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Germany legend Andreas Brehme has passed away at the age of 63 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

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Brehme died in Munich hospital on Monday nightPartner confirms his passingTributes pour in for Germany legendWHAT HAPPENED?

As per , Brehme's partner Susanne Schaefer confirmed his death in a statement, which reads: "It is with deep sadness that I announce on behalf of the family that my partner Andreas Brehme died suddenly and unexpectedly tonight as a result of a cardiac arrest. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time and refrain from asking questions."

The report adds that Brehme was admitted to Ziemssenstrasse Hospital near his apartment in Munich after suffering the heart attack on Monday night, but he couldn't be saved.

AdvertisementBREHME'S LEGACY

Brehme, who is survived by Schaefer and his two adult sons from his marriage to Pilar Martinez, won 86 caps for Germany and played for Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan at club level. During his decade-long international career, the defender featured in three World Cups, and famously scored the winning goal in the final of the 1990 tournament against Argentina.

As a modern full-back who never hesitated to push forward, Brehme was a popular figure among supporters and boasted an impressive goal record for a defender. He also won two Bundesliga titles during his time in the German top-flight, and earned a Serie A winners' medal with Inter before going on to play for Real Zaragoza. Brehme eventually retired in 1998 after a second spell at Kaiserslautern.

CLUB TRIBUTES

Tributes started pouring in for Brehme on Tuesday morning, with Bayern among the clubs to pay their respects to their beloved former player. "FC Bayern is deeply shocked by the sudden death of Andreas Brehme," the club said in a statement. "The German record champion is united in mourning with his relatives and friends. We will always keep Andreas Brehme in our hearts – as a world champion and even more so as a very special person. He will always be part of the FC Bayern family. Rest in peace, dear Andi!"

Kaiserslautern said in their own statement: "The FCK mourns the loss of Andreas Brehme. He wore the Red Devils jersey for a total of ten years and became German champion and cup winner with FCK. In 1990 he shot the German national team to the World Cup title with his penalty and finally became a football legend. The FCK family is deeply saddened and its thoughts are with Andi Brehme's relatives and friends. We will honour his memory."

Inter also said goodbye to Brehme in a post on social media, which reads: "A magnificent player, a true Interista. Ciao Andy, forever a legend ⚫️🔵"

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GettyA TRUE LEGEND OF THE GAME

Brehme's death comes just over a month after the passing of another Germany icon in Franz Beckenbauer. says Brehme was "deeply affected" by the loss of Beckenbauer, who coached him for the German national team. After hanging up his boots, Brehme moved into coaching himself, taking charge at Kaiserslautern and Unterhaching before spending a year at Stuttgart in an assistant role.

Lothar Matthaus famously described Brehme as the most talented footballer he played with, and he will forever be remembered for the lasting impact he made on the game.

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Watson made his first start since October in his side’s 3-1 win against Wigan Athletic at The City Ground last weekend, and his future prospects are certainly looking much brighter under Martin O’Neill than they were just few weeks ago.

On the chalkboard

Well, despite finishing the 2017/18 campaign in fine form and often captaining the Reds in the early stages of the current Championship season, the 33-year-old fell out of favour under previous manager Aitor Karanka following the 2-1 home defeat by Norwich City on October 20.

The midfielder suddenly found himself behind the likes of Adlene Guedioura, Claudio Yacob and Jack Colback in the central midfield pecking order, and on nine occasions between October and January he didn’t even make the substitutes’ bench for Forest in the league.

That changed following the arrival of O’Neill as Karanka’s successor however, and while he was an unused member of the 18-man squad against Bristol City he was reinstated to the starting XI and even named as skipper against the Latics last time out.

Does he have a big role to play now?

He does, but only one condition.

In the 4-4-2 system that O’Neill employed in his first match at The City Ground there should be no spot for the 33-year-old, as he no longer has the legs and box-to-box ambitions to only have one teammate alongside him.

It is no coincidence that Watson impressed as part of a midfield trio in a 4-3-3 against his former club last Saturday however, and while he did his job defensively well he could also advance forward too, knowing that he potentially had two players that would cover him if needed.

