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Joe Hart has received an apology from The Sun newspaper after an inaccurate story concerning the goalkeeper was reported this week.
England’s no.1 was accused of parking his car in a disabled bay for two hours but it has since emerged that the car in the photograph didn’t belong to him.
The apology reads: “In a story ‘Hartless’ (April 15) we stated that England goalie Joe Hart left his Bentley in a disabled bay for two hours while he took his girlfriend to Nando’s.
“We were mistaken and now understand that the Bentley photographed does not belong to Mr Hart and he was unconnected with its parking in any way.
“We regret this inaccuracy, are happy to set the record straight and apologise to Mr Hart.”
Elsewhere, City’s narrow win in the FA Cup final dress rehearsal over Wigan dominates the headlines you’re waking up to this morning.
A ground out win, so often touted as the base diet of champions, or a fortunate, undeserved victory? It depends whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person, it seems.
Indeed, most of the column inches were dedicated to Wigan Athletic for their plucky, but ultimately fruitless, sense of adventure at the Etihad Stadium.
Chris Wheeler of the DSSC summed up the mood surrounding a lethargic game which always felt a bit after the Lord Mayor’s show in his match report for the Daily Mail.
“If Manchester City and Wigan play like this at Wembley next month, the FA can make the kick-off as late as they want — we’ll all be asleep anyway,” Wheeler said.
“As dress rehearsals go, it has to be said this did not augur well for the Cup final. Carlos Tevez may have salvaged a rather fortunate victory for City with the game’s one moment of true quality, but as a spectacle it was something of a lost cause.”
A trip to White Hart Lane awaits on Sunday afternoon, a match which City must not lose in order to delay Manchester United’s march to a 20th league title...
Let’s just move on, eh?
Roque Santa Cruz has taken a step towards deciding on his next port-of-call according to reports this morning which suggest he could be hooking up with Clarence Seedorf at Brazilian Serie A outfit Botofogo.
The Paraguayan striker, now on loan at Malaga, has also attracted interest from Flamengo but his agent revealed that Botofogo are in pole position.
"Talks were very good, Botafogo are a very serious club. The player is excited about the possibility," Lima told Lancenet.
"We are negotiating with Botafogo but we can't say if the deal will work out in the end."
Roque’s contract at City comes to an end in the summer.
Elsewhere, City are said to be weighing up a move for AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng.
“The 26-year-old, who struggled to make a first-team breakthrough during two years at White Hart Lane, shone at Portsmouth and earned himself a surprise move to Italy,” reads the story on the TalkSport website.
“He's become a key player at the San Siro, but with just one year left on his contract speculation over his future has started to grow.”
“And according to sources in Italy, City have already made preliminary enquiries over the Ghana international.”
Vieira Cup is half full
PATRICK VIEIRA last night insisted Manchester City need to win the FA Cup to save a bad season.
City’s football development executive also refused to rule out selling Samir Nasri to Paris Saint-Germain, though he insisted the champions want to keep him.
He said: “Has this season been a success? No. The aim this season was to retain the title and do better in the Champions League so, no, you can’t say our season was a success.
“We’re in the Cup Final so that’s a good way of saving the season.
“But we had a team you’d expect to do better. We could have done better.”
Frenchman Nasri, 25, has come under fire from frustrated boss Roberto Mancini for his inconsistency.
PSG declared their interest in the midfielder — as SunSport told you yesterday — but Vieira insisted City want to keep him.
Vieira told Radio Monte Carlo: “Samir could have done better.
“I think, he, himself, is disappointed with the level he played at for several different reasons.
“But in the end, he remains an important player for us.
“I see him almost daily. I think he’s learned a lot this year. He’s faced competition and, when he wasn’t good enough, he’s been taken off. It’s been an important season for him and I’m sure he’ll come back even stronger.
“I hope he will stay. Time will tell. It’s important to build a team on the long term.
“Samir is a very good player, a young player and I hope he’ll stay with us for a long time.”
Vieira insisted City will spend big in the summer in a bid to mount a credible challenge in the Champions League — after back- to-back failures at the group stage.
The French World Cup-winner added: “The aim is to sign players that can help us with the Champions League.
“There are interesting players, some I’ve even come to France to see play — but, in the end, it’s Mancini’s call.”
City flop Santa Cruz lined up by Botafogo for Brazilian move
The 31-year-old has been enjoying a loan spell at Malaga and has also attracted attention from Flamengo.
