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      Haaland, De Bruyne and Salah start after World Cup break as Man City face Liverpool in Carabao Cup

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      ERLING HAALAND and Mo Salah are both STARTING tonight’s Carabao Cup clash between Manchester City and Liverpool.Kevin De Bruyne is in for City too after a disappointing World Cup with Belgium.
      Mo Salah and Erling Haaland are both starting Manchester City’s Carabao Cup meeting with LiverpoolCredit: AFP
      Haaland was not at the World Cup after Norway failed to qualifyCredit: Getty
      Kevin De Bruyne starts for Manchester City against LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      Jack Grealish pictured arriving at the Etihad tonightCredit: Getty
      But England’s World Cup representatives only make the bench for both teams.
      Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker are all in the squad for City and could feature.
      Meanwhile Jordan Henderson has been named on the bench for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last-16 clash.
      De Bruyne is one of six City starters who featured at the World Cup.
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      Manuel Akanji (Switzerland), Aymeric Laporte (Spain), Nathan Ake (Holland), Rodri (Spain) and Ilkay Gundogan (Germany) all play after returning from Qatar.
      Portugal’s Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva are on the bench having also played at the World Cup.
      Darwin Nunez is Liverpool’s only starter who featured at the World Cup after his group stage exit with Uruguay, but Brazil’s Fabinho is on the bench alongside Henderson.
      However, Brazilian goalkeeper duo Alisson and Ederson are not involved for Liverpool and City respectively.
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      It’s a first taste of competitive action in over a month for Haaland and Salah after Norway and Egypt both failed to qualify for the World Cup.
      Bosses Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have both named teams with a mix of youth and experience.
      Tonight’s winners will go into the hat for the quarter-final draw.
      The draw takes place this evening immediately after the match. More

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      Salt Bae savaged again as more pictures emerge of him grabbing and BITING World Cup winner medal after Argentina victory

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      SALT Bae has been savaged online again after more pictures emerged showing him BITING a World Cup winner’s medal. The fame-hungry restauranteur has been ridiculed after invading the pitch and stealing Argentina’s spotlight as they celebrated their victory.
      Salt Bae was pictured taking a chunk out of the medal tethered to Argentina’s Franco ArmaniCredit: Instagram
      Social media users compared the chef’s stunt to one of Homer Simpson’s blunders
      He was seen eyeing up Leandro Paredes’ medal moments after the player was awarded itCredit: Instagram
      Salt Bae has sparked fury after breaking Fifa etiquette by handling the World Cup trophyCredit: instagram
      Players were forced to humour the Turkish chef as he gatecrashed the special moment in true Salt Bae style.
      He was seen grabbing hold of Lionel Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      The Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – then snatched the 18-carat gold trophy from Cristian Romero’s baby.
      The irritated squad were then forced to endure watching the celebrity chef perform his trademark salt-sprinkling trick over the £17million cup.
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      It seems Salt Bae had worked up an appetite with his embarrassing antics – as he then 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.
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      Armani, who didn’t play a single minute in the World Cup, thankfully appeared unphased by Salt Bae’s intrusive stunt.
      But the image reignited fury on social media regarding his bizarre presence on the pitch badgering the champions.
      One user even compared the thoughtless chef to Homer Simpson in a hilarious meme.
      They twinned Gökçe’s picture with one of the infamous cartoon character being handed the key to Springfield – with teeth marks on it.
      The loveable fool then tells Mayor Quimby: “I thought there was chocolate inside!”
      People proceeded to flood the comment section with some choice words for Salt Bae.
      One wrote: “What an idiot. Trying to make it all about him.”
      Another joked: “He probably thought it was one of his overpriced burgers.”
      And a third fumed: “That’s what you get when the internet makes some random talentless person famous.”
      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.
      But others suggested he was simply teasing the players, as in Turkish culture brides often bite gold coins gifted for their wedding to check they are real.
      Salt Bae was slammed after posting a series of boastful pictures on Instagram of him holding the World Cup trophy – a privilege reserved for the winning team and heads of state.
      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.
      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.
      Read More on The Sun
      Salt Bae, a former butcher from Turkey, became famous for his crowd-pleasing gimmick of sprinkling salt down his elbow after slicing steak at the table.
      He now has 50million Instagram followers and an empire of 22 steakhouses around the world flogging gold wrapped beef at eye-watering prices.
      Lionel Messi finally gave in and posed for a selfie with the celebrity chefCredit: instagram
      He riled players by performing his signature salt-sprinkling trickCredit: Twitter – @@JCUStreaks10
      Salt Bae was seen cruelly snatching the trophy away from Cristian Romero’s babyCredit: Twitter – @@JCUStreaks10 More

