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Jose Mourinho has joked Manchester United might be handed the 2017-18 Premier League title if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching FFP rules.

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United finished 19 points behind City in 2017-18Mourinho still insists it's one of his best achievementsJokes City could be docked points after trialGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mourinho was initially appointed United boss in 2016, and delivered a Europa League and Carabao Cup double in his first campaign before guiding the team to second in the Premier League table the following season – their best finish since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. Results took a turn for the worse in the first half of the 2018-19 season and Mourinho was sacked, but the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss has since insisted that he ranks finishing second in the Premier League with United among his best achievements, a statement he stands by to this day.

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Mourinho reiterated that stance during a sit-down with Rio Ferdinand and Stephen Howson for , despite the fact United were still 19 points behind eventual champions City at the end of the season in question. Incredibly, the Portuguese then joked Pep Guardiola's side could see their total reduced as he referenced the fact City are set to go on trial for allegedly breaching 115 FFP rules.

"Maybe there is a chance we win that league, no?" Mourinho, Football.com global ambassador, said when Ferdinand challenged him on his remarks. "Because if Manchester City is caught in financial fair play breaking the rules, maybe they lose a few points and we win that title."

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By the end of his spell at Old Trafford, Mourinho had lost the faith of a large section of the fanbase and alienated several players by criticising them in public, and there were some who suggested his pragmatic style of play was never a good fit for United. However, the 61-year-old looks back on his time in Manchester fondly, and still feels a connection with supporters.

"I loved my time there," he said. "I was so proud of going there, and even prouder a couple of years later going back as a Sky commentator and when I felt the reaction of the crowd I was like 'wow'. I always felt we were together and that reaction touched me. To be a coach in the same club as Sir Alex, you have to feel the pride and responsibility. Historical club, legendary players, I was very happy and proud to be there. Not easy, I don't think media helped me, including yourself maybe, I felt that was not with an intention of hurting, it was more people didn't understand the dimension of the job and potential difficulties. The structure was not very fluid."

Mourinho went on to defend United's much-maligned former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, instead pointing the finger of blame at the Glazer family for the chaotic state of the club behind the scenes. "I don't like when people criticise Ed Woodward's job, because he's a good man, very intelligent, very polite, very correct, but probably not prepared for the sports side of it," he added. "For a coach not to have a direct communication with the ownership, and not have a structure that shares the same principle and ideas was not easy, with consequences at many levels. But I did my best."

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WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED AND CITY?

Some six years on from Mourinho's departure, United are still in disarray, and currently sit sixth in the Premier League table. City are 11 points ahead of them with a game in hand, and favourites to lift the title for a fourth successive year, though the upcoming FFP trial is still casting a shadow over Etihad Stadium. According to the , the trial is set to begin in Autumn this year, and will be settled by an independent panel.

[ad_pod ]Per The Mirror, Liverpool fans are getting excited on TwitterÂover the impending return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so where will the midfielder fit in Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasing side following his long injury absence?

On the chalkboard

With no FA Cup fixture to play this weekend due to the defeat at Wolves, Klopp and the Reds are taking advantage of their extended break, flying off to Dubai for a warm weather training camp – as documented by The Daily Mail.

The league leaders scraped past Crystal Palace on Saturday, and now have a week and a half off before they welcome Leicester City to Anfield next Wednesday evening.

And there is good news, as Oxlade-Chamberlain has undergone some pretty rigorous training, according to The Mirror.

Who has the loudest fans in Europe? PSG certainly state their claim in the video below…

What does it mean?

Well, just because the 25 year-old is with the squad does not mean he is in full training, and he is not expected to be ready until late February at the earliest – according to The Times’ Paul Joyce.

However, it means the Anfield fan favourite is clearly on the right path, and will likely return to first team action at some point this season.

But a serious knee injury can have devastating effects on a player’s speed, quickness and agility, so expect to see him participating in several training matches and potentially even Under-23 matches before stepping onto the Anfield turf once again.

