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Mourinho at 55 If the present arrived four days early, the party is set to take place in an unlikely location. Jose Mourinho turns 55 on Friday, and is celebrating by giving Alexis Sanchez a Manchester United debut at the Huish Park home of Yeovil Town, officially the 89th-best team in the English league. Age can be just a number. It can also be a significant one. "There is no chance I will be 40-something again," said Mourinho a couple of weeks ago, in a reflective mood. "We cannot stop time." At 55, Mourinho is in the second half of his managerial career; perhaps one who started at 37 has been for some time. Yet United are proof that is not necessarily a bad thing. Their three European Cups were secured by Sir Matt Busby (then 59) and Sir Alex Ferguson (at 57 and 66). Ferguson was 69 in his last Champions League final. After turning 55, he won the Premier League 10 times. The problem with comparing anyone with Ferguson, however, is that he can be the e...

REAL MADRID star Cristiano Ronaldo was stunned by how well Philippe Coutinho fit in at Barcelona following his debut against Espanyol last night, reports say. Coutinho made his first Barcelona appearance last night, coming on for Andres Iniesta in the club’s 2-0 Copa del Rey victory over Espanyol at the Nou Camp. The Catalan giants spent big to sign the Brazilian from Liverpool earlier this month, prising him away from the Merseyside giants in a huge £142million deal. And Spanish outlet Don Balon claim Real players were left impressed by what they saw. It is said Ronaldo, in particular, was left surprised by the way Coutinho seamlessly linked up with the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. The 32-year-old,  Don Balon  report, told his team-mates that the arrival of Coutinho will only make  Barcelona  stronger. Barcelona news: Philippe Coutinho made his debut against Espanyol in the Copa del Rey last night And, with him in their ranks, Ernesto Va...

The Brit mixed with acclaimed snowboarders Kevin Backstrom, Tor Lundstrom and Halldor Helgason on Hokkaido Island Lewis Hamilton climbs the mountain in Japan  (Image: Getty Images Europe) Lewis Hamilton  has claimed he has enjoyed the "perfect preparation" to defend his  Formula 1  title in 2018 by snowboarding in Japan. The Brit was joined on the trip to Hokkaido Island by acclaimed snowboarders Kevin Backstrom, Tor Lundstrom and Halldor Helgason. Hamilton's title defence will begin at the Australian Grand Prix on March 25 and he insists the extreme sports holiday, with Monster Energy, has given him the "perfect preparation." “It was so good to be able to go on a trip like this at start of 2018," Hamilton said. "It was so enjoyable to hang out with some incredible athletes and push my skills on a board – the perfect preparation for the F1 season ahead.” The Brit showed his skills on the slopes   (Image: Getty Images Europe) ...

UFC superstar is all smiles but fans are asking if the shiner means he has stepped up his training ahead of long-awaited octagon return CONOR McGREGOR has fans asking questions after sporting a black eye. The UFC superstar posted a shot on his Instagram enjoying a slap-up mean on his luxury private jet alongside his son Conor Jr. Conor McGregor was sat with his son Conor Jr but fans noticed a shiner under his left eye But he appeared to be sporting a bruise under his left eye, but was all smiles anyway, while flying to Ibiza. He said on the post: "We are having lunch on the jet on our way to Ibiza, and he is still after the watch too. "My young son is like his father. A ruthless animal." McGregor, 29, is set to be stripped of his UFC lightweight belt after  Dana White revealed Tony Gerguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov are set to go head to head at UFC 223 . thenotoriousmma Testosterone Fans are waiting for news of Conor McGregor's long-awa...