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      Luis Suarez and his family arrive at Lionel Messi’s house to join Argentina captain in World Cup celebrations

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      LUIS SUAREZ headed to best pal Lionel Messi’s house for Christmas following Argentina’s World Cup victory.Messi was given a hero’s welcome by adoring fans as he returned to his boyhood city of Rosario.
      Luis Suarez landed in Argentina on ThursdayCredit: AFP
      The Uruguayan will reportedly spend Christmas with Lionel Messi’s familyCredit: AFP
      Suarez was pictured arriving in Rosario, Messi’s boyhood cityCredit: AFP
      Suarez was later filmed arriving at Messi’s houseCredit: Twitter
      Suarez and Messi became good friends when they were team-mates at BarcelonaCredit: Instagram / @leomessi

      He will reportedly spend Christmas holed up in his home after being greeted with wild scenes on his return.
      And Suarez will also spend Christmas with the Messi family, according to ESPN.
      The 35-year-old was pictured today landing in Argentina accompanied by one of his sons to celebrate the World Cup triumph with Messi.
      Footage posted to Twitter then showed Suarez arriving at Messi’s house.
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      Suarez touched down in Rosario on a private plane just before 1pm local time having jetted in from the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.
      His wife Sofia Balbi, and their two other children, were also there, according to Mundo Deportivo.
      The two families grew close when Messi and Suarez were team-mates at Barcelona.
      As well as enjoying great success on the pitch, they became best buds off it.
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      The pair holidayed together in Ibiza earlier this year alongside Cesc Fabregas and their families.
      Suarez, who suffered group stage heartbreak at the World Cup with Uruguay, congratulated Messi on his success after the penalty shootout victory over France.
      He wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations friend! YOU ARE WORLD CHAMPION. Let them say what they want, you are and will be the best.”
      The pair also FaceTimed each other after the final, with Messi showing off the World Cup trophy to a beaming Suarez.
      Suarez posted a picture of the pair chatting to each other to his Instagram story.
      Lionel Messi and wife Antonela Roccuzzo, Luis Suarez and wife Sofa Balbi, plus Cesc Fabregas and wife Daniela Semaan are all close friendsCredit: Instagram @antonelaroccuzzo
      The two families grew close when Messi and Suarez played together at BarcelonaCredit: Instagram / @leomessi
      Suarez and Messi holidayed together earlier this yearCredit: EPA More

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      FIFA ‘launches probe’ into how Salt Bae gatecrashed World Cup closing ceremony – with ‘action to be taken against staff’

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      FIFA is conducting an internal investigation to find out how Salt Bae gatecrashed the World Cup final.The famous chef, 39, was pictured with bemused Argentinian players on the pitch holding the trophy after their win on penalties against France in Qatar.
      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 wearing a Fifa VIP badge round his neck on Sunday night.
      Footage shows him 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 of 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.
      Now FIFA is said to be 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.
       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.
      Most read in Sport
      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.
      Gokce is known to be a close friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and actually breached the world governing body’s strict regulations regarding who is allowed to touch the World Cup trophy.
      “Its current design dates back to 1974,” FIFA’s website reads.
      “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.”
      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.
      Read More on The Sun
      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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      Watch Alvaro Morata’s wife prank Spain star by pretending her waters have broken leaving ex-Chelsea ace unimpressed

