champions league

UEFA chiefs want to block clubs from playing domestic games abroad.

But they are powerless to prevent La Liga and Serie A chiefs heading out of Europe this season.

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In a measure that could stymy any long-term Prem plans to play matches out of the UK, Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin confirmed his deep personal opposition to the concept.

That is despite giving the green light for Barcelona to play Girona in Miami in December and Milan to face Como in Perth in February.

Uefa explained its ruling executive committee had “reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis” the requests from Spain and Italy, citing a lack of rules to prevent the games being switched.

But Euro chiefs pledged to work with Fifa to “uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities”. 

Ceferin said: “League matches should be played on home soil.

“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. 

“Our commitment is clear – to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”

Prem chief Richard Masters has emphasised his total opposition to the prospect of English games being played overseas.

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However, that policy could change if 14 of the 20 top flight clubs voted to explore the option.

Fan group Football Supporters Europe said: “We regret the decision to allow the requests but all 55 national associations have committed not to make further requests for domestic matches abroad without first consulting UEFA. 

“The onus is now on FIFA to plug this regulatory gap. We welcome UEFA’s commitment to work with FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions.”

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RASMUS HOJLUND pointed to the Champions League badge on his Napoli shirt before winning man of the match in Europe’s elite competition.

While the current Manchester United squad watched from their Cheshire sofas, Hojlund and two other Man Utd cast-offs collected individual awards on Wednesday night.

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United failed to qualify for Europe after losing last season’s Europa League final to Tottenham – but several of their former players proved the doubters wrong this week.

The Red Devils have endured another dismal start, with the club 14th in the Prem after six matches, following three defeats, two wins and a draw.

Hojlund, who was dropped from Ruben Amorim‘s squad after the arrival of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig at the start of the season, continued his impressive start to loan life in Naples.

The Denmark striker‘s two goals secured a 2-1 win over Amorim’s former side Sporting Lisbon at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Hojlund, who joined United for £72m, opened the scoring in the 36th minute after racing onto a through ball from Kevin De Bruyne before calmly slotting home.

After Sporting equalised in the second half from the penalty spot, De Bruyne’s cross again assisted Hojlund’s header to restore Napoli‘s lead.

Ex-City rival De Bruyne praised Hojlund by offering a comparison to his former team-mate Erling Haaland, who is arguably considered the best striker in the world.

De Bruyne, 34, said: “We deserved the win today. I was trying to get into that space for the first goal and was waiting for the right moment to pass it to Rasmus.

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“Luckily he did the rest. I think Rasmus is growing a lot and is very similar to Haaland. I think they are very similar because they both like to attack the depth.

“Maybe Hojlund comes to play the ball towards us more, but he needs to attack the space a lot because he can score and give us a big hand.”

Hojlund has now scored three in his first five matches for Antonio Conte’s side since signing an initial loan, which carries an obligation to buy for £38million.

The 22-year-old, who would often become emotional after scoring for United, said: “It was the night you dream of, playing in the Champions League.

“I celebrated touching the Napoli badge because I’m happy to play here and the Champions League badge because I love to score in Europe.”

Hojlund wasn’t the only United reject to shine on Wednesday night.

Anthony Elanga and former loanee Marcel Sabitzer also scooped player of the match awards.

Elanga has continued his rise since leaving Old Trafford for Nottingham Forest for £15m in 2023, with the winger earning a £55m move to Newcastle.

The Carrington graduate played a key role in the Toon’s first two goals in their 4-0 thrashing of Union Saint-Gilloise.

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His cross to Sandro Tonali led to Newcastle‘s first goal with the Italian’s shot flicked in by former United target Nick Woltemade, before he earned a penalty after being brought down by Fedde Leysen.

Marcus Rashford also continued his superb form for loan club Barcelona to take his goal contributions to six in six games.

The England star’s quick thinking low cross assisted Ferran Torres’s opener against holders Paris Saint-Germain in the 19th minute.

Despite PSG fighting back to win 2-1, with Senny Mayulu and Goncalo Ramos scoring for the French side, Rashford was a constant threat before coming off for Robert Lewandowski with 20 minutes to go.

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Sabitzer, who had a short injury-ravaged loan spell at United in 2023, picked up the gong as Borussia Dortmund earned a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Alejandro Garnacho, who started on Tuesday night, had played a big hand in Chelsea’s only goal of the game in their 1-0 win over Benfica at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, SunSport exclusively revealed that United could consider organising midweek friendlies for their players to get more match-playing time.

The pressure is growing on Amorim ahead of their clash against an in-form Sunderland outfit at Old Trafford on Saturday.

But United are unbeaten in their previous 23 Prem meetings with newly- promoted teams – if that run were to end this weekend, it might prove fatal for Amorim.

Man Utd’s transfer deals

IN

• Bryan Mbeumo – from Brentford – £71m
• Matheus Cunha – from Wolves – £62.5m
• Diego Leon – from Cerro Porteno – £7m
• Benjamin Sesko – from RB Leipzig – £74m
• Senne Lammens – from Royal Antwerp – £18m

TOTAL – £232.5m

OUT

• Alejandro Garnacho – to Chelsea – £40m
• Marcus Rashford – to Barcelona – Loan
• Victor Lindelof – released
• Christian Eriksen – released
• Toby Collyer – to West Brom – Loan

TOTAL – £40m

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ARSENAL continued their impressive start to the season with a professional 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Buakyo Saka at polar ends of the game ensured the Gunners made it two wins from two in Europe.

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Martinelli made the most of some fortune after just 12 minutes as he tapped in the ball following a rebound off the post which presented itself to him basically on the line.

The Greek visitors threatened to create their own odyssey in north London as they forced David Raya into an excellent save at full stretch.

But super sub Saka proved to be their Achilles’ heel as he squeezed a second goal through the legs of Konstantinos Tzolakis in injury time.

Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Gunners at the Emirates.

DAVID RAYA – 8/10

Another Champions League wonder save for the collection, tipping over brilliantly from Daniel Podence’s curled volley from 10 yards out in the first half.

Also made two lightning-fast reaction stops after the break. He barely has to do anything, but when called upon he never lets you down. Surely he needs to be considered one of Europe’s very best?

MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 7

Looked like a man with a point to prove and did so with a confident performance for a teenager who has been forced to watch from the sidelines for most of this term with Riccardo Calafiori preferred at left-back.

At 18, he already looks so at home on the European stage. Arteta will have a selection headache on his hands for this weekend.

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WILLIAM SALIBA – 6

Has been in the spotlight after signing a new five-year deal, but had a few nervy moments at the back letting long balls bounce, putting the back four under pressure.

Yet as he always does, the Frenchman recovered well.

GABRIEL – 6

Not troubled much but was almost caught out with a looping cross that saw Olympiacos level only to be saved by the offside flag.

BEN WHITE – 5

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Received a rollocking from Arteta when taking a throw-in about his positioning and movement on the ball, and the Englishman gave some back in a worrying exchange.

This was a chance to try and usurp Timber as Arteta’s first-choice right-back, but he just looks off the pace and is reliant on right-side pal Saka to look good in attack.

At this rate, White will not be winning back his starting jersey any time soon.

MARTIN ZUBIMENDI – 7

He may be small, and a pest, but his influence is mighty. There is a reason Arteta barely ever rests him.

Tough in the tackle, accurate on the ball and the middle-man between defence and attack, giving Odegaard license to roam and dictate wherever he pleases.

It’s been said before, but he will turn out to be one of Arteta’s most important signings in his Arsenal tenure.

MIKEL MERINO – 6

Some good moments on and off the ball, adding a bit of bite to midfield, but also some moments where his final pass or attacking intent could have been better.

MARTIN ODEGAARD – 9

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Has his zip back, constantly creating in dangerous areas and covering every blade of grass with a purpose.

So unlucky not to double Arsenal’s lead inside the final 10 minutes and then picked up an assist for Saka in stoppage time.

Some more minutes in the tank after his shoulder issues is good to see as Arteta tries to get him back to the form that saw him notch goals and assists for fun in recent years.

GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 8

After shining off the bench for the majority of the season – starting just three times so far – he got his chance from the off to prove he can be the main man.

It did not start brilliantly, nodding a header wide unmarked from a few yards out before finding the net with an even easier chance that came off the post.

LEANDRO TROSSARD – 7

Lively down the left. Looks to be enjoying getting more regular game time in an Arsenal shirt, and is becoming more and more useful to Arteta as he tries to rotate his talented squad much more than he usually does.

Wasted a few openings in the second half.

VIKTOR GYOKERES – 6

He continues to do the dirty work with little reward, bumping off two Olympiacos defenders and seeing his shot go through the keeper and onto the base of the post before Martinelli snatched the spoils.

Wasted several chances in front of goal but his link-up play has much improved since he first joined. The goals will surely start flowing soon…

SUBS:

DECLAN RICE (MERINO, 58) – 6

A few nice deliveries from set-pieces but booked for a silly studs-up challenge. Brought on purely to see out the win, and he did that comfortably.

JURRIEN TIMBER (WHITE, 58) – 6

One of Arteta’s most trusted players. Exudes calmness whenever he is on the pitch.

BUKAYO SAKA (TROSSARD, 72) – 8

An instant threat and his driving run and cross should have led to Arsenal’s second before doing just that with a drilled strike through the legs of the keeper

EBERECHI EZE (MARTINELLI, 72) – 6

A few nice touches, but also a few stray passes. Spent most of his time tracking back as Arsenal held on late into the game.

MOSQUERA (GABRIEL, 74) – 6

Was put under a lot of pressure with Olympiacos sending cross after cross into the box with time ticking away, but dealt with it well.

He needed that after his mistake at St James’ Park led to Newcastle taking the lead, and also led to him being hooked at half time.

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ATLETICO MADRID boss Diego Simeone has escaped with a one-match ban for his Anfield Champions League red card.

Argentine Simeone was dismissed in the aftermath of Virgil van Dijk‘s stoppage time winner for Liverpool, when he became embroiled in a row with home fans.

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A huge skirmish boiled over when a member of the Atletico staff was accused of spitting and squirting water at Liverpool fans.

But after studying the referee’s and match delegate’s report and video images, Simeone was handed a single game ban for “unsporting conduct”.

It means the former midfielder has been banished from the dressing room and touchline for tonight’s home game with Eintracht Frankfurt.

No action has been taken against the member of the coaching staff, with Uefa seemingly keen to put the matter to bed, although Liverpool were fined £3,500 for fans throwing objects onto the pitch during the game.

Simeone walked out of his post-match press conference in response to a question over whether the insults he had received had been either racist or referred to the 1982 Falklands War.

Before that, the Argentine claimed he had been subjected to “insults for the whole game”.

He said: “Firstly I regret the part I played.

“It’s clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react.

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“My reaction isn’t justifiable but do you know what it is like to be insulted for 90 minutes?

“I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I’m a person.”

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JOSE MOURINHO takes his Benfica side to Stamford Bridge for Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with former club Chelsea.

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LIVERPOOL could follow Chelsea by exploiting a Uefa loophole to add Federico Chiesa to their Champions League squad.

The Italian forward was snubbed from Arne Slot’s initial European group, with many fans describing the decision as “criminal.”

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Chiesa, 27, is a 51-time Italy international and highly popular among Anfield supporters.

But now, the winger could be set to feature in the Champions League after all.

Fellow Italian Giovanni Leoni made his debut in Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Southampton.

The defender joined Liverpool for £26million from Parma this summer.

But his first appearance ended badly after he was stretchered off with a serious injury.

And due to a new Uefa rule only brought in weeks ago, Liverpool are now allowed to replace Leoni in their continental squad.

It has opened the door for Chiesa to take his place, despite the stars playing in different positions.

Chelsea have already taken advantage of it, with Facundo Buonanotte replacing Dario Essugo.

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While in the Europa League, Nottingham Forest subbed out injured Ola Aina for Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Uefa stunned clubs with a surprise announcement this month, revealing it had agreed an “amendment” to registry regulations.

The governing body announced clubs will be allowed the “temporary” replacement of one outfield player “with a long-term injury or illness.”

Uefa added: “The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.”

It remains to be seen whether Slot decides to recall Chiesa though.