Isabel, 33, says she and Kevin have sex 'four or five times a week' GOALIE Kevin Trapp’s girlfriend Izabel Goulart shows she’s a keeper after admitting they have too much sex. The Victoria’s Secret model posed in black lingerie and a matching choker in a catwalk show for Hope in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Izabel was born in Brazil The brunette bombshell has walked for Ralph Lauren, Dolce and Gabbana, Givenchy and many other big names The 33-year-old is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret The beauty was scouted at the age of 14 whilst out shopping with her mother Trapp is 6 years younger than his Brazilian lover This week Izabel, 33, revealed the 27-year-old Paris Saint Germain star is often too tired to play between the sticks — because of all the time they spend bonking between the sheets. She said: “Kevin and I make love a lot — four or five times a week. “But if he has played in an important game and his team loses, I can make myself b...

Photo by Eric Alonso/Action Plus via Getty Images Welcome Philippe Coutinho! Philippe Coutinho made his official  Barcelona  first team debut, coming on as a substitute in the 68 th  minute for Andres Iniesta. He was welcomed with magnificently loud cheers and great applause. Once in the game, Coutinho did not try to exert too much influence on the game and picked the right pass each time. He seemed to fit perfectly into the Barcelona machine, and added some wonderful Brazilian flair in the process. Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images Will  Lionel Messi  ever stop amazing us? Again, just as it has been every previous week in the year, Lionel Messi continues to influence matches in every way possible. A couple of wonderful moves and a pass to Aleix Vidal set up Vidal’s wonderful assist to Luis Suarez for the opener. And a couple of minutes later, Messi’s desire to win the ball back allowed him to rip a firecracker from outside the box that was de...

Philippe Coutinho starts on the bench as Barcelona look to overcome a 1-0 first leg defeat against rivals Espanyol to reach the Copa del Rey semifinal. Coutinho, a €160 million signing from Liverpool earlier this month, was given the green light to return from a thigh injury on Wednesday but his wait for his first minutes in a Barca shirt goes on. As well as fellow new signing Yerry Mina, he begins Thursday's game as a substitute against Espanyol, with whom he played in 2012 on a brief loan spell. Andres Iniesta returns from a calf problem to take his place in Barca's midfield after missing the past three games with a calf injury. David Ramos/Getty Images The surprise inclusion in Ernesto Valverde's side is Aleix Vidal, who is in talks over a move to Roma this month. Jasper Cillessen continues in goal, having played in every Copa del Rey match so far this season. Valverde has decided against taking too many risks with his team selection, though, after seeing...

With Alexis Sanchez out of the picture at Arsenal after a January switch to Manchester United recently – which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move the other way in exchange for the Chilean – Gunners legend Thierry Henry has urged Mesut Ozil to make the club ‘his team.’ Ozil’s current contract at the Emirates is set to terminate in the summer, although it’s thought that the former Real Madrid ace is on the cusp of penning a new deal at the club, despite negotiations stalling and stuttering in recent months. Playing a pivotal part in Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Crystal Palace in their last Premier League encounter, Henry labelled the German midfield metronome as an ‘unplayable’ member of the club’s engine room, a key component to Arsene Wenger’s silverware-chasing machine. Speaking to Sky Sports – via a report provided by  Daily Star  – ‘Titi’ earnestly proclaimed: “He [Ozil] has to make it his team. “Alexis Sanchez is gone. If he plays all the time like he did against C...

Mauricio Pochettino Mauricio Pochettino believes Arsene Wenger made a "mistake" by talking about Tottenham's lack of trophies. Before Arsenal beat Chelsea to book a place in the EFL Cup final on Wednesday, Wenger appeared to aim a dig at both Liverpool and Tottenham. The Frenchman suggested the media "celebrate teams who haven't been in a final for 25 years - and kill us", even though Arsenal have won three FA Cups in the last four years. Wenger's comments were widely assumed to be a barb aimed at Pochettino and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, both of whom are yet to win a trophy in English football. And ahead of Spurs' trip to Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, Pochettino hit back at Wenger. "I'm so young and only five years in the Premier League, in two clubs, Southampton and Tottenham, but there's no point to talk about another team," Pochettino told reporters. "Praise? Of cour...