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      England risk World Cup ban as huge storm kicks off over FA Cup replays being scrapped

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      MPs demanding a U-turn on the FA Cup replay row could risk England being banned by Fifa.During the second reading of the Football Regulation bill in Westminster on Tuesday, former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron promised to propose an amendment to give the Regulator the power to force the FA to reintroduce replays.England risk being banned from the World Cup over the FA Cup replay rowCredit: APHe argued, with backing from MPs across the House, that all member clubs must have a vote on deciding the rules of the competition.Yet such a move by the Regulator would leave open the possibility that Fifa could determine the FA had been subjected to “government interference” in the running of the game.That would be a breach of membership rules.In recent years, the world governing body has temporarily suspended the football associations of Zimbabwe, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Pakistan because of outside influence.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLLast night, it emerged that Spain’s government could take over the RFEF (Spanish FA) following disgraced ex-president Luis Rubiales’ kiss-gate scandal at the Women’s World Cup final.That could see them run the same ban risk as England, although in reality such a punishment is unlikely. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERLast week, the English FA announced plans to scrap all replays in the FA Cup.Every round will now also be played on a weekend.Most read in FootballChris Wilder leads furious backlash to FA Cup replays being scrapped as fans urged to protest at ‘ridiculous’ decisionWhile there will be no clashes with the Premier League in the fourth and fifth rounds, as well as the quarters.The final will also be played on a Saturday, with no Prem fixtures to take place on the same day.But in another major change, it will take place before the final match of the Premier League campaign.Lower-tier clubs have been left in uproar, with some EFL and National League sides even threatening to boycott the FA Cup next season.An EFL statement read: “The EFL wishes to clarify further its position in respect of yesterday’s Premier League and Football Association bi-lateral announcement over the removal of FA Cup replays and the role of the League’s representatives on the Professional Game Board (PGB). “The agreement which now sees the abolition of replays from the competition format was agreed solely between the Premier League and FA.”Ahead of the deal being announced there was no agreement with the EFL nor was there any formal consultation with EFL clubs as members of the FA and participants in the competition.”In September 2023, the EFL did initially discuss with clubs potential changes to the FA Cup format but only as part of a wider and more fundamental change to financial distributions.”As is now clear, there has been no movement in this area since September.READ MORE SUN STORIES”This latest agreement between the Premier League and the FA, in the absence of financial reform, is just a further example of how the EFL and its clubs are being marginalised in favour of others further up the pyramid and that only serves to threaten the future of the English game.”The EFL today calls on both the Premier League and the FA, as the Governing body, to re-evaluate their approach to their footballing partnership with the EFL and engage more collaboratively on issues directly affecting our clubs.”Why FA Cup changes are GOOD NEWSBy Martin Lipton
      THE FA and Premier League should have done the deal to scrap FA Cup replays years ago.
      No doubt traditionalists will moan but it is right that the competition has finally been brought into the 21st century.
      Ending replays will bring extra sharpness and excitement to the ties, with the knowledge that there will be a winner, whether in 90 minutes, extra-time or penalties.
      If big guns have a bad day, they are more likely to pay the price. Replays after draws give them a fall-back they do not deserve.
      Giving the FA Cup total and absolute priority over four weekends – and ensuring there is no competing match on the day of the Final – will enhance the profile of a competition that was in danger of falling out of the spotlight.
      And as long as the FA ensures a better split of the prize money fund, weighting it more towards the earlier rounds, and potentially a similar move with  TV match money, there should be few losers.
      Read more on the FA Cup by clicking here. More

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      I’m a World Cup icon who quit football as it became unrecognisable – stars care more about cars, contracts and boots

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      WORLD CUP icon Miroslav Klose laid the boot into modern-day football, claiming stars these days are more concerned about cars and contracts than the beautiful game.Revealing he quit playing because he “no longer recognised” the sport, Klose reckons football is now far removed from its “purest form” because of the focus on money and image.World Cup legend Miroslav Klose claims modern players only care about money and imageCredit: GettyThe 45-year-old is widely recognised as one of the best strikers in history, having ended his career as Germany’s all-time top scorer.Klose scored 71 goals in 137 games for his country while firing them to glory at the 2014 World Cup.He remains the top scorer in the tournament’s history, netting 16 times across four different events.And Klose also enjoyed a brilliant club career, scoring goals and winning trophies for the likes of Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHis career came to an end in 2016 after five seasons with Italian giants Lazio.After retiring, Klose moved into coaching as he took up roles with the German national team and Bayern Munich.But the legend claims he made the decision to quit playing after falling out of love with the lifestyle.He believes young players these days don’t put in a fraction of the work his generation used to.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERKlose hit out at the obsession with image and cash, insisting players are more worried about the car they drive and what boots they wear.And as far as he’s concerned, the classic image of the beautiful game “no longer exists.”Premier League star leaves Syria camp hours before World Cup qualifier and first match after row over his ‘demands’Miroslav Klose’s career statsThose incredible numbers in full…