Young centre-back Rhys Williams was also left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad.

And he could get the nod if Slot feels his squad is light on defenders.

MANCHESTER UNITED fans are calling for a club legend to replace struggling manager Ruben Amorim at the helm.

This comes after the five-time Premier League champion made his punditry debut at Amazon Prime during the Champions League‘s opening week.

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That is none other than United hero Michael Carrick, who was joined by fellow club icons Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney, with whom he won the Champions League in 2008.

And Man Utd fans were left in awe with the ex-England international’s knowledge and insight while discussing tactics at the studio ahead of his other former club Tottenham‘s clash with Villarreal.

So much so that a number of the Red Devils’ faithful took to social media calling for minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to bring the former Middlesbrough manager to the Old Trafford hotseat.

One fan tweeted: “I want Carrick!”

Another commented: “Would give Carrick a run.”

A third wrote: “Give Carrick at a run at it. If he’s good give him a permanent.”

This fan said: “Why is Carrick doing punditry? He should be at home planning the filthy 4-2-3-1 he’s gonna cook up for us in a few weeks.”

That one posted: “Carrick such an intelligent and good pundit.”

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And another fan stated: “Michael Carrick doing punditry for Amazon, bring him to the club.”

This comes amid United‘s worst ever Premier League start which has seen Amorim’s men lose two of their first four matches, of which they barely won one.

This follows the Manchester giants’ worst ever Prem finish last season, which saw them sink to 15th place under the Portuguese tactician.

But club bosses are continuing to back the 40-year-old as it is still early in the season.

Nevertheless, Man Utd would have to pay the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss a huge severance fee if they sack him before November 1.

Amorim would be in line to pocket a whopping £12million if he is axed before the first anniversary of him taking the job.

The United head coach’s coaching staff would also be in line for a pay-off if Ratcliffe decided to pull the plug.

Goal Arsenal! – Leandro Trossard

CHELSEA have made a last-ditch change to their UEFA squad ahead of their game against Bayern Munich tomorrow. 

With a long-term injury to Dario Essugo, who is out for a minimum of 12 weeks with a thigh injury, the Blues have taken him down from their UEFA squad list on the UCL website.

The £18.5million midfielder had surgery after tearing a thigh muscle on international duty, in a major blow for Chelsea, who have now been left with a lack of cover for Moises Caicedo with Romeo Lavia also often injured. 

Essugo has been replaced by loan signing Facundo Buonanotte in the UEFA list on the official site, who started the 2-2 draw away at Brentford on Saturday night, impressing Enzo Maresca on his debut.

Previously, they wouldn’t have been able to make the change, but can do so thanks to a new UEFA rule which was brought into action last week. 

Buonanotte said when he signed: “It’s a great step in my career. I’ll get the opportunity to play in the Champions League for the first time, which will be a great challenge.”

So it was a shock when he was left off the UEFA A and B lists for Chelsea’s league phase fixtures, which begin in Bavaria on Wednesday, where they will face off against former striker Nicolas Jackson. 

In a shock move, Uefa’s ruling executive committee announced it had agreed an “amendment” to regulations for the three club competitions.

Under the new rules, clubs are now allowed to make a “temporary” replacement of one outfield player with a long-term injury or illness” up until the sixth competition match day in December – when the Conference League initial phase will end.

Uefa said: “The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.”

Chelsea have become the first team to take advantage of the rule, while Federico Chiesa and Mathys Tel of Liverpool and Spurs remain out of their respective squad lists. 

With a growing list of injured players at Stamford Bridge, which has already included Levi Colwill, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer this season, the Blues will be grateful to be able to call upon the likes of Facundo Buonanotte in the Champions League this season. 

NEWCASTLE UNITED supporters are fuming after 45 tickets for their clash with Barcelona were handed to a private school 184 miles away in DUNDEE.

The Magpies welcome the Spanish giants to St James’ Park next Thursday as they kick off their Champions League campaign in bumper fashion.

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Only a few lucky thousand managed to secure the hottest ticket in Toon as Newcastle United members entered the ballot in a huge scramble to try and secure a seat.

The membership, which costs £37 an adult and £20 a child each season, is a requirement in order to purchase tickets in ballots or queue sales.

Over 100,000 members were left disappointed as the final few tickets quickly sold out on Tuesday.

And that frustration turned to fury after it emerged 45 had somehow been given to the High School of Dundee, a private school in the Scottish city that costs pupils £20,606.40 a year to attend.

The shock news came to light in a social media post by the school offering a matchday trip by coach plus an overnight stay to students costing £295 per person.

Newcastle United Supporters Trust released a statement that said: “We have been inundated with messages regarding a school in Dundee being given 45 tickets for the Barcelona fixture.

“With >100k in today’s member sale queue and countless tickets on 3rd party sites at vastly inflated prices, we completely understand the ongoing frustration from our members and the wider fanbase.

“We have sent this to the club and continue to push for a response.”

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Uefa also have a ticket allocation and their partners also have entitlements to tickets in the Champions League and the governing bodies’ other competitions.

Newcastle are yet to comment but SunSport understands the source of the school’s tickets is being looked into.

SunSport has contacted the High School of Dundee for comment.

Newcastle return to action in the Premier League on Saturday when they host Wolves.

THE best teams in Europe are set to go head-to-head once again as the Champions League returns for another thrilling season.

PSG are the current kings of the continent after thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Munich final last term.

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The French giants are among the favourites for the trophy once again, as are Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Six Premier League teams have earned the right to mix it with the big boys in the Champions League this season.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea and Europa League winners Tottenham will all be in the draw for the league phase.

The Gunners went the furthest of the English sides competing in Europe’s elite club competition last term.

Mikel Arteta‘s men reached the semi-finals, losing 3-1 on aggregate to eventual winners PSG.

English sides will be looking to stop the rot after failing to make an appearance in the Champions League final in back-to-back seasons.

First up is the league phase, and SunSport brings you the all-important details ahead of the draw.

When is the Champions League draw?

• The draw for the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League will take place on Thursday, August 28.
• The show will begin at 5pm BST.
• Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum will stage the draw.

