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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

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      Cristiano Ronaldo spotted for first time as talks over Al Nassr transfer continue following World Cup heartache

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has taken to Instagram as speculation over a move to Saudi Arabia heats up.It is reported that Ronaldo has a contract worth a whopping £173m on the table from the Saudi club.
      Cristiano Ronaldo posted on Instagram following rumours of a move to Saudi ArabiaCredit: Instagram @cristiano
      And transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says Al Nassr have now confirmed their huge bid to Ronaldo’s camp, including a deal until June 2025.
      But the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was giving nothing away in his social media story today.
      Ronaldo posted a picture of himself in a spa complex with five different emojis.
      They were of a frozen face, a finger pointing upwards, a pair of goggles, drops of sweat and a figure lifting weights.
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      The post appeared to be a reference to his gym routine, with the frozen face potentially referring to an ice bath and the drops of sweat a sauna.
      Ronaldo is currently a free agent and plotting his next move after being released by Manchester United following a bombshell interview with Sun columnist Piers Morgan.
      The forward claimed he felt United had “betrayed” him and revealed he had “no respect” for Ten Hag.
      But things barely improved for him during the World Cup as he was also shunned by national team boss Fernando Santos.
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      After starting all three group matches, Ronaldo was confined to a role coming off the bench in the knockout stages.
      The former Real Madrid star was upstaged by Goncalo Ramos, who took his chance to score a spectacular hat-trick against Switzerland in a 6-1 win.
      That left him to start as a sub again in the quarter-final before being unable to chance the game after coming on as they were beaten 1-0 by Morocco.
      To top things off for Ronaldo, his great rival Lionel Messi would go on to win the World Cup after an epic penalty shootout victory over France.
      Cristiano Ronaldo is a free agent after being released by Man UtdCredit: AFP
      Ronaldo endured a miserable World Cup with PortugalCredit: Getty More

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      Lionel Messi set to spend Christmas holed up in Rosario home and snub public appearances after Argentina’s World Cup win

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      WORLD CUP winner Lionel Messi is set to “avoid public appearances” over the Christmas period as he spends time with his family at his Rosario home.Messi, 35, led Argentina to a sensational World Cup final win against France on Sunday.
      Messi will spend Christmas in Rosario with his familyCredit: Splash
      He returned to Argentina earlier this weekCredit: Alamy
      He, along with his teammates, celebrated the historic victory with an open-top bus parade through Buenos Aires on Tuesday, with millions taking to the streets to join in with the festivities.
      However, the celebrations were abandoned prematurely after some fans attempted to jump onto the team bus from nearby bridges.
      When the chaos curtailed, Messi travelled back to his home in the city of Rosario, where he was once again mobbed by a large group of adoring fans.
      And according to Spanish outlet Clarin, he will remain with his family in Rosario over the festive period.
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      Rumours had suggested that another victory parade would take place in the city this week, however they have since been played down.
      Messi is not expected to return to Paris-Saint Germain training until the new year as he celebrates finally winning the only trophy to have eluded him during his incredible career.
      But, he has reportedly agreed to sign a new deal with the Ligue 1 club.
      Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner verbally agreed to extend his PSG contract this week.
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      Messi had been linked with a move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami as well as a sensational return to Barcelona.
      But according to Romano, Messi never entered talks with his former club and a proposed move collapsed before entering an advanced stage. More

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      Izabel Goulart looks stunning in tiny bikini on beach as she helps partner Kevin Trapp get over World Cup heartache

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      IZABEL GOULART, the partner of Germany keeper Kevin Trapp, showed off her figure by wearing a tiny bikini on the beach as they relaxed on holiday.The 38-year-old Brazilian, who used to model for Victoria’s Secret, was at all three of the Germans’ World Cup games in Qatar.
      Izabel Goulart showed off her figure by wearing a bikini on the beachCredit: The Mega Agency
      Izabel was spotted enjoying the sun in St BartsCredit: The Mega Agency
      Izabel and Kevin Trapp are having some down time following the World CupCredit: The Mega Agency
      Stunning Wag Izabel is a former Victoria Secret modelCredit: The Mega Agency
      Trapp was a part of the Germany squad knocked out in the group stageCredit: The Mega Agency
      Trapp, 32, did not feature in any of the matches as No1 Manuel Neuer kept his position throughout the group stage.
      And Hansi Flick’s men failed to progress to the last-16 as a win over Costa Rica failed to make up for the loss to Japan and draw with Spain.
      Now Izabel and Trapp, who began dating in 2015 and got engaged three years later, have jetted out to St Barts for a post-World Cup holiday.
      The Eintracht Frankfurt keeper is still one month out from his first club game back on January 21.
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      Izabel was seen in a bikini relaxing in the sun as Trapp took in the beach surroundings.
      Goulart attended Germany’s World Cup opener in Trapp’s full keeper’s kit with his No12 on.
      She then went to the following matches against Spain and Costa Rica.
      And Izabel even stuck around after Germany’s exit as she was spotted supporting her native Brazil during their last-16 win over South Korea.
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      Goulart is a popular figure on social media, attracting 4.5million followers on Instagram alone.
      She has previously boasted that her and Trapp make love up to five times a week.
      Lifting the lid on the couple’s bedroom antics, she said: “Kevin and I make love a lot – four or five times a week.
      “But if he has played in an important game and his team loses, I can make myself beautiful, have my nails done and wear my best lingerie – and there still won’t be any sex.
      “However, on the days when the team has won, we don’t get a wink of sleep.”
      Izabel dressed in partner Trapp’s keeper’s kit for Germany’s loss to JapanCredit: Getty
      She then stuck around in Qatar to support her home country BrazilCredit: Getty
      Goulart and Trapp have been together for seven yearsCredit: Getty More