      FC 08 Homburg, 1998-99: 18 games, 1 goal

      FC Kaiserslautern, 1999-2004: 147 games, 52 goals

      Werder Bremen, 2004-2007: 132 games, 63 goals

      Bayern Munich, 2007-2011: 149 games, 53 goals

      Lazio, 2011-2016: 170 games, 63 goals

      Germany, 2001-2014: 137 games, 71 goals

      Trophies: German League Cup (Werder Bremen); Bundesliga x2, German Cup x2, German League Cup, German Super Cup (Bayern Munich); Italian Cup (Lazio); World Cup (Germany)

      Klose said in October: “I stopped playing football because I no longer recognised it. “Today, young players think about other things. As a child, I only thought about training and becoming someone in this sport that I always loved. “At Lazio and in the national team, after each training session, I put myself in a bathtub full of ice to avoid injuries. But the young players on the team systematically refused.“When they saw me picking up the bags of balls to put them away at the end of training, they said to me ‘But who tells you to do that?’. “At that moment, I said to myself: ‘You’re 20 years old and you can’t help a 60-year-old worker?’“They care more about whether their boots go with their socks. That’s why I said stop. The football I knew no longer exists.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Today’s young players think first of cars, contracts with their sponsors, and their new boots. It is only after all these things that football comes. “For them, their image is the most important thing. Whereas for me, all that mattered was football in its purest form.” More

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      Lily Allen’s actor dad reveals he’s still raking in £20,000 PER YEAR from iconic World Cup anthem decades on

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      LILY ALLEN’S dad is still raking in a whopping £20,000 per year from his iconic World Cup anthem. Keith Allen, 70, wrote the lyrics to Vindaloo ahead of the 1998 World Cup.Keith Allen is the father of singer Lily AllenCredit: GettyAllen stars in the music video and sings on VindalooCredit: YouTube @UnionSquareMusicThe song was released just before the tournament in France and was initially written as a parody of football chants with its references to the spicy curry.But it took off as Allen Sr teamed up with bassists Alex James and Guy Pratt – as well as daughter Lily with him on vocals – to produce the single under the band name Fat Les. It reached No2 in the UK charts, pipped only by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner’s Three Lions remake. And Allen is still reaping the rewards of its tremendous success. READ MORE ON SPORTAsked if he still gets royalties for his football record, he told The Telegraph: “Oh God yeah, a lot, probably about £20,000 a year. “I mean, I get more money from Vindaloo than a lot of things.”I’m always earning money off Vindaloo. “The song gets used for all sorts of things and various campaigns. In fact it’s going to be used for one for Deliveroo.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”Guy Pratt played bass on it and he’s earned more money from Vindaloo than anything he’s ever done with Pink Floyd.”Vindaloo remains a hugely popular song, especially for England fans around major tournaments.Every Premier League club’s most famous and also most surprising fanSo it will no doubt resurface this summer during Euro 2024 alongside the likes of Three Lions and World In Motion.Allen also co-wrote the lyrics to World In Motion for Italia 90 as New Order linked up with the England team – specifically guest rapper John Barnes – to record the UK No1. The actor, author, broadcaster and comedian – who was paid £182,000 in today’s money to appear as the tooth fairy in a Listerine advert – has six children with four different women.That includes pop star daughter Lily and Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen with his first wife Alison Owen.Lily was crowned British Female Solo Artist of the Year at the 2010 Brit Awards following the release of her It’s Not Me, It’s You album. More

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      Captain resigns and retires after ‘humiliating’ World Cup qualifier and tells wife ‘I really cannot accept it’