How to watch the Champions League draw FREE

• The Champions League draw will be broadcast live on Uefa.com.
• TNT Sports 1 will also air the draw on regular TV.
• The broadcaster will also provide a FREE live stream via the TNT Sports YouTube channel.
• Alternatively, you can discover all the confirmed ties by following SunSport’s live blog of the draw.

How does the Champions League league phase draw work?

Like last year, the league phase has 36 teams from across Europe competing, with each side handed eight games.

The 36 clubs are split into four pots based on their Uefa coefficient, with the opponents generated by automated software.

Starting with Pot 1, one physical ball will be drawn before the automated software randomly draws two opponents from each pot, one home and one away.

Teams cannot face more than two opponents from the same country and are not permitted to face other sides from the same association as theirs.

The top eight teams in the final table will automatically go through to the last 16.

They will then be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides who were placed ninth to 24th in the table.

Champions League draw pots

Pot 1: PSG, Real Madrid, Man City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona

Pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge

JOHN TERRY was the epitome of Chelsea’s golden era under Roman Abramovich.

The most successful captain in the club’s history now thinks the Blues are ready to challenge under new ownership.

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For all the chopping and changing at Stamford Bridge, Terry — who mentors players in the academy — can see a bright future after a summer of success.

Eight months ago, boss Enzo Maresca was shooting down suggestions of a title challenge.

Six months ago, the fans were chanting angrily towards their manager that they wanted “their Chelsea back”.

Since then, Todd Boehly’s Blues have claimed a Champions League place, won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.

And JT – who has exclusively revealed he’s made a decision about his own future in the game – does not think Maresca will talk down their title hopes any more.

The Chelsea legend, 44, told SunSport: “I really liked the honesty from the manager because the message is clear to the players. We’re not there yet.

“If you’re the manager now coming into that dressing room and you’re going, ‘We’ve got a chance this year’, the players will think we’ve got a chance. This year I think his message will be different.

“He was spot on because we were young, it was a little bit up and down last year. At the moment, we’re clearly building and moving in the right direction.

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“I’m not sitting here saying I want to wait five years to win another Premier League. We’ve got to go into it 100 per cent with the mindset of going, ‘Yes, we have to try to win the league this year’.

“Without a shadow of a doubt. But there’s other big competitions as well.

“You fight right to the end until it’s not possible. The Premier League was done last season, Liverpool were very good last year and rightly the winners. We have to compete for that again.”

Key to success will be whether or not the fledgling leaders within Maresca’s squad can find another level.

Reece James, 25, was called out by his manager last season for not doing enough as a captain but has stepped up since.

Centre-back Levi Colwill looked to be following in Terry’s footsteps at the back before his cruel ACL injury last week.

And Chelsea’s 15-time trophy-winning former skipper has long been impressed by Enzo Fernandez.

But James staying fit and leading on the pitch will be vital after missing months at a time with hamstring, knee and thigh problems.

Chelsea’s transfer deals

IN

• Joao Pedro – from Brighton – £60m
• Jamie Gittens – from Dortmund – £52m
• Jorell Hato – from Ajax – £37m
• Liam Delap – from Ipswich – £30m
• Estevao – from Palmeiras – £29m
• Dario Essugo – from Sporting Lisbon – £18.5m
• Kendry Paez – from Independiente – £17.5m
• Mamadou Sarr – from Strasbourg – £12.5m

TOTAL – £256.5m

OUT

• Noni Madueke – to Arsenal – £52m
• Joao Felix – to Al-Nassr – £44m
• Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – to Everton – £28m
• Djordje Petrovic – to Bournemouth – £25m
• Lesley Ugochukwu – to Burnley – £25m
• Bashir Humphreys – to Burnley – £15m
• Mathis Amougou – to Strasbourg – £12.5m
• Kepa Arrizabalaga – to Arsenal – £5m
• Marcus Bettinelli – to Man City – £5m

TOTAL – £183.5m

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Terry added: “For Reece, concentrate on staying fit and having a fully-fit season for him is the most important thing. He can make such a difference.

“We’ve seen the quality. When Reece is at it, he is the world’s best right-back.

“When you’ve picked up a couple of injuries like Reece has had, it’s difficult to really feel like you belong.

“So when you start demanding from people around you, when you’re the one not playing, that’s also very difficult.

“When you’re in the starting line-up week in, week out, it’s easy to command and run the dressing room — and the standards of the football club.”

Terry made more than 500 appearances as captain and says boss Jose Mourinho always demanded his skipper be robust and a regular.

JT said: “You need to be robust. You need to understand that you can push through little injuries, niggles, and you can kind of come out the other side of it.

“You need to manage your body throughout the week and all of that.”

As well as mentoring players in the Under-18s and U21s, Terry stops in to catch up and offer support to players such as James and Colwill.

He even spoke to the pair of defenders before this interview.

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Terry added: “We talk generally about football and some situations — but it’s super relaxed.

“Out of pure respect, I don’t get too involved because I fully respect the  manager and his role.

“I would never want to say something that goes against what he’s saying to those players.

“But the boys know I’m always there if they need me.

“Not just the defenders but the ones that have just arrived. Always here to help. That’s my role as someone who has been at Chelsea for so long and the club means the world to me.”

And that is the clubman role he wants some of his academy predecessors to take up.

Terry said: “You’ve got Reece and there’s a few other boys that really live and breathe Chelsea.

“But the boys that come in and really buy into the club, this is where the importance of Reece, Levi and the academy graduates really play an important role.

“This is how we do it. This is what we do at Chelsea. We win football trophies and we win cups on a regular basis.

“All the top clubs have that. Man United have that, Liverpool have that, Arsenal. Spurs not so much . . . 

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“But all the big football clubs have that — they find a way to win.

“So in terms of where we were last year . . . a little bit inexperienced. Thiago Silva left and all of that. But the team managed to find a way to win.”

Terry also believes recent successes will be transformative for the Blues.

While the Conference League would have been scoffed at during Terry’s era had it existed, now it is viewed as a stepping stone within the camp.

He said: “It gives you belief, back when we won our first one, the 2004-05 Carling Cup at Cardiff, it gives you belief that it can be done within the squad.

“When you’re a young group, it ripples throughout the whole squad of players.”