Robson Lima, Santa Cruz’s representative said: 'Talks were very good, Botafogo are a very serious club.
'The player is excited about the possibility. We are negotiating with Botafogo but we can't say if the deal will work out in the end.'
City, who remain keen on Napoli striker Edinson Cavani, have been linked with Lazio's Brazilian midfielder Hernanes, 27, amid talk reserve striker John Guidetti could be used as a makeweight in a £15million deal.
Santa Cruz has scored seven goals for Spanish side Malaga this season, including his strike in the Champions League against Porto.
The striker has also had loan spells at Blackburn and Real Betis and his last game for City was in 2010
Premier League move would interest Manchester City target Hernanes - agent
The Brazilian has impressed for Lazio this season, aiding their cause with nine league goals, and reports suggest that John Guidetti could be involved should any deal be struck
Lazio and Brazil star Hernanes would be open to a move to Manchester City this summer, according to his agent.
The former Sao Paulo midfielder has been linked with a part-exchange involving young Swedish striker John Guidetti plus £15 million but there has not been any official contact so far.
Lazio are enjoying a good campaign this season, currently sixth in the Serie A table, with Hernanes's nine goals helping their cause but his agent, Joseph Lee, admits that a move to the Premier League would interest the 27-year-old.
"These are rumours and for now I do not wish to comment on them," Lee told LaLazioSiamoNoi.it. "City are a top club at world level and Hernanes loves the Premier League but I have too much respect for Lazio to say any more.
"We discussed many things with president Claudio Lotito in September, including his contract, but the situation has remained unchanged since then. There are no other meetings planned.
"What would happen if an offer came in from Manchester City? I repeat, for now we are talking about rumours, but if it did arrive then Lotito would be forced to call us."
Micah Richards happy with comeback
Manchester City defender Micah Richards has revealed that his comeback from injury "felt good" against Wigan Athletic on Wednesday night.
The full-back was handed his first start in six months for the Blues following a serious knee injury.
City went on to win the Premier League fixture 1-0 thanks to Carlos Tevez's late goal at the Etihad Stadium.
"It felt good to be back," Richards told the club's official website. "We got the win and that's most important."
Mancini unhappy with Richards display
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini launched a scathing attack on Micah Richards' first appearance for the club in over five months.
The defender came in to replace Pablo Zabaleta for Wednesday's late 1-0 win over Wigan but his boss could not hide his disappointment in the 24-year-old's performance, suggesting that the right-back needs to work harder.
"I think that he needs to work a lot," Mancini said. "I didn't like it (the performance). I am happy because he comes back to play but I thought that he was in better form.
"After six months, though, it is impossible to play well for 70 minutes. He was tired but it is important that he came back to play."
The Italian conceded, however, that it was crucial to allow Zabaleta to refresh his batteries after a prolonged spell in the side while Richards was unavailable.
"Pablo has played a lot of games, it was important to give him a break," Mancini said.
With only three days having passed since their tense FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea, Mancini felt that his players suffered from fatigue against the Latics.
"We had to work really hard because Wigan played very well," he said. "Every game that we play against them is difficult because they play football and they play to win every game.
"I think we didn't play very well because we were so tired. Only in the last 20-25 minutes we improved and played better.
"There's only three days and for this reason we play with the four, five new players because we spent a lot of energy against Chelsea and it was difficult."
Manchester City star must take pay cut to secure Etihad future
Gareth Barry must take £50,000-per-week pay cut or look for a move elsewhere
Gareth Barry is set to be offered a new contract by Manchester City - but he must take a significant pay cut if he is to remain at the Etihad stadium, according to The Sun.
The English midfielder has only 12 months left on his current contract and the club are looking to try and extend that deal, for £50,000 a week less.
Barry's current contract is worth £120,000 a week after he signed for from Aston Villa for a fee estimated around £12 million back in the summer of 2010.
The 32-year-old midfielder was expected to leave City in the summer as the club are preparing to cut down their wage-bill so they can pass UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, but his recent performances, in particular against Chelsea and Manchester United, have impressed manager Roberto Mancini and the Italian tactician is now keen to keep the midfielder.
It is planned that City chiefs will sit down with Barry and his representatives once the season ends, but the severely reduced terms could prove to be a stumbling block as both parties seek to come to an agreement.