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      CHINA’S national team captain has retired from international duty after his country’s “humiliating” draw with Singapore.Zhang Linpeng threw in the towel after China could only muster a 2-2 stalemate in yesterday’s World Cup qualifier.China captain Zhang Linpeng has retired from national team dutyCredit: AlamyThe 34-year-old defender currently plays for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port, having previously spent 11 years with rivals Guangzhou Evergrande.Zhang had featured 105 times for China ever since his debut in 2009, with World Cup winner and ex-boss Marcelo Lippi previously labelling him the nation’s “best footballer.”But his extraordinary international career is now at an end.China were expected to easily triumph over Singapore on Thursday.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThere are 70 places between the pair in Fifa’s world rankings, with China currently 88th.And things appeared to be going smoothly for the world’s third-biggest country as they raced into a two-goal lead.But Singapore pulled a goal back in the second half before levelling things in the 81st minute.And during the post-match press conference, Zhang announced that not only was he stepping down as China’s captain due to the “humiliating” result, he was also retiring from international duty for good.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERHe said: “I thought about it for a long while, I think it’s time to end my national team career.“We could not even beat the Singapore team. I think it’s unacceptable and I find it humiliating.”Oscar shows off his best moves for Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League Meanwhile, Chinese state media reported that Zhang’s wife posted a message he sent her to social media.It read: “I really feel like I cannot do any better than this anymore.“Every day I am really putting in 100 per cent to 200 per cent effort, but this result, I really cannot accept it, so let’s just end it here.”China will now look to avenge their draw when they play Singapore in Tianjin next week.China national team results in 2024The games that led to Zhang’s shock retirement…

      China 1 Hong Kong 2
      China 0 Tajikistan 0
      Lebanon 0 China 0
      Qatar 1 China 0
      Singapore 2 China 2 More

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      I’m a former World Cup star who used frozen corpses to escape doping ban

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      FROM dead bodies to a plea from his rivals, Paolo Guerrero escaped a drugs ban in the most unique way.The striker is Peru’s captain and was set to lead his nation to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.Paolo Guerrero captained and scored for Peru at the World Cup after a delay to his doping banCredit: Getty Images – GettyGuerrero used to play for Bayern MunichCredit: instagram @guerrero9But disaster struck just weeks after they qualified for the tournament as Guerrero failed a doping control test.After being handed an initial suspension, further tests revealed that benzoylecgonine was in his system, which is a derivative of cocaine.Guerrero claimed he was feeling unwell on international duty and had two herbal teas that could’ve included a coca leaf without his knowledge as it is a popular remedy for altitude sickness.However, Fifa slapped him with a 12-month ban from football, meaning he would miss the World Cup.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThere was national fury in Peru over the decision and it sparked protests.Guerrero, who won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich in 2005 and 2006, launched an appeal with the help of an American archaeologist.In a bizarre turn of events, Charles Stanish used the frozen corpses of Inca children to prove the player was innocent.He claimed there was evidence in the hair of the famous mummies found at the top of a volcano in Llullaillaco after traces of benzoylecgonine were found.Most read in FootballThe preserved bodies are four centuries older than cocaine is and Stanish argued because of this, there is not sufficient evidence to suggest Guerrero took any drugs.The archaeologist later said his job was to prove the substance can be in your system without taking it and “the most obvious way is to have a 500-year-old mummy that tests positive before cocaine exists.”It led to the ban being reduced to six months.But doping chiefs then appealed the new ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who reinstated the year ban.Peru raged again and soon had the eyes of the football world following the case.In the World Cup, they had been drawn in a group with France, Denmark and Australia.And Peru’s protests led to the captains of those three teams penning a letter to Fifa in support of Guerrero’s plea.The 40-year-old managed to get his ban suspended amid further investigations by the Swiss Federal Tribunal.It meant Guerrero was cleared to captain his country at the World Cup, assisting ex-Premier League star Andre Carrillo’s goal, which was Peru’s first in the finals for 36 years.He then scored in their 2-0 win over Australia – but it was not enough as the South Americans crashed out in the group stage.Guerrero’s ban was later upheld and he didn’t play for another nine months.Soon after his return, he was the top scorer at Copa America in 2019 as Peru made the final.And the legend is still playing and ready to lead his country into another Copa America this summer.He has earned 114 caps for his country and has national hero status.READ MORE SUN STORIESGuerrero has recently hit the headlines again for making a plea on television to be released from his contract with Cesar Vallejo amid fears for his family’s safety.The veteran claims the club are ignoring his concerns after being targeted by local criminals.Paolo Guerrero is set to lead Peru at this summer’s Copa America aged 40Credit: EPA More

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      Why is Ben White not in the England squad?