If this group can match what Terry and his team-mates did after that Carling Cup win 20 years ago, the Blues will be in for one hell of a ride once more.

John Terry is an investor in and ambassador for LEBOM —  the low-stakes football betting app where It’s You vs Your Mates. 18+ BeGambleAware

VIKTOR GYOKERES is wearing the No14 shirt made famous by Thierry Henry and the Swede is also looking to become an Arsenal legend.

Unfortunately for the club’s big summer signing, he had just 14 touches on his Emirates debut before being replaced in the 62nd minute, so this will not be a night he looks back with fondness.

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Not that it really matters, obviously.

If Viktor Gyokeres fires the goals to end Arsenal’s role as permanent Premier League bridesmaids to clinch the title, and there is no reason why he cannot, the Swede will be forgiven if he takes time to adjust in north London.

On the night all eyes were on the new arrival from Sporting Lisbon, absolutely no-one had taken any notice of Villarreal’s Nicolas Pepe.

So while we all expected an expensive signing by Arsenal to score, you would not have had any money on it being £72m Arsenal flop Pepe.

Villarreal’s Ivory Coast international scored the first goal and Karl Etta Eyong made it 2-0 before new arrival Christian Norgaard scored with a header.

Yet while we have spent the last few weeks talking about the need of a top striker, Mikel Arteta’s team will have to defend better than this, and sub Arnaut Danjuma made it 3-1 before Martin Odegaard pulled one back from the penalty spot.

Villarreal then won a penalty shoot-out 4-3 with another new arrival, Noni Madueke, missing the decisive spot-kick.

Gyokeres, who cost £8.5million less than Pepe, made his club debut as a 77th minute substitute against Spurs in Hong Kong but was given a heroes’ welcome at a packed Emirates.

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If Arsenal are to get the best out of their new all-singing, all-dancing goal machine, they will have to give him more ammunition.

Equally, Gyokeres did not have a proper pre-season as he barely trained in Lisbon.

He will soon be in better shape and has another run-out on Saturday against Athletic Bilbao.

Gyokeres tried to score his first goal in spectacular style but failed to connect with an attempted bicycle kick from Bukayo Saka’s cross and he had few other chances.

In terms of the way he moves and the fact has blonde hair, it was a bit like having Nicklas Bendtner back at the Emirates although it is safe to say Gyokeres will do a bit better than the cocky Dane.

Arteta also gave second half Emirates debuts to Christhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Madueke. 

Yet the comedy moment of the night was Pepe opening the scoring from close range and then refusing to celebrate.

Pepe arrived from Lille for that massive amount in 2019 and scored just 27 goals in 112 appearances before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in 2023.

Many Arsenal fans probably did not realise that Pepe was even playing in this fixture although there was a mixture of jeers and applause when his name was read out after scoring.

Etta Eyong scored at the far post for 2-0 before former Brentford captain Norgaard pulled one back with a far post header before the break.

The biggest roar of the night came just after the hour when 15-year-old Max Dowman was unleashed.

Villarreal caught Arsenal on the break with former Bournemouth forward Danjuma making it 3-1 before Dowman won a penalty and Odegaard, who replaced Gyokeres, got Arsenal’s second.

There was still a shoot-out although Madueke saw his shot saved with one fan shouting: “send him back to Chelsea.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal – yet again – have fitness concerns.

Both defender Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered an injury on the tour, along with Kai Havertz, were missing from the squad.

Laura Woods is one of the most recognisable faces on TV when it comes to football presenting

The Women’s Euro 2025 has officially kicked off, with an exciting tournament expected as the Lionesses strive to retain their European Champions title.

Wales have also made their first appearance in the competition, having qualified for the first time.

The tournament got underway on Wednesday, July 2, at the Arena Thun stadium and will host 34 matches before a champion is crowned.

England and Wales will join 14 other nations in the quest to lift the trophy on July 27.

The final will be held at St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, Switzerland, conveniently located near the Eurovision final venue.

ITV has announced Laura Woods as part of its punditry team, following her successful stint covering major sporting events on the channel.

The 36 year old, originally from Dagenham in London, is also well-known for hosting talkSPORT’s breakfast show, where she formed a brilliant partnership with co-presenter Ally McCoist, reports Lancs Live.

Laura commanded the 6am-10am breakfast slot on talkSPORT for three years, during which she garnered several awards, including the esteemed ARIAS Best Speech Breakfast Show and the SJA Sports Presenter of the Year twice.

In July 2023, Laura revealed she was leaving talkSPORT to take up the role of lead presenter for TNT Sports’ Champions League and boxing coverage. She also covered the Olympics and some Premier League matches.

Laura embarked on her television career in 2009, beginning as a runner at Sky Sports before working her way through numerous positions within sports broadcasting.

She has now established herself as one of the most familiar figures in English football presentation, progressing through the ranks at Sky Sports to secure prominent roles as both presenter and touchline reporter for their Premier League coverage.

Laura’s expertise eventually led her beyond Sky Sports as demand for her presenting talents grew. She joined DAZN to front Women’s Champions League and Matchroom boxing coverage, whilst also spearheading ITV’s Women’s World Cup presentation.

Despite her passionate Arsenal allegiance, Laura was drawn to TNT Sports’ fan-focused philosophy.

Discussing her excitement about the position, she revealed: “I think the thing that sold me the most was they want to be near the fans, they want to be by the fans. And I think for me as a presenter, what I’ve really enjoyed is that rough and ready presenting. Going to the ground, being amongst the fans – it’s different, isn’t it? You can’t replicate it in a studio.”

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The Lionesses are among the favourites to win this summer’s Women’s Euros and the new official kit is out now. Fans can snag home, away and a new goalkeeper shirts in time for the tournament.

Laura’s family life

Away from the cameras, Laura and former Love Island star Adam Collard welcomed their first child together, son Leo Ernie Collard, in January 2025.

The pair went public with their romance in October 2023 before becoming engaged twelve months later in St Ives, Cornwall – described as the “place they fell in love”.

Last summer, Laura made the personal choice to keep her pregnancy under wraps while covering Euro 2024 for ITV, despite being in the know.

Speaking to The Times, she confessed: “It was constant, the morning sickness was quite difficult to battle and I was exhausted all the time.