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      ALVARO MORATA was left red-faced after his pregnant wife pretended her waters had broken.Model Alice Campbell already has three children with the football ace.
      Alice is pregnant with her and Alvaro’s fourth child – and decided to have some fun with her husbandCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Alice Campbell has over three million Instagram followers and regularly posts photos of her familyCredit: Instagram / @alvaromorata
      And with the fourth one on the way, she decided to have some fun with the former Chelsea striker.
      A video uploaded to her Instagram page shows the moment she pranked her husband.
      Alice sprays a bottle of water through her jogging bottoms, leaving a puddle on the floor while stood in the hallway.
      Barely able to contain her excitement, she then calls her hubby into the hallway as he watches football on TV in the living room.
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      Morata slowly walks towards her before reacting to the news that her waters had supposedly broken, the first sign a woman is going into labour.
      The 30-year-old forward looks concerned as he inspects his wife and sees the liquid on the floor.
      But before Alice could take the prank any further, she bursts into laughter.
      An annoyed Morata then marches back to the sofa.
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      Sneaky Alice tricks her husband using a water bottleCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Morata was enjoying the football before being interrupted by the trickCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The post has gained over 226,000 likes with Alice’s followers finding the clip hilarious – and expressing sympathy for the fooled Morata.
      The pair married in Venice in 2017 after Morata proposed on the stage of a magic show in 2016.
      He is preparing for the return of the La Liga season with Atletico Madrid after Spain’s World Cup campaign unravelled.
      After starting with a 7-0 win over Costa Rica, the 2010 world champions stumbled to the last-16 before suffering a penalty shootout calamity and being knocked out by Morocco.
      Despite Spain’s difficulties, Morata can be fairly happy with his contribution as he scored three times in Qatar.
      Since leaving Chelsea after two difficult seasons in 2019, he has bounced between Juventus and Atletico Madrid with varying degrees of success. More

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      French minister calls on Fifa to INVESTIGATE Emiliano Martinez and Argentina fans after Kylian Mbappe abuse

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      FIFA should INVESTIGATE Emi Martinez and the Argentina fans that abused Kylian Mbappe, according to a French minister.After Martinez’s penalty shootout heroics handed Argentina the trophy at the expense of France, footage emerged of the Aston Villa keeper holding a minute’s silence for the “dead” Mbappe in the dressing room.
      Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in France’s World Cup final loss to ArgentinaCredit: Reuters
      Emi Martinez mocked Mbappe by holding a baby doll with his face onCredit: @ESPNFC
      During the celebrations back in Argentina, Martinez, 30, then continued the Mbappe mockery by holding a baby doll with the Frenchman’s face on.
      The Paris Saint-Germain forward, 24, and his France team-mates also received racist insults on social media following the game.
      And Bruno Le Maire, the French minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery, has slammed the behaviour of Martinez, as well as the abuse online and those who burned a coffin with a picture of Mbappe on during the Argentine celebrations.
      Speaking to Sud Radio, a furious Le Maire said: “What is Fifa doing? Sport is about fair play.
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      “It’s showing respect for others. It’s showing respect for those who lost.”
      Adil Rami, who was part of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad, is also furious at Martinez.
      He said on an Instagram story: “The biggest son of a b**** in football [Martinez]. The most hated man.”
      Other Mbappe-related abuse during the Argentine celebrations included Lionel Messi being thrown a toy turtle.
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      This is in reference to Mbappe’s nickname in the PSG dressing room, Donatello, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
      Mbappe ended up on the losing side of Sunday’s final despite scoring a superb hat-trick to drag France all the way to penalties.
      The 24-year-old won the Golden Boot with eight goals – one ahead of his PSG team-mate Messi who bagged two in the final.
      Bruno Le Maire has slammed the abuse Mbappe has receivedCredit: Rex More

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      Newcastle and Leicester hit with transfer blow as Napoli and Inter join race for Morocco World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi

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      NEWCASTLE and Leicester have been joined by Napoli and Inter Milan in the race to sign Moroccan World Cup hero Azzedine Ounahi.Alongside Sofyan Amrabat, Ounahi, 22, played a crucial role in the Atlas Lions’ sensational World Cup campaign in Qatar.
      Azzedine Ounahi shone for Morocco during their brilliant World Cup runCredit: Getty
      He helped Morocco all the way to the semi-finals, beating Spain and Portugal along the way.
      They were eventually knocked out by France in the last four, before Croatia beat them to third place.
      Following his international success, Ounahi is now eager to leave Ligue 1 side Angers in search of a new challenge – although his contract is not up until June 2026.
      The French club officials are willing to accept any suitable offer for the midfielder in January, but they want him to remain in France on loan until the end of the 2022-23 season.
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      Leicester are reportedly prepared to offer up to £39.5million.
      The Foxes are at risk of losing star man Youri Tielemans on a free transfer in June, so signing a new midfielder during the upcoming window will be crucial.
      Ounahi’s impressive performances have also attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs including Newcastle, Leeds and West Ham.
      However, according to Foot Mercato, Napoli and Inter Milan have now joined the race to sign him.
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      Ounahi is believed to be “leaning towards” a move to one of the Serie A giants.
      Both Napoli and Inter are still in the Champions League and will expect to seal a place in next year’s competition.
      Napoli currently sit top of the table, eight points clear of second-place AC Milan.
      They are believed to be eyeing up Ounahi as a replacement for German midfielder Diego Demme.
      Meanwhile, Inter sit fifth in Serie A after a difficult start to the campaign.
      But they did qualify out of a Champions League group including Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
      Simone Inzaghi’s men were then drawn against Porto in the last-16, while Napoli will face Eintracht Frankfurt. More