Where will he fit?

When Oxlade-Chamberlain does return, Klopp is suddenly going to have one mighty selection headache on his hands, so where does the ex-Arsenal man fit in?

Fabinho quite simply can’t be dropped on current form, as the Brazil international has been superb in multiple positions since breaking into the side, and Georginio Wijnaldum is quietly having the best season of his career.

This leaves just one spot to fight for between Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and the returning Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the latter looks a perfect fit for that final place.

Wijnaldum and Fabinho offer loads of defensive protection but limited attacking output, practically ruling out Liverpool’s captain and vice-captain as complimentary options, and summer signing Keita deserves to drop even further down the pecking order based on this season’s poor form.

While he shares many traits with Oxlade-Chamberlain that also make him a good fit for the third slot in Liverpool’s engine room, the former Leipzig man simply hasn’t acclimatised to the Premier League as well as expected.

If Oxlade-Chamberlain can regain full fitness before the end of this season, the England international should be first choice alongside Fabinho and Wijnaldum, offering Klopp the perfect balance of speed, creativity, work-rate and defensive awareness.

So, Liverpool fans, what would be your preferred midfield when Oxlade-Chamberlain returns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Jadon Sancho is one of the worst signings Manchester United have ever made, according to former Red Devils striker Louis Saha.

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Saha tears into Sancho Flop winger closes in on Dortmund move'One of Man Utd's biggest transfer failures'WHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho is about to seal a loan move back to Borussia Dortmund, two-and-a-half-years after leaving the Bundesliga side to sign for United for £73 million ($94m). Sancho's time with the Red Devils has been a disaster for everyone involved and the player has not played or trained with the first team since lashing out at Erik ten Hag on social media after being omitted from the squad against Arsenal in September.

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“Jadon Sancho is one of Manchester United’s biggest transfer failures – you can't have that type of quality sidelined because of his mindset," Saha told “We know that he is good enough, which is why it doesn’t sit right. You can’t be putting yourself in that situation and thinking that you are bigger than the manager. Whatever happens, I don’t back Sancho – which is hard for me as a supporter of United. It’s just horrendous.”

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Sancho arrived at United hoping to spearhead a title charge under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he started just four Premier League matches before the Norwegian was sacked, and his place in the team was disrupted by the unexpected return of Cristiano Ronaldo. United will cover the bulk of Sancho's wages and will receive just a €3m (£2.5m) loan fee for parting with the winger, but they will hope that he rediscovers his form so his value will rise at the end of the season and they will be able to sell him in the summer.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Sancho will leave United for Dortmund with just 12 goals and six assists in two-and-a-half years with the club, compared to 114 goal contributions during his first spell at BVB between 2017 and 2021. He has not been selected in an England squad since 2021.

Folarin Balogun has explained his celebration after scoring a first goal for Monaco, while Adi Hutter has talked up the striker’s “other skills”.

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Made immediate impact off the bench vs LorientFound the target inside three minutesShared the moment with travelling supportersWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international stepped off the bench to make an immediate impact during a Ligue 1 meeting with Lorient on Sunday. He had been on the pitch less than three minutes when firing a left-footed effort from a tight angle into the back of the net.

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Balogun, who hit 21 goals while on loan at Reims from Arsenal last season, is now up and running for Monaco and told the of why he chose to celebrate with the away support. He said: “When I scored, I knew the fans were near. So I wanted us all to be together to celebrate this goal. It’s the first time I scored in front of our fans so I wanted to show all my gratitude.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Balogun has been acquired by Monaco to deliver end product, but head coach Hutter claims the 22-year-old beings much more than that to the fold. He said of seeing the American open his goal account: “I’m very happy for him and for his first goal with the club, I think it’s deserved. He had already scored with the USMNT during the international break. He is a player who brings other skills to the attacking third. But we also have players like Wissam Ben Yedder, Myron Boadu, Takumi Minamino and Aleksandr Golovin who can also bring us things offensively.”