“It didn’t matter how much sleep you actually got, you’d still be knackered. At least there were rest days when I was able to just chill out in my [hotel] room.

“I would have liked to keep it quiet for a little bit longer but I really felt like I couldn’t any more and now I’ve done it it’s a relief.”

Laura Woods’ rugby ex

Before finding love with her current partner Adam, Laura had a long-standing relationship with Alex Corbisiero, an ex-England rugby star known for his participation in the triumphant 2013 Lions tour of Australia.

The duo ended their eight-year romance, with Laura indicating that they were too close for comfort, leading to her decision to part ways.

Alex, who has celebrated Premiership glory, bravely battled testicular cancer diagnosed in 2019 and joyfully shared his two-year cancer-free milestone on social media in 2022.

He is currently imparting his expertise as a scrum coach for San Diego Legion and contributes to rugby broadcasting stateside.

CHELSEA continue their pursuit of the Club World Cup as they take on ES Tunis.

Enzo Maresca’s side are now facing a horror draw after their shock 3-1 defeat to Flamengo in which Nicolas Jackson was shown a red card – just four minutes after coming on as a sub.

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ES Tunis qualified for the CWC via the Confederations of African Football rankings, after Al Ahly won the CAF Champions League three times in the qualifying period.

They could even secure themselves a shock knockout spot with an upset win against the Blues.

A stunning win over LAFC has them level on points with Chelsea in Group D.

The Blues qualified after their Champions League win in 2021 – and for the first time in the competition, will not come up against a member of the 2021 winning squad.

Club World Cup 2025 Guide

SOME of the world’s biggest clubs are in action at this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States!

Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13.

The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane are showcasing their skills to packed crowds across the US.

Watch EVERY match of the Club World Cup 2025 on DAZN

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How to watch ES Tunis vs Chelsea for FREE

• Chelsea will take on ES Tunis LIVE for FREE on the DAZN app.
• DAZN will cover the entire Club World Cup for FREE.
• Users need to register for a free account with an email address and can then live stream every match.
• The Blues clash against ES Tunis will take place on Wednesday, June 25 at 2am BST.
• SunSport will live blog all the action as it happens.

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Watch EVERY match of the Club World Cup 2025 live on DAZN

Are there still tickets available for ES Tunis vs Chelsea?

Tickets are still available for Chelsea’s clash against ES Tunis in the Club World Cup group stage.

*Please note that TicketMaster and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.

ZINEDINE Zidane rejected a blank cheque to join Manchester United as manager, according to his old team-mate.

Former Chelsea centre-back Marcel Desailly is adamant that Zidane is NOT driven by cash.

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Zidane has been approached by some of the biggest clubs in the world since quitting Real Madrid after failing to win a trophy in 2021.

The World Cup icon was heavily linked with a move to Man Utd before, during and after Erik ten Hag‘s rollercoaster two years.

One of the reasons he supposedly turned Old Trafford chiefs down was becasue he didn’t feel confident speaking English.

A few years on and ahead of the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup, Zizou was offered an eye-watering £84million to commit to a one-year contract at Saudi Pro League runners-up Al-Hilal.

And his former team-mate Desailiy has revealed how difficult it is for club’s to persuade him to join, and where he’s likely to go next.

Desailly said: “Will Zinedine Zidane be tempted by Saudi Arabia?

“Well he had a blank cheque on the table from Chelsea and a blank cheque from Manchester United and turned them down.

“He isn’t in it for the money. I don’t see why money will change anything, I know privately that he won’t change his lifestyle.

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“He likes to travel and always keeps an eye on the France national team. He’s ready because Didier Deschamps has started the transition.

“France will be one of the favourites for the World Cup and win or lose it’s not the end of this era for France.”

Zidane is the only manager in the world to have won a staggering three Champions League titles in a row during his first spell with Real.

And he followed that up by lifting two LaLiga titles during his second stint, having only managed the Spanish giants.

Desailiy believes that Zidane is most attracted to the France job because they have a new generation of superstars, including Champions League hero Desire Doue.

He added: Since 2016, France have been growing and growing. New players have come into the team constantly and now they have the right guys.

“Rayan Cherki is one of them alongside Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe is still there and on top of his game.

“There is a real dynamic. William Saliba is in defence with Ibrahima Konate, Bayern have Dayot Upamecano.

“There is a squad and a philosophy and Zidane will know how to take that on to rebuild his own team. For another eight years at least France will be at the top level in Europe.”

Zidane made a £4MILLION investment into a new sport project in February, which turned out to be a new padel centre in France.

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Zidane’s managerial career

Zizou spent 18 months in charge of Real Madrid Castilla before being given his shot at the big time following the sacking of Rafael Benitez.

Zidane, 51, took charge of the first team in January 2016 and guided them to a second-place finish in his maiden season at the Bernabeu helm.

But he went one better in the Champions League, sealing Real’s 11th European Cup triumph with a shootout victory over Atletico Madrid.

The former Los Blancos star went one better in the league in the 2016-17 season, in which they also won the Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup.

A second successive Champions League triumph also followed, with Real beating Italian giants Juventus at the Principality Stadium.

He would create history the following season by becoming the first manager to win the tournament three times on the bounce.

A 3-1 win over Liverpool saw Real become the first team to win Europe’s elite club competition three times in a row.

Zidane announced his resignation five days after the final, insisting the club needed a “change” of direction.

He would return to the Bernabeu in March 2019 following Santiago Solari and Julen Lopetegui’s short reigns.

A return to the summit of Spanish football would follow in the 2019-20 season, in which Real also scooped the Spanish Super Cup.

Zidane would leave the Bernabeu again in June 2021 after overseeing Real’s first trophyless season in 11 years.

Zinedine Zidane’s Honours:

– La Liga: 2016–17, 2019–20
– Supercopa de España: 2017, 2019–20
– UEFA Champions League: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
– UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017
– FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

IN the wee small hours of Sunday at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Paris Saint-Germain’s players were celebrating the greatest achievement of their lives.

They had ended the 14-year quest of their Qatari overlords to win the Champions League, having inflicted on Inter Milan the most comprehensive humping in the history of European Cup finals.

