch as he has no commercial relationship with Fifa and was not invited onto the pitch by Gianni Infantino Sky Sports News reports.
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      A spokesperson for Fifa said: “Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on 18 December. The appropriate internal action will be taken.”
      Footage showed the chef pestering the Argentina squad as they celebrated their cup glory with their families after the nailbiting shootout.
      He was seen grabbing hold of Lionel Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      Bae’s persistence paid off as he finally got a selfie with the striker hailed the greatest of all time.
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      The chef was also seen forcing himself into lineups with other stars as they clutched the famous golden trophy.
      He has now been barred from attending The US Open Cup, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup.
       Action will be taken against staff who allowed him access after social media footage showed his cringeworthy exchanges with players including Lionel Messi, who did his best to avoid Salt Bae.
      In a series of videos posted on his own Instagram, the steakhouse magnate interrupted the likes of Angel di Maria, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez as they posed with the World Cup, leaving the trio looking awkward.
      Salt Bae’s actions sparked fury among football fans.
      It comes after he was banned from attending a US sporting event after his behavior at the final.
      The US Open Cup tweeted: “Salt Bae is hereby banned from the 2023 US Open Cup final.”
      The US Open Cup is a knockout competition featuring teams from the MLS as well as other domestic tournaments.
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      It’s not known whether Salt Bae had the 2023 event on his radar.
      But now the decision has been taken out of his hands by the tournament chiefs. More

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      ‘Bid now’ – Chelsea should target transfer for World Cup winner Martinez after Mendy snubs contract offer, says Cole

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      CHELSEA legend Joe Cole has urged his former club to make a move for World Cup-winning keeper Emiliano Martinez after Edouard Mendy snubbed a new contract. SunSport exclusively revealed that Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup winner Mendy turned down fresh terms because Chelsea are not showing him enough “respect” over wages.
      Mendy rejected a Chelsea contract offerCredit: The Times
      Chelsea legend Cole says his former club should sign MartinezCredit: Rex
      The Villa ace is coming off the back of a World Cup winCredit: Getty
      The Senegalese keeper, 30, earns around £100,000-a-week and wants parity with his Blues rival Kepa Arrizabalaga who picks up almost twice that.
      Sources claim Chelsea bosses have even withdrawn their initial offer of a long-term deal as they play hardball with the negotiations — and now there is a stand-off.
      And so Chelsea legend Cole has recommended Aston Villa goalkeeper, Martinez, who has just come off the back of a World Cup win with Argentina, should Mendy leave.
      Martinez, 30, played a pivotal role in Argentina’s third-ever world title win, saving penalties in shootouts against Holland and finalists France.
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      He also picked up the Golden Glove.
      The former England international told the All to Play For podcast: “Martinez for me.
      “I watched him, he didn’t have that many shots to face because they were so good in front of him, but you know what he is good at?
      “Crossing, commanding, and you know he’s connected to his back four.
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      “In the big moments, he delivered.
      “If I’m Chelsea I am tabling a bid for him now. I think he was outstanding.”
      Blues star Mendy still has two and a half years left on his contract but Italian champions AC Milan are closely monitoring the situation — as are French sides Nice and Monaco.
      Martinez, meanwhile, is tied down at Villa Park until the summer of 2027. More

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      Harry Kane backed to make instant impact on Boxing Day after returning to Tottenham EARLY after World Cup heartbreak

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      HARRY KANE has been backed to make an instant return for Tottenham at Brentford on Boxing Day to help put his England penalty agony behind him.The Three Lions skipper, 29, returned to Spurs training today – 12 days on from ballooning a spot-kick over the bar against France in the World Cup quarter-final.
      Kane is looking to bounce back after a disappointing end to his World CupCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Only Erling Haaland has outscored Harry Kane in the Premier League this seasonCredit: PA
      He had been allowed three days extra off by his club compared to international colleague Eric Dier as, unlike the defender, Kane started every game in Qatar and to help with the mental toll of his role in England’s heartbreaking exit.
      But Kane surprised team-mates on Wednesday night by turning up at half-time during Spurs 1-1 friendly draw with Nice.
      He looked to be in good spirits wrapped up warm in a black hoodie and woolly hat in the bowels of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      And team-mate Dejan Kulusevski reckons England’s joint-record scorer will now be itching to play against the Bees on Monday despite the quick turnaround.
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      The Swede, 22, said: “I can’t wait to play with him.
      “I was surprised he came to the game against Nice. I thought he was coming back on Friday, so it was good to see him back in the game now.
      “I honestly think that every player would like to play [against Brentford], because when you’re there and you see your team-mates play… even [in a friendly like Nice] I think it hurts.
      “Always you want to be on the pitch. You want to help your team so I think he wants to play absolutely.”
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      Kane was in the starting line-up for all five of England’s games in Qatar, coming off only against Iran and Wales once the victories were assured. 
      He will likely have been agonising about that failed penalty against eventual finalists France ever since it happened.
      But just as probable will be a desire to start to exorcise those demons as soon as possible, perhaps beginning at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
      Antonio Conte’s need for him may be greater than normal too, with understudy Richarlison likely to be out with a hamstring injury picked up playing for Brazil.
      Wing-back Matt Doherty is one of Kane’s closest mates in the Spurs squad and the Irishman has no concerns about the state of his pal after England’s traumatic exit.
      The ex-Wolves man, 30, added: “Harry is absolutely fine. We all know his character, he’s one of the strongest characters we know. He’ll be absolutely fine.
      Dejan Kulusevski has backed his teammate Harry Kane to come back with a vengeance on Boxing DayCredit: Getty
      Erik Dier struggled to get much game time at the World Cup, unlike in 2018Credit: PA
      “He came in at half-time against Nice. It was unexpected. We didn’t know. We’re obviously close friends. It was good to have him back.
      “I think all players use the negative times as a learning curve as a way to motivate them to be better. 
      “I don’t think it will be just for his case, I think a lot of people will be that way.
      “For us, we want him to come back and be the best version of himself which he has been for most of the season so far.
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      “I don’t think we’ve got any questions about how he’s going to return.
      “I think he’s going to come back pretty good and I think he’s going to score a lot of goals for us and win us a lot of games.” More