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      ARSENAL star Ben White has been left off the latest England squad.The Three Lions are set to take on Brazil and Belgium during the upcoming international break.Ben White is not in the England squadCredit: GettyAnd England manager Gareth Southgate has decided to leave White out of the squad despite his recent superb form for Arsenal.Why is Ben White not in the England squad?Southgate said “Clearly on form, I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be here.“[FA technical director] John McDermott had a call from [Arsenal sporting director] Edu last night saying Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads.“It’s a great shame, he’s a player I really like, a player we took to the Euros, a player I took to the World Cup.“I spoke to him post-Qatar because I was keen to pick him, there was clearly reticence on his side. I don’t know fully why that is, but I have to respect that.“I want to leave the door open to him, he’s a good player, a player who can make a difference for England, but he’s not available to us.”What is the England Euro 2024 squad?Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal).Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).Most read in FootballMidfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), James Maddison (Tottenham), Declan Rice (Arsenal).Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa). More

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      Fans say they are ‘already packing their bags’ with iconic stadium set to host first game of 2026 Fifa World Cup

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      FANS joked they are “already packing the bags” for the opening game of the 2026 World Cup.The bumper tournament will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico in two years’ time.
      The iconic Estadio Azteca will host the opening match of the 2026 World CupCredit: Reuters
      It holds 87,523 fans to make it among the biggest football grounds in the worldCredit: Reuters
      With a record 48 teams, a whopping 16 venues across 16 cities are needed for the next World Cup.
      And things will kick off at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico on June 11.
      The stadium, opened in 1966, boasts an enormous rich history in football – particularly in the World Cup.
      Mexico hosted both the 1970 and 1986 editions.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      They were won by Brazil and Argentina respectively, with two of football’s GOATs Pele and Diego Maradona on the winning teams.
      It was also the sight of Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England.
      An eye-watering 132,247 spectators flocked into the Azteca to watch local hero Julio Cesar Chavez box against Greg Haugen in 1993 – the record attendance.
      These days, the ground hosts Club America and Mexico national team matches and holds 87,523, making it one of the biggest football stadiums in the world.
      Most read in Football
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      And plenty of fans reacted to the news about the 2026 World Cup curtain raiser with unbridled excitement – 858 days before the opening match.
      One said: “Packing my bags. this a once in a lifetime opportunity right here.”
      Another wrote: “I pray to be there.”
      A third added: “Ayee, can’t wait to rock the World Cup vibes! Isn’t it cray-cray how we’re all already planning our sick leave for it?”
      And a final user commented: “Fantastic stadium – brilliant choice to be fair.”
      Fifa also announced the 2026 World Cup final will be played on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New York – with the third-place play-off at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
      Bizarrely, Kim Kardashian was the one given the honour of confirming the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will host the USA’s first group game.
      Pele and Brazil won the 1970 World Cup at the AztecaCredit: Getty More

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      Fifa World Cup 2026 final stadium revealed as raging fans say it was ‘the worst possible option’

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      THE 2026 World Cup final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.During a live broadcast from Miami, Fifa revealed the venues schedule for the bumper 48-team tournament.
      MetLife Stadium will host the 2026 World Cup finalCredit: Getty
      The stadium holds 82,500 fans at NFL gamesCredit: AP
      The US, Mexico and Canada will host the expanded tournament, which will take place over 39 days.
      Cases were made for alternative final venues, including Texas’ AT&T Stadium.
      But it will be MetLife Stadium that hosts the showpiece occasion on July 19, 2026.
      The 82,500-seater venue is one of seven that will need to have artificial surfaces replaced by grass for the tournament.
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      Fans have been left less than enthused by today’s announcement, particularly given the surface.
      MetLife Stadium is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
      Earlier in this NFL season, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a ruptured Achilles while playing at MetLife.
      Upon the final venue announcement, one fan wrote on social media: “This was literally the worst possible option…”
      Most read in Football
      While a second commented: “MetLife turf is an injury monster. Hope they install real grass or a different surface.”
      A third moaned: “Arghhhh. Thought Dallas would be the pick!”
      And a fourth said: “Wait until they see that turf.”
      Another added: “Have fun trying to get back to Manhattan after this game.”
      Some were more positive, however, with one saying: “If you think about it. The travel hub of nyc, and the public transportation system of NYC and Nj makes this the ideal choice to host a final.”
      And another posted: “East Coast fans rejoice.”
      The opening match of the tournament will be hosted by Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11.
      The iconic venue previously hosted World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986.
      Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca will host the opening game of the 2026 World Cup on June 11Credit: Alamy More