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But if Luis Enrique and his side had wanted to put their feet up and bask in this ultimate glory, then they were sadly mistaken.

Almost immediately after their 5-0 win, Enrique and his stars would be peppered with questions about their prospects at the Club World Cup — a 32-team, month-long tournament designed to carpet-bomb TV schedules with even more football, starting on Sunday week.

Does the Club World Cup now represent ultimate glory, rather than the Champions League?

Is that, in the words of Finchy in The Office, ‘the real quiz’?

Because football — even in the odd-numbered summers which used to give us a brief respite from the thing — must never, ever rest.

And so next week, PSG will go to America, where they will play the Urawa Red Diamonds, The Last Shadow Puppets and the Seattle Sounders — only one of which is really the name of an English band.

And on Sunday week, Bayern Munich will play Auckland City in Cincinnati.

And they WILL play.

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And there is nothing we can do to stop them playing. Even though we already know Bayern Munich are significantly better than Auckland City.

And Harry Kane will play. Even though his body is creaking.

Even though he hasn’t had a proper rest in years. Even though he surely can’t think of anything worse than having to play Auckland City.

Because Fifa are offering $1BILLION in prize money.

And two days later, you can watch in HD as Ulsan HD of South Korea play Mamelodi Sundowns, who are possibly an indie band who have  an afternoon slot on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, or might be a football team from Pretoria in South Africa

Because in football there must be no sundown. Only the Mamelodi Sundowns.

And Manchester City and Chelsea will be there too, due to some  convoluted Uefa qualification system which it’s best not to ask about.

And Inter Miami will be there — not because of any system but because they employ Lionel Messi, who turns 38 this month and must be tired but must never, ever rest.

And the whole thing will go on for every bit as long as an actual World Cup, with countries, used to go on for.

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Although not as long as next year’s actual World Cup, which will have 48 nations and 104 matches in it and will go on for even longer.

Oh and there will still be a third-place play-off.

Because what else would we do with ourselves on Saturday July 18, 2026, if we couldn’t watch another game of football between two utterly deflated, exhausted teams?

Manchester United didn’t qualify for the Club World Cup.

But that doesn’t matter because, after the worst season in their modern history, United’s players travelled 14,000 miles to play post-season friendlies in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong so that the club could fulfil £10million worth of sponsorship commitments.

And yes ‘net zero’ is supposed to be an environmental policy rather than United’s goalscoring output against the ASEAN All-Stars. During the half-time interval of that 1-0 defeat in Malaysia, Andre Onana, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot were substituted so they could board a private jet to Mumbai to  promote Apollo tyres.

Because people in Mumbai will choose Apollo tyres if an error-prone Cameroonian goalkeeper tells them to.

And Michelin and Bridgestone and Pirelli won’t get a look in, just so long as Dalot presses home Apollo’s core messages, which are ‘Going The Distance’ and ‘Conquer Every Road’.

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While Maguire was flying to India, to tell people that ‘the journey is as important as the destination’, Amad Diallo was still in Malaysia, where he was giving the middle finger to a fan who had apparently abused his mother.

And then issuing a social-media apology, in which he said he didn’t actually regret giving the finger.

Because it isn’t enough that Amad’s mother is abused during the football season.

She needs to be abused during the close season as well.
And her son needs to retaliate.

Because there needs to be online content and, if the internet never sleeps, then why should football sleep, along with its content-creating by-product, the abuse of really tired footballers?

Last year, Tottenham and Newcastle made a 21,000-mile round trip to Melbourne to play each other, six weeks after they had previously done so. And the Toon won on penalties.

But is that really enough, when these footballers travelled in first-class luxury and stayed in excellent hotels?

The BBC’s Race Across The World is an extraordinarily successful TV show because contestants must travel on overnight buses and then muck out animals to raise extra cash.

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Why shouldn’t footballers do the same on post-season and pre-season tours? Wouldn’t that provide better content?

This Saturday, England will play a competitive match against Andorra, which won’t be competitive.

And next Tuesday, England will play Senegal, when they won’t really be England because so many of their players will be heading to the Club World Cup.

But it’s not as if we’d have to wait long for football without this new thing.

Next month, there will be a North London Derby in Hong Kong and Bournemouth will play Everton at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, the venue for next summer’s World Cup final.

Because why wouldn’t we want to watch Bournemouth play Everton in July — even if, when the fixtures come out in a fortnight, we might find out that they are playing each other in August?

The thing is, Bournemouth versus Everton has been far too parochial until now.

When Bournemouth are at home, only 11,000 people get in to watch it.

What about the blue-collar workers of New Jersey, the people Bruce Springsteen writes ballads about?

Don’t they deserve their fix of Bournemouth versus Everton, instead of just shotgun, teenage weddings and dreaming about escaping from small towns on motorbikes, kind of stuff?

And the answer is, yes, they do deserve Bournemouth versus Everton. Just like you deserve Red Bull Salzburg, the second best team in Austria, versus CF Pachuca, the eighth best team in Mexico.

That one’s on Wednesday June 18 at 11pm. Followed by Al-Ain versus Juventus at 2am.

Eyes down, look in. We’ll sleep when we’re dead.

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THIS is the awkward moment UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov refused to shake the hand of CBS Sports presenter Kate Abdo.

Abdo was working for the broadcaster alongside the terrible trio of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards for the Champions League final in Munich.

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The match ended in a record-breaking defeat as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.

The quartet was joined by special guests Khabib Nurmagomedov, and streamer IShowSpeed immediately after the final whistle.

Nurmagomedov embraced each member of the crew before Abdo, 43, held out her hand in a greeting.

However, the unbeaten UFC star declined the offer by holding his hand on his chest instead, with Abdo quickly reclining it and offering an apology as she welcomed him to the show.

The reason for this is due to the 36-year-old’s religious beliefs as a devout Sunni Muslim.

In Islam, it is a forbidden to touch a member of the opposite sex that they are not related to.

A similar incident occurred back in 2020 with fellow MMA fighter Cynthia Calvillo, who revealed that Nurmagomedov refused to directly train with her.

She explained to theScore: “It’s a little bit weird because of their religion… they won’t train with women.

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“(Khabib) is still showing technique and stuff like that. So I still get to watch it.

“But it doesn’t bother me … because they’re not really being directly rude to me.”

Fans on social media praised Abdo’s response to the awkward exchange with the Dagestani native.

One user said: “Mad respect to Kate for understanding afterwards and issuing an apology.”

Another said: “Massive respect to Kate for understanding Khabib’s decision and not making a fuss of it in front of other pundits.”

A third added: “Love how Khabib respectfully declined Kate’s handshake and she respected his approach. Love that from both of them.”

Once that hurdle was cleared, Abdo asked the retired UFC fighter who he was supporting tonight, revealing he was there in support of PSG – despite him previously describing himself as a Real Madrid fan.

In another crossover that nobody would have had on their Champions League bingo card, IShowSpeed was playfully confronted by Nurmagomedov about them possibly having a race or fight.

Carragher, who hilariously tried resorting to cheating when he lost a race against Speed – real name Darren Hawkins – asked Nurmagomedov: “Do you think you could beat Speed in a fight or a race?”

Nurmagomedov said he would be humble and conceded that Speed had the better of him in running, but declared he could easily outdo him in football IQ, before joking: “Don’t forget, between us there is nobody right now.”

Abdo then suggested that Richards, ever the brunt of a few jokes on the show, was the “arm wrestling champion” of CBS.

However, before the presenter – who married boxer Malik Scott last year – could finish her sentence, the ex-England international said: “No thank you.”

Before the match itself, Abdo was subbed out of presenting duties by colleague Anita Nneka Jones, joking she had “other friends waiting for me tonight”.

As Henry, Richards and Carragher groaned, Abdo pointed at Jones and added: “Look who’s coming!”

Carra shouted “Anita!” before screaming as footage showed Abdo’s pals David Beckham and Tom Cruise hanging out the Allianz Arena.

Abdo then waved as she walked off set, adding: “Bye, bye, bye.”

Richards asked “Is it a substitution then?” – with Abdo pausing.

The former Manchester City star then guffawed as Peter Schmeichel held the fourth official’s board to announce the substitution.

Richards turned to Jones and bellowed: “Finally some real funny in the studio.”

FORMER PSG star Kylian Mbappe has broken his silence after the Parisian giants made history in Munich.

Luis Enrique’s side thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday night to secure a first-ever Champions League crown.

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Mbappe spent six years with PSG as the club tried in vain to end its European hoodoo.

The 26-year-old was a beaten finalist in 2020 when Bayern Munich broke French hearts.

Mbappe left for Real Madrid last summer after his contract expired in Paris.

And he sent a gracious message to his former employers as they beat him to a maiden Champions League title.

Taking to Instagram, Mbappe told his 124 million followers: “The big day has finally arrived.

“Victory – and in style – for an entire club. Congratulations @psg.”

Mbappe’s exit from Paris was soured by a spat over unpaid wages.

The forward made a claim of £46.5million against his former club, believing he was owed a signing bonus, his final three months’ salary and an “ethical” payment.

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Enrique was asked about Mbappe following his team’s history-making win on Saturday.

The Spaniard replied: “We would have loved to have him, but his decision was different.”

He then added: “We’ve shown that we have stars at the service of the team, and not the other way around.”

The win was Enrique’s second Champions League triumph after leading Barcelona to glory 10 years ago.

He used the moment to pay tribute to youngest daughter Xana, who tragically died in 2019 at the age of nine from bone cancer.

Champions League final REACTION – PSG 5-0 Inter

Following his blockbuster move last summer, Mbappe has hit the ground running at the Bernabeu.

He scored 42 goals in 55 games across all competitions this term.

But Los Blancos went trophyless, missing out on LaLiga to rivals Barcelona and crashing out of the CL at the quarter final stage to Arsenal.

MUNICH — Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League winner.

At long last the club that was transformed by Qatari billions and bought and sold a succession of the world’s greatest players in an extravagant bid to get to the top has its hands on the big one.

European club soccer’s grandest prize has a new home after PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Saturday’s final in Munich.

The trophy that not even Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe could deliver to the French club was finally claimed by Luis Enrique, the Spanish coach who has overseen PSG’s shift from the era of galactico signings to one of genuine team-building.

Fitting then that Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old French forward emblematic of the club’s new generation, was the chief inspiration on a balmy night. He became the third teenager to score in a Champions League final, following Patrick Kluivert and Carlos Alberto.

Doué scored twice and set up another goal in little over an hour on the field before being substituted in the second half.

Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and substitute Senny Mayulu, the fourth teenager to ever score in a final added to Doue’s double as PSG recorded the biggest win in a final in the Champions League’s 69-year history.

Now PSG can truly sit alongside the royalty of European soccer. Not by virtue of turnover or merchandizing, but on the merits of its achievements on the field.

The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent’s elite clubs and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short.

That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG’s crowning moment. Not least because it was against Bayern that it lost its only other Champions League final in 2020, leaving Neymar in tears in an empty stadium in Lisbon where fans were locked out because of the pandemic.

On this occasion, thousands of PSG supporters were there to revel in the moment, waving flags, lighting flares and drowning out their rivals from Inter, many of whose supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle.

They’d been partying in the streets of Munich throughout the day, but that was nothing compared to the scenes of joy when Marquinhos held the trophy aloft in front of teammates, with fireworks and golden confetti exploding behind them.

PSG truly delivered when it mattered after so many setbacks in this competition. If there were any nerves from Luis Enrique’s players it did not show as they dominated Inter from the start.

It took just 12 minutes for the French champion to go ahead with a move of speed and precision when Vitinha’s threaded pass into the box found the feet of Doué. The forward could have shot, but instead slid in Hakimi to tap into an open net.

Former Inter player Hakimi’s celebrations were muted but PSG’s fans erupted.

Eight minutes later and the lead was doubled — though this time it relied more on luck than precision as Doué’s shot from the right of the box deflected off Federico Dimarco and past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

He got his second in the 63rd, sliding the ball into the bottom corner when through on goal.

Kvaratskhelia added a fourth 10 minutes later and Mayulu then found the back of the net in the 86th, just two minutes after coming on to add his name to the list of teenage scorers in a final.