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      Ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant confirmed as shock new Zambia national team boss after four-year break

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      AVRAM GRANT has accepted the “challenge” of becoming Zambia boss.The former Chelsea and West Ham manager has signed a two-year deal with the African nation, who are ranked 88th in Fifa’s rankings.
      Avram Grant has one of the most diverse CVs in football managementCredit: Getty
      He replaces caretaker Moses Sichone who took charge in September following the departure of former Croatia international Aljosa Asanovic.
      Grant said: “I was looking for the right challenge and that’s why I chose Zambia. 
      “I came here because of the challenge and I hope when I leave here I will look around and say we did a good job and made a good foundation for the future.
      “Zambia has the potential, we have set the targets of what we want to achieve.”
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      Grant led Ghana to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final before resigning after finishing fourth two years later.
      The Israeli boss was once a regular face in English football after being named as the shock successor to Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese boss was sacked at Chelsea in 2007.
      He would have been a Champions League winner had John Terry not slipped during a crucial penalty in the shootout against Manchester United in 2008.
      Grant would also take crisis club Portsmouth to an FA Cup Final in 2010, before taking charge of West Ham and leading them to relegation a year later.
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      The 67-year-old’s first senior job in management was all the way back in 1986, while his last job was in 2018 as interim boss of Indian football club NorthEast United FC, who were only founded in 2014.
      Elsewhere, Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz will leave at the end of the month following their last-16 World Cup exit.
      The Polish FA have decided not to extend the 52-year-old’s contract after 11 months in charge. 
      Poland drew 0-0 with Mexico, beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 and lost 2-0 to Argentina in their group games before being dumped out by France.
      Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza added: “Michniewicz took over the team at a difficult moment.
      “Despite these circumstances, he managed to earn qualification to the World Cup and also kept the team’s place in the Nations League elite.
      “He also led the national team to the first World Cup knockout stage in 36 years. For this, Michniewicz deserves thanks.”
      Poland appointed the ex-Legia Warsaw boss after parting ways in January with Portuguese Paulo Sousa, who asked to be relieved of his duties in December 2021. More

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      Salt Bae posts unrecognisable throwback photo as a fresh-faced 12-year-old without his trademark sunglasses

