SOCCER

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A seemingly ordinary paper napkin, bearing the historic agreement that secured Lionel Messi's future with FC Barcelona, sold for an astounding $966,400 (£762,400) at an auction conducted by Bonhams. This napkin, signed in 2000 when Messi was just 13 years old, fetched significantly more than its initial starting price of $380,000 (£300,000).

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The unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen will be taking on Atalanta in the 2023/2024 UEFA Europa Final. The final will be played at Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland.  The final will be played on 22^nd of May this year, Kick off being at 21:00 CET.

This Europa final is such an historical milestone for Atalanta. This will be their first ever European final. This comes after a massive 4-1 goal aggregate in the semi final against Marseille.

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Manchester United have managed to end their three match H2H losing streak after taking on Newcastle in a five goal thriller at the Theatre of Dreams. The Magpies enjoyed the better of the opening ten minutes but almost found themselves behind when Casemiro’s overhead kick flew over the bar.

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Title winners Real Madrid made easy work of Deportivo Alaves winning 5-0 at their home stadium Santiago Bernabeu extending their unbeaten run in La Liga to 30 matches. Madrid captain Nacho, led out the team through a guard of honor. However in the second minute, Alaves showed their intent wasn’t celebration as Samu Omorodion forced Thibaut Courtois into a scrambling near post save.

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Chelsea are now closing in to a European return as they managed a fourth consecutive Premier league win by beating Brighton in their home stadium. Following a disappointing start to the season, Chelsea have managed to pull back and fulfill their potential in recent months. Before this winning streak, they only managed to lose just one in their previous 13 Premier League matches.

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Manchester City remain on course for a fourth consecutive title after a hard fought win against Tottenham Hotspur prevailing against them 2-0. Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was riled by fans who suggested that they throw the match in a bid to prevent their rivals Arsenal from winning the league.

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Raphael Varane, the French defensive stalwart, has carved an illustrious career marked by resilience, tactical astuteness, and an uncanny ability to read the game. Born on April 25, 1993, in Lille, France, Varane's journey to becoming one of the world's most formidable center-backs is a testament to dedication and sheer talent.

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A shocking case has emerged from St Albans Crown Court, where a soccer player stands accused of a rape crime. Michael Emery, 33, a reserve goalkeeper for Warrington Rylands FC, allegedly committed two acts of rape against a sleeping woman on the night of May 22, 2021. Emery, celebrating his team's non-league cup final victory at Wembley, invited the woman to his hotel room, where she initially engaged in consensual intercourse.