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      Marcus Rashford emerges as perfect Gabriel Jesus replacement for Dream Team gaffers in need

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      AFTER all the excitement and drama of the first ever winter World Cup, Dream Team gaffers need to refocus on the classic Season game.You may not be able to earn points from Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe any longer but look on the bright side, Erling Haaland is defrosting from his cryogenic chamber at this very moment.
      Manchester City take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup tonight and once the Premier League fixtures resume on Boxing Day there’s barely a day without one for a fortnight.
      With the games coming thick and fast, Dream Team bosses need to ensure their XIs are fully-equipped to take advantage of the bountiful points on offer.
      Mini-league are often determined by which gaffers negotiate the festive period the best and that is likely to be especially true this year as some individuals may have a hard time readjusting to club football in the wake of the World Cup.
      The World Cup is but a memory now
      One player who could make hay in the coming weeks is Marcus Rashford (£4.5m).
      In fact, the 25-year-old wasted no time in adding returns following his bright campaign in Qatar having scored an impressive solo goal against Burnley in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
      An eight-point haul has moved the Man United No10 onto 90 overall, a tally currently bettered by just four other forwards: Ivan Toney (£4.7m), Harry Kane (£6.9m), Mohamed Salah (8.6m) and Erling Haaland (£8.9m).
      Perhaps most relevant is the fact Rashford is now clear of Gabriel Jesus (£5.3m) in the rankings.
      Arsenal are expected to be without their first-choice striker until late-February/early-March which has caused a HUGE problem for Dream Team managers.
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      The Brazil international remains one of the most-popular players in the game with an ownership of 45.2% at the time of writing – hordes of gaffers need to act fast!
      Jesus is sidelined for approximately three monthsCredit: getty
      Swapping Jesus for Rashford looks like a natural transfer, a wise one too.
      Not only would this free up an additional £0.8m to invest on improvements elsewhere, it’s seemingly a great time to back the Red Devils forward.
      Rashford has scored 12 goals and provided three assists in his last 23 appearances for club and country, which boils down to a goal involvement every 97.7 minutes.
      During this time he’s averaged 4.9 points-per-game in club colours and the Cristiano Ronaldo saga now behind Erik ten Hag, the Old Trafford pecking order in the forward positions should favour the Englishman.
      The perfect time for a Rash move?
      Man United have lost just one of their last 13 games in all competitions although how much ‘form’ matters post-World Cup remains to be seen.
      What’s clear is that Ten Hag has made significant progress after a wobbly start to life in Manchester and with two opponents currently in the relegation zone up next (Nottingham Forest, Wolves) it’s reasonably to expect positive results and, hopefully, plentiful points for Rashford.
      Even if you’re not convinced by the Man United man, it goes without saying that if you’ve still got Jesus in your XI then you need to find a replacement you do believe in as soon as possible. More

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      Salt Bae shows off table permanently reserved for late Maradona at his Dubai restaurant in latest bizarre stunt