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      SALT Bae shared a throwback photo from his childhood looking unrecognisable without his trademark sunglasses and slicked-back ponytail.The celebrity chef was pictured looking fresh-faced as a boy in 1995 without his signature props to hide behind.
      The celebrity chef looked unrecognisable in the throwback snap he sharedCredit: Alamy
      A young Salt Bae was seen looking fresh-faced as a 12-year-oldCredit: Instagram
      Salt Bae has sparked fury after invading the pitch as Argentina celebratedCredit: instagram
      The Turkish social media star – real name Nusret Gökçe – uploaded the adorable snap to his Instagram highlights.
      He was seen at the tender age of 12 sitting behind a cash register – forecasting his money-making career as a world-renowned restauranteur.
      The young Salt Bae sported his usual serious stare while posing in a white shirt paired with a matching cap.
      Gökçe simply captioned the snap: “Salt Bae 1995.”
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      Fans of the controversial Nusr-et frontman hardly recognised him without his signature shades and perfectly groomed ponytail.
      The fame hungry chef seems to be digging old throwbacks to quell the controversy surrounding his World Cup antics.
      He posted an old video of him hugging Lionel Messi from their only known previous meeting in 2018 after the Argentinian star snubbed him on the pitch.
      Messi and his wife dined at Gökçe’s steakhouse in Dubai before embracing after chowing down an extortionate meal.
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      But Salt Bae’s 50million Instagram followers branded it “cringe” and accused him of a desperate attempt to prove he is pals with Messi after getting the cold shoulder days earlier.
      The outlandish chef was seen badgering the superstar as he revelled in Argentina’s World Cup win.
      He grabbed Messi’s arm repeatedly until the footie ace finally relented and posed for a picture.
      The fury continued after he posted pics on Instagram of him holding the 18-carat gold trophy – a privilege reserved for the winning team and heads of state.
      Salt Bae muscled in among the squad to grab the limelight and even snatched the trophy from Cristian Romero’s baby.
      He then acted out his trademark salt-sprinkling trick over the £17million award as irritated players watched on in confusion.
      It seems Salt Bae had worked up an appetite with his embarrassing antics – as he took a chunk out of Franco Armani’s winner’s medal.
      Gökçe looked like he was craving one of his extortionate gold-encrusted steaks as he gnawed at the goalkeeper’s award.
      He posed with the medal between his teeth while it was still tethered around Armani’s neck in the awkward snap.
      Other images show him boldly grabbing Argentinian players’ medals just moments after they had been awarded them.
      Influencer Dan Bilzerian even spoke out amid the controversy, claiming Gökçe has been harassing him for years.
      The “King of Instagram” said he knew the chef was “weird” after he bombarded him with wacky pictures of himself.
      The disgraceful spectacle reportedly broke Fifa’s rules and saw BBC host Gary Lineker brand him a “pest.”
      Fifa has now launched an internal investigation into how Salt Bae invaded the pitch at the World Cup Final.
      Gökçe is said to be pals with controversial Fifa chief Infantino, who praised him as “number one” after visiting his Qatar steak house during the tournament.
      He was filmed saying: “Football unites the world and Nusrat unites the world as well.”
      If he was given “access all areas” accreditation, that would open the governing body to allegations of cronyism or special treatment for Infantino’s friends, reports The Times.
      The controversy prompted footage of Diego Maradona mocking the Nusr-Et tycoon’s gimmick right in front of him to resurface.
      The Argentinian legend poked fun at Sat Bae during a visit to one of his restaurants in 2018.
      But the chef bit back with another publicity stunt – by sharing a video showing a “permanently reserved” table as a shrine to the late and great footballer.
      Former Brazil striker Ronaldo and left back Roberto Carlos – world cup winners in 2002 – enjoyed a slap-up meal at his Qatar branch on November 28.
      Current squad players Vinicius Jr, Gabriel Jesus, Éder Militão and Bremer also joined the party after they beat Switzerland.
      England’s Jack Grealish, Poland ace Robert Lewandowski and the Spanish team also visited during the tournament.
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      Last month, Salt Bae sparked fury for boasting how a group racked up a bill for £140,584 at his diner in Abu Dhabi.
      A single steak from the evening was over £1,000, and the group spent almost £115,000 on wine alone.
      Fans of the social media star could hardly recognise him without his signature sunglasses and ponytailCredit: Social Media
      Salt Bae has undergone an incredible transformation since his younger yearsCredit: Instagram More

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      Emi Martinez set to miss Aston Villa vs Liverpool on Boxing Day as Argentina ace yet to return from wild World Cup party

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      EMI MARTINEZ looks set to miss Aston Villa’s Boxing Day clash against Liverpool as he is yet to return from Argentina.The goalkeeper has been at the centre of wild World Cup celebrations following the penalty shootout win over France on Sunday.
      Emi Martinez appears set to miss Aston Villa’s Boxing Day game against LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      Martinez is yet to return to training after helping Argentina to World Cup gloryCredit: Getty
      Martinez, 30, was due to hold talks with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery over his return after the game, according to the Mail.
      However, the club are yet to confirm whether the stopper will be available to play against Liverpool.
      It’s claimed the game at Villa Park will come too early for Martinez, who is still in talks with the club.
      Instead the New Year’s Day trip to Tottenham seems to be a more likely return fixture for Martinez.
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      Aston Villa gave all of their World Cup representatives a week off when their respective tournaments ended.
      Their return to Premier League action on Boxing Day comes eight days after the World Cup final win over France.
      Martinez has been enjoying the celebrations after helping Argentina to victory on Sunday.
      He made a crucial save late in extra-time to deny Randal Kolo Muani before stopping Kingsley Coman’s penalty in the shootout and seeing Aurelien Tchouameni fire wide.
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      Martinez then taunted France ace Kylian Mbappe by holding a doll with the attacker’s face on it during the celebrations back in Argentina.
      He also held a minute’s silence for the “dead” Mbappe in the dressing room.
      A French minister has claimed Fifa should investigate Martinez and Argentina fans that abused Mbappe.
      Martinez, who won the Golden Glove at the World Cup, has been linked with a move away from Villa following his stunning performances in Qatar.
      His agent hinted that the goalie is targeting a Champions League move in the future. More