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Balogun joined Monaco in a transfer deal worth an initial €30 million (£26m/$32m), with the decision taken to sever ties with Premier League giants Arsenal as he looks to find the regular game time that will aid his ongoing development with club and country.

Cristiano Ronaldo was delighted with his side's achievement despite drawing 0-0 with Persepolis in the AFC Champions League on Monday.

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Al-Nassr drew 0-0 with PersepolisRonaldo protested against being given penaltyRiyadh club through to next round of Champions LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo's team played out a goalless draw on home soil despite being awarded a penalty early on when the Portugal star was brought down in the box. The 38-year-old told the referee that he was not fouled, however, and the decision was reversed after a VAR review.

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Despite taking just a point from the game, Ronaldo expressed his delight on social media. He wrote: "Happy that we qualified 1st in our group and to have achieved 20 games unbeaten. Great Teamwork."

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The draw was enough to ensure Al-Nassr progress to the knockout round of the AFC Champions League. They will finish top of the group, with Persepolis sitting five points behind them with just one match left to play in the first round of the competition.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?

Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr team-mates will hope to continue their unbeaten run when they return to Saudi Pro League action with a game against Al-Hilal on Friday. Al-Hilal sit top of the table and four points ahead of Al-Nassr.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson scripted club history after keeping a clean sheet against Bournemouth.

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Ederson scripted Manchester City historyKept his 110th Premier League clean sheet against BournemouthMan City beat Bournemouth 1-0WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City rode on Phil Foden's 24th-minute strike to register an important win in the Premier League on Saturday at Vitality Stadium. In the process, goalkeeper Ederson broke the club record of keeping the most number of clean sheets in the league which was previously held by Joe Hart. The Brazilian goalkeeper kept a clean sheet for the 110th time in the Premier League, beating Hart's tally of 109.

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While Ederson managed to achieve the feat in 242 league appearances, Hart played in 266 matches. The former Benfica custodian is now ranked 15th in the list of all-time highest clean sheets by a goalkeeper in the English top flight with former Chelsea and Arsenal star Petr Cech leading the pack with 202 clean sheets.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 30-year-old joined the Cityzens from Benfica in 2017 and has successfully established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the club's history. He has won multiple trophies with the club in the last seven years. He bagged the Premier League Golden Glove award for the first time in the 2019/20 season and then repeated the feat in the next two campaigns as well.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

Pep Guardiola's side will now shift focus to the FA Cup where they take on Luton Town on Tuesday in a fifth-round clash before facing rivals Manchester United in the league on Sunday.

Manchester United are currently under investigation after reportedly serving raw chicken at Old Trafford, which has left people feeling unwell.

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Man Utd host event at Old TraffordGuests served raw chickenClub under investigation after guests become unwellGetty WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , United are currently being investigated by Trafford Council after several people claimed they had become unwell after being served raw chicken at an event hosted at Old Trafford.

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The club declined to comment on the situation but will conduct an internal investigation regarding the matter. Both will aim to determine whether the symptoms the individuals experienced were linked to the food they were served at the stadium. The report goes on to state that United currently hold a food hygiene rating of '5 – Very Good', with this incident putting the rating at risk given the potential illnesses their food caused.

DID YOU KNOW?

Any business that is handed a low rating must make immediate and major changes to the hygiene of their workplace, or they could face closure until it is solved. United reportedly draw vast amounts of business through hosting events such as these, meaning a potential downgrade of their hygiene rating could put aspects of their revenue at risk.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

While the off-field issues continue to pile up for United, Erik ten Hag and his squad must focus on the upcoming clash against Newcastle United on Saturday evening, as they look to bounce-back following a disappointing 3-3 draw with Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Lionel Messi is reluctant to make Antonio Sanabria famous by discussing a spitting incident that occurred during Argentina’s win over Paraguay.

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All-time great in qualification actionStepped off the bench after nursing knockFocused on picking up three pointsWHAT HAPPENED?