Watson looked destined for the exit door either this month or in the summer had Karanka remained with the east Midlands outfit, but with a contract not due to expire until the summer of 2020 he now must grasp the new opportunity he has been handed.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Julia Roberts, the A-list Hollywood actress, has once again reiterated her devotion to Manchester United.

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Julia Roberts is a devoted Man Utd fanRevealed how she become supporterRoberts visited Old Trafford in the pastWHAT HAPPENED?

A guest on the the Graham Norton Show – alongside Cher, Timothee Chalamet and Tom Hanks – Roberts was questioned as to the reasons for her love of football and the club. The Hollywood actress saw United play Arsenal in a pre-season game in New York and has been a guest at Old Trafford previously.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ROBERTS SAID

When Norton asked Roberts how she became a United fan, she replied: "I've been to Old Trafford, I'm a true fan… I have three children and when they were really little and started playing soccer they started watching it on TV. I didn't ever realise how exciting it was to watch it on television. We just got so into it and somehow Manchester United just became our team, the Moder family team. We became sort of possessed.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Rival Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has a deep admiration for Julia Roberts. He spoke of his hurt when Roberts chose to visit United, and not City, when she was in Manchester.

He said at the time: "Julia Roberts years ago came to Manchester – not in the 90s when Sir Alex [Ferguson] was winning titles and titles and titles. She came in the period where we were better than United, in these four or five years, right? She went to visit Man United. She didn't come to see us. That's why even if I win the Champions League it will not compare for the fact that Julia Roberts came to Manchester and didn't come to see us."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Roberts' beloved United will travel to St James' Park this evening hoping to strengthen their efforts to secure Champions League football for next season. Newcastle boss, Eddie Howe, recently claimed everyone is against his side – sadly for him, so will the Hollywood star tonight.

Mauricio Pochettino claims to have no issue with Chelsea’s owners paying regular visits to the dressing room, saying “they can do whatever they want”.

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Blues scratching around for formResults discussed by everyoneCoach happy for owner inputWHAT HAPPENED?

Todd Boehly sparked controversy last season when it was revealed that he had stepped inside the locker room to deliver post-game speeches to an underperforming squad. It has now been reported that fellow co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali faced up to the Blues players following a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Pochettino could be forgiven for feeling as though his toes are being trodden on by those from the boardroom, as the dressing room is his domain, but the Argentine insists he is happy for those pumping big money into the club to go wherever they like. He has said: “I like when the owners come, in all my career as a coach, at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris-Saint Germain. It is good that the owner came to the dressing room. The way they approach the players is most important. If they are in a good way and a correct way, they are very welcome.

“After my press conference after the game against Aston Villa, they came and chill with us, like normally. Also against Liverpool, Luton, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, they came with Paul and Laurence and Behdad. We talk about the game. I don't see it in a bad way. It would be different if they came for a speech or something, but with the way they came, of course they are very welcome. They own the club, they can do whatever they want! We are so glad they came and shared with us – even when it's good things and we won the game, but even on Sunday where we lost and we are suffering.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Pochettino is said to be falling under mounting pressure just a matter of weeks into his tenure at Stamford Bridge – with Chelsea currently sat 14th in the Premier League table – but he says the job he has taken on is no tougher than he imagined. The South American added: “It's not worse than I thought. I think we always knew the new project is always difficult. This period is a worse scenario than we can think to anticipate the situation. It looks like all is against us because the performance of the team deserves more points. All teams go through different periods, and I think we have the capacity to turn this.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Chelsea, who have collected just five points from six games this season, will be back in action on Wednesday when facing Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

West Ham manager David Moyes was encouraged by Kalvin Phillips' performance despite the midfielder's red card against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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Phillips sent off in Forest defeatMoyes pleased with performanceTold England man to 'keep going'GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Hammers crashed to a 2-0 defeat with their Manchester City loanee sent off after picking up two bookings in quick succession with his team trailing by a goal. Pundits and fans were quick to direct their ire at Phillips, who has endured a difficult start to his spell at West Ham, committing costly errors in his first two appearances then featuring in the second half of last weekend's thrashing by Arsenal. Despite the latest setback, Moyes saw some positives from Phillips on the 70 minutes before his dismissal.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT DAVID MOYES SAID ABOUT KALVIN PHILLIPS

"I thought for long periods he played well today," Moyes told after the game. "I though Kalvin played well. It looks like he's had a bad start and that adds to it a little bit but overall his performance today was good with just a couple of small incidents.

"I've watched him gain 50 or 60 caps for England, play incredibly well for Leeds United and get a huge transfer to Manchester City. So he's not a bad player, he probably just needs to get back on it and keep going and today he played well."

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Moyes made the point that Phillips' second yellow card was harsh and it's hard to not feel a shred of sympathy for the player who played a key role in Marcelo Bielsa's thrilling Leeds revival before being picked up by City with a view to becoming an established part of Pep Guardiola's midfield.

Phillips spoke earlier this week about his sadness at being frozen out at the Etihad and it seems his lacking of playing time is now being punished ruthlessly before he can shake any of that rust off.

West Ham's alarming dip in form has seen them go eight games without a win. And the Hammers fans' frustrations with Moyes has not provided the calmest of environments for Phillips to play his way back into form.

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WHAT NEXT FOR DAVID MOYES AND WEST HAM?

The suspended Phillips will have to sit on the sidelines once again when West Ham seek their first win of 2024 against Brentford at the London Stadium on February 26.

Graeme Souness has explained why he was so critical of Paul Pogba during his time at Manchester United, and where he went wrong in his career.

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Souness was vocal critic of PogbaLabelled him "selfish" and "lazy"Explains reason for harsh wordsWHAT HAPPENED?

Ex-Liverpool star and manager Souness was a vocal critic of Pogba throughout his six years at Old Trafford following his club-record transfer from Juventus. After calling him a "schoolboy" in 2018, Souness went so far as to label him a "selfish" player and last year said he was a "lazy tw*t". The Scotsman has now explained why he was so harsh on the France international and World Cup winner.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SOUNESS SAID

"He had the equipment to be the best midfielder in the world," he said on . "I saw a young man that was going through emotions a lot of the time, and that frustrated me. With that physique and that technical ability, he just did not have the right attitude to make him a superstar. The worst thing that happened to him was winning a World Cup, because he could turn and say: 'I am a World Cup winner'. I think at that point, it was him going backwards."

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Pogba left United to return to Juventus in 2022 but his career in Italy has plummeted since then. Injuries restricted him to just 10 appearances in all competitions in his first season back and things got even worse this season when he suspended after failing a doping test. The Frenchman was handed a four-year ban from the game on Thursday after being found guilty for said doping offences.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?

Pogba's lawyers will try to get his punishment reduced on appeal in a last-minute attempt to ensure he serves a maximum of two years. If unsuccessful, the 30-year-old may face a devastating decision to hang up his boots.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag says he is under no extra pressure following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's partial takeover of the club.

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Ratcliffe completes partial United takeoverTen Hag says he's not under extra pressureHe and new co-owner have same "targets"GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

United announced the sale of a 25% stake of the club to Ratcliffe's INEOS group in December but it was only this week where the deal was officially approved. With the 71-year-old stating it is imperative the Red Devils are competing for the top honours, manager Ten Hag says the two have the "same ambition" and does not feel under the cosh any more now than he did before.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID

The Dutchman told reporters on Friday: "We speak a lot, there are many conversations with him [Ratcliffe], with Dave Brailsford about this club, about this team, about the structures, we are very aligned, it totally fits with ambitions I have, ambitions I had when I came in. I'm 19 months in and I see we are going in the right direction. We have had setbacks in the second season but you see the team coming, the squad developing, work hard on the training pitch, work hard during games, it's important to have players fit but also to construct the squad, we will be strong and we will be even stronger when we add to this squad even more qualities."

He added: "Nothing. No more pressure because we have the same ambition, we have the same targets."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Ratcliffe is saying all the right things if you are a United fan, the Premier League giants are a long way from competing for silverware at present. Although they have won four on the spin in the English top-flight, they still sit five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in sixth, and suffered early exits in this season's Carabao Cup and Champions League. Success in the FA Cup and a top four finish are still possible, but United never seem too far away from a "crisis" – and Ten Hag's future may not be that secure if results worsen.

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WHAT NEXT?

Now the £1.3 billion ($1.6bn) takeover is finalised, United return to on the field matters on Saturday when they host mid-table Fulham at Old Trafford in the Premier League. To round off the month, they travel to Nottingham Forest in round five of the FA Cup on Wednesday.