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      SALT Bae shows off a table “permanently reserved” as a shrine to the late Diego Maradona in his latest desperate publicity stunt.Cringey video resurfaced after the fame hungry chef was slammed for pestering Lionel Messi in embarrassing scenes following Argentina’s World Cup win.
      Salt Bae has created a mawkish shrine to Diego Maradona in his restaurantCredit: Instagram
      He says the table is permanently reservedCredit: Instagram
      A garish painting of them together sits on the tableCredit: Instagram
      Maradona mocked Salt Bae’s sprinkling gimmick when he dined there in 2018Credit: YouTube
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – posted a short clip of an outside table at his Dubai steakhouse.
      Two seats are pulled up, but it is laid with only one plate and one set of cutlery – and a brass “reserved” sign.
      Also on the table are a bunch of flowers, a lit candle and a garish painting of Salt Bae with soccer legend Maradona, who died in 2020.
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      He captioned the video: “Forever reserve.”
      The painting appears to be based on a photo as the Argentina icon is wearing the same outfit as when he visited the restaurant in 2018.
      Salt Bae’s mawkish tribute came despite Maradona hilariously mocking the chef’s “sprinkle” gimmick to his face.
      Video from the time shows the star’s reaction after being invited to mimic Gökçe’s trademark salt gesture.
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      Instead he takes a pinch of salt and disdainfully dabs in the air with his fingers right under the chef’s nose.
      Earlier this week Salt Bae shared an old video of him hugging Lionel Messi after being trolled over the footballer’s snub on the pitch.
      Messi and his wife visited the same Dubai steakhouse in 2018.
      France ace Paul Pogba was also there and the chef made sure he got in between the two footballers for a photo.
      Gökçe’s throwback video shows him shaking Messi’s hand and giving him a bear hug, then talking animatedly while wagging his finger at the Barcelona forward.
      His self-promoting video was captioned simply: “The champion”.
      Followers said it was “cringe” and accused him of a desperate attempt to prove he is pals with Messi after getting the cold shoulder days earlier.
      After the world cup final, Gökçe was filmed grabbing the Argentina captain by the shoulder at least twice.
      Messi tried to shrug him off before finally agreeing to pose for an awkward picture.
      The fame-hungry chef was shot down by his own fans for his desperate attempts to get close to the footballing star.
      One said: “This is embarrassing.”
      Another said: “He wanna prove that he wasn’t ghosted by Messi.”
      As well as badgering Messi, he was filmed muscling in on the Argentina squad’s celebrations and snatching the trophy from one winner’s baby.
      Gökçe also pretended to do his trademark salt-sprinkling trick over the £17million gold trophy as irritated players stood by.
      And boastful pics on his Insta page showed his kissing the trophy and holding it aloft like a champion.
      The disgraceful spectacle reportedly broke Fifa’s rules, which say only former winners and heads of state can handle it.
      BBC host Gary Lineker shared footage of his attention-seeking antics, saying: “He’s such a pest.”
      And former FA chairman Greg Dyke said: “I don’t think Fifa and Infantino have come out of this very well.”
      Fifa has reportedly refused to say if Salt Bae was granted access to the pitch.
      Read More on The Sun
      It did not respond to The Sun Online’s request for comment.
      The celeb chef has been slammed for pestering Messi after Argentina’s World Cup winCredit: instagram
      Salt Bae has been panned by his own fansCredit: instagram More

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      Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz becomes ninth World Cup chief to leave job after last-16 exit to France

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      POLAND manager Czeslaw Michniewicz will leave his post as national team coach at the end of the year, it has been confirmed.He becomes the ninth World Cup manager to leave his job.
      Czeslaw Michniewicz took charge of Poland at the start of the yearCredit: Reuters
      The 52-year-old only took over his country in January following the departure of Paulo Sousa.
      And he led Poland beyond the World Cup group stage for the first time since 1986.
      A goalless draw with Mexico was followed up by a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, before a 2-0 loss to Argentina saw them finish runners-up in Group C.
      They then came up against defending champions France in the last-16 and were comfortably beaten 3-1 as their Qatar journey came to an end.
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      Now Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza has revealed Michniewicz’s contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of 2022.
      In a statement, Kulesza said: “On behalf of the board of PZPN, we would like to thank Czeslaw Michniewicz for 11 months of work as a coach.
      “As we know, the coach took over the team at a very difficult time.
      “Despite these circumstances, he managed to win qualification for the World Cup, and also kept our place in the Nations League elite.
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      “He also led the national team to their first World Cup knockout stage in 36 years. For this, Czeslaw Michniewicz deserves thanks.”
      Michniewicz’s departure comes after the exit of several high-profile World Cup managers.
      Luis Enrique left Spain following their last-16 defeat to Morocco.
      Portugal boss Fernando Santos was then sacked after their quarter-final defeat.
      Brazil head coach Tite left following the pre-tournament favourites’ last-eight exit at the hands of Croatia, while Belgium’s group-stage departure ended Roberto Martinez’s national team reign.
      Holland boss Louis van Gaal, Mexico’s Gerardo Martino, Ghana’s Otto Addo and South Korea’s Paulo Bento are the others to have relinquished their positions since the end of their World Cup campaigns. More