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi started that game on the bench, as he has been nursing an injury since the last international break, but was introduced in the 53rd minute. That was enough time for him to come close to scoring on a couple of occasions, but an early effort from Nicolas Otamendi ended up settling a tight contest.

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Messi was involved in one unfortunate incident that saw Paraguay striker Sanabria spit in his direction, but the World Cup winner was unaware of those actions at the time and refused to be dragged into a debate regarding them afterwards for fear of giving “importance” to a player that he claims to know nothing about.

WHAT THEY SAID

Messi told of the spitting saga: “My team-mates told me about it in the locker room. It is better to leave the issue alone.”

The all-time great added: “I don't know who this guy is and I don't want to give him importance either, because if he gets that he's going to go out and talk everywhere and he becomes known.”

Messi preferred to discuss the fact that he was able to get more game time under his belt after seeing just 72 minutes of action for Inter Miami since last turning out for his country. The iconic 36-year-old added: “I'm happy to play again and add minutes. It is always difficult to enter and even more so in such a tight game. The important thing is that we won and at times we played very well, especially in the first half.”

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Argentina will be back in 2026 World Cup qualifying action next Tuesday when taking in a trip to Peru, with there a chance that Messi has already played his last domestic minutes of the season for Inter Miami – as they have missed out on the MLS play-offs.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to Portugal’s “historic” Euro 2024 qualification campaign that delivered nothing but '100% victory'.

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Tickets booked to another major tournamentEnjoyed faultless run through 10 gamesStar-studded squad can challenge in GermanyWHAT HAPPENED?

The European champions from 2016 are heading to another major tournament in style, with a faultless run enjoyed through their qualifying campaign. Roberto Martinez inherited the managerial reins with Portugal on the back of a disappointing display at the 2022 World Cup, and the Spaniard has made an immediate impact.

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His cause is aided considerably by the fact that he has the likes of Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao to call upon. They have helped to deliver a memorable run towards Euro 2024 that has seen 30 points picked up from 10 games.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo is delighted to have played his part in those history-making efforts by Portugal, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner posting on Instagram after seeing a perfect record maintained in a 2-0 victory over Iceland: “Historic clearance, 100% victorious! Congratulations Portugal.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Portugal proved too strong for Group J rivals Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Lichtenstein. They scored 36 goals through 10 matches, conceding only two, and will fancy their chances of competing for the ultimate prize when the European Championship returns to Germany next summer.

Juventus have been advised to “put Weston McKennie in the midfield, Tim Weah on the wing”, with the father of one USMNT star speaking out.

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Bianconeri have been shuffling their packHave two Americans on their booksDuo competing for the same spot at presentWHAT HAPPENED?

There are now two United States internationals on the books at the Allianz Stadium, with McKennie having returned from a forgettable loan spell at Leeds during which he suffered relegation out of the Premier League. He has been joined in Turin by countryman Weah following a €12 million (£10m/$13m) summer transfer deal.

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The American duo have found themselves competing against one another for game time under Allegri in 2023-24, with both being asked to fill a right wing-back role. McKennie has been getting the nod when it comes to starting berths, with Weah often being brought on in his place.

WHAT THEY SAID

McKennie has done his best in an unfamiliar role, but the 25-year-old’s father feels the time has come to stop putting square pegs into round holes. John McKennie has responded to a post on social media asking if Allegri should be fired before the end of the season by saying: “Put McKennie in the midfield! Weah on the wing. They have proven they play well together in their respective positions!”

McKennie senior went on to add that: “I have my own opinions, but would never wish anyone to be fired. At the end of the day, the coach has a plan. We don’t have to like it! I am also a fan, but he’s the COACH! Let’s not take my words out of context!”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Juve have picked up 14 points from seven games in 2023-24, seeing them sat fourth in the Serie A table, and Allegri is unlikely to tinker too much with a system that has been delivering results even if performances have not been the most exciting.