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      Who is football pundit Karen Carney and what team did she play for?

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      KAREN CARNEY had an incredible career on the pitch that led to much glory.However, it is her work behind the desk that is now impressing as she was part of the ITV team that brought us the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
      Karen Carney joined ITV for their World Cup coverage this winter.Credit: Getty
      Who is Karen Carney?
      Karen Carney was born in Solihull, England, on August 1, 1987, to parents Michael and Marie.
      Her mother Marie worked at Sainsbury’s and father Michael worked as a firefighter, raising her along with her other two sisters.
      The energy she had as a child saw her playing out with friends often which led to her interest in the beautiful game.
      Carney recalls playing football from the age of six but it was not until she was aged eleven that her mother saw her play for the first time.
      By the age of fourteen, she was a full-time footballer, and two years later she decided to move away to focus on her passion.
      She attended St Peter’s RC Secondary School before graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2009.
      In 2013, Carney completed her Masters degree in Sports Psychology at University of Gloucestershire.
      She was named in the 2017 New Year Honours List, receiving the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
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      In 2022, Carney achieved her Masters of Business Administration with a distinction while studying at the James Lind Institute.
      In 2022, Karen was inducted into the Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame.
      Who did she play for?
      Karen is one of England’s most capped players of all time and achieved success at three clubs during her glittering career.
      Attracting a lot of interest from the age of ten, there was only one club that Carney ever had interest in joining, Birmingham City who she supported.
      She made her senior debut at the age of fourteen and won the FA’s Young Player of the Year award in 2005, a year before her eighteenth birthday no less.
      It was a great year for the young talent as she made her England debut against Italy, coming off the bench to score in their 4-1 victory.
      Four months later, her last-gasp strike, secured victory for The Lionesses in their opening game of the European Championships against Finland.
      After nine years at Birmingham, she left her hometown club to join league and cup holders Arsenal.
      She enjoyed a lot of success with The Gunners before heading to Chicago Red Stars, following assistant Emma Hayes.
      In 2011, she returned to Britain to ply her trade, heading back to her spiritual home of Birmingham City.
      At Wembley that season, Carney put in a “woman of the match” performance against Chelsea that saw her score the winning spot-kick to secure Birmingham’s first FA Women’s Cup triumph.
      She remained at City until 2015, topping the league’s scoring charts in 2014, before reuniting with Emma Hayes at Chelsea.
      An integral part of the champion’s side, she won more honours with The Blues, including a Spring Series, league title and FA Cup.
      Across 14 years, Carney earned herself 144 caps for England, scoring 32 times in the process and becoming a Lioness legend.
      When did she retire and how long has she worked in punditry?
      Karen retired from football in 2019 after finishing fourth with England in the Women’s World Cup.
      The Lionesses lost 2-1 in the third-place play-off to Sweden.
      She started her broadcast career working with the BBC and BT, covering all football for their platforms.
      Carney is now Sky Sports’ lead pundit for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, and part of the matchday team for the Premier League and the EFL.
      In 2019, she was the newly appointed Chair of the Future of Women’s Football Review for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
      In this role she will be looking into ways the government can nurture and expand the game in the UK.
      Karney then jumped across the pond to cover the UEFA Champions League, delivering nationwide commentary for CBS in America.
      Most recently, she was part of the ITV team that brought us the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
      Is Karen Carney married and does she have any children?
      Despite much interest in her personal life, Karen has managed to keep the media spotlight off her.
      Constantly asked about her love life, despite being cagey on the matter, she confirmed that she is not married.
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      As to whether she is currently in a relationship, this seems to also be somewhat of a grey area but from what we gather she is currently single.
      Karen does not have any children. More