Gremio boss Renato Gaucho admits it “will take a miracle” for his side to prevent Luis Suarez leaving for a reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

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Uruguayan striker in Brazil for nowSet to leave at the end of the yearReady to join all-time great in FloridaWHAT HAPPENED?

The veteran Uruguayan striker is in Brazil at present, but has been cleared to see his contract brought to a close at the end of the calendar year. The expectation is that Suarez will pack his bags at that point and head to the United States.

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Inter Miami have made no secret of their interest in the former Liverpool and Barcelona frontman, with another familiar face set to be slotted into their squad alongside eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi – with deals having already been done for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

WHAT THEY SAID

Gaucho sees Suarez heading for MLS, telling reporters after watching the 36-year-old net the only goal of the game for Gremio in their 1-0 win over Bahia: “It will take a miracle [for Suarez to stay]. He already has plans for 2024. He made that clear a few months ago and I’m not expecting a miracle. It’s his decision. I’d like him to stay, but we have to be honest with our fans. If he ends up staying, it’ll be a miracle, and that miracle comes down to him.”

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Suarez is expected to agree a deal with Inter Miami ahead of the 2024 MLS season, allowing him to take on another new challenge in a career that has already taken him from Uruguay to Brazil via the Netherlands, England and Spain.

Wrexham star Jacob Mendy shared his delight and declared himself "hungry for more" after making his international debut.

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Mendy makes Gambia debutThanks fans for messages of supportEyes African Cup of Nations spotGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The wing-back started for Gambia during their 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in World Cup qualifying on Monday. Despite the result, Mendy was delighted with the experience and has now set his sights on winning a spot in The Scorpions squad for the African Cup of Nations in January.

AdvertisementWHAT JACOB MENDY SAID

"Still processing it!" Mendy told Instagram followers. "Just wanted to thank everyone for the support and the messages I’ve received and I’m still receiving. Really appreciate it. Hungry for more"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mendy's energy down the left flank was a key feature Wrexham's promotion push at the end of last season and was typified by a crucial goal in the epic April showdown with Notts County. That form earned a first call-up for Gambia's summer internationals and a congratulatory message from co-owner Rob McElhenney. Mendy though, had to wait for the most recent round of internationals to finally make his international bow.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JACOB MENDY AND GAMBIA?

Mendy will be eagerly waiting to hear if he makes the Gambia squad for the African Cup of Nations which begins in the Ivory Coast on January 13. The Scorpions have been drawn in an intimidating group alongside Senegal, Cameroon and Guinea.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been ridiculed for using Fabrizio Romano-esque announcement tweets to reveal changes to his cabinet.

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Cabinet reshuffle teased with 'Here We Go' catchphrase Further transfer lingo employed to announce appointments Football fans unimpressedWHAT HAPPENED?

While the political world set about dissecting the ramifications of Sunak's cabinet reshuffle on Monday, keen-eyed football fans were quick to notice some familiar language on the Conservative Party's social media feeds.

A post on X (formerly Twitter) trailing the reshuffle employed Fabrizio Romano "Here we go" catchphrase along with the message that the tagline: "Rishi Sunak strengthens his team." James Cleverly's appointment as Home Secretary about an hour later was announced as a "huge move." While further transfer lingo such as "agreement reached" and "confirmed" were to follow.

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Sunak's spell as prime minister has seen an upgrade in Downing Street's social media game, with music-backed videos detailing his latest work a regular feature. Sunak is a fan of Championship side Southampton fan and has been spotted at St Mary's on occasion. Though few saw a major government reshuffle being themed on transfer guru Romano coming. And many were less than impressed.

WHAT THEY SAID

"Fabrizio Romano wants his catchphrase back," ordered one account.

"Who is in charge of the social media team? You're an official government page, not a football team announcing a deadline day transfer deal," grumbled another.

The man himself eventually replied, his shocked-face emoji clearly implying he was not in on the plan.

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WHAT NEXT FOR RISHI SUNAK?

Presumably the football cliches will be set aside for the more serious business of running a government. Although Sunak will hope he can emulate his team Southampton by putting aside a rocky start and trying to produce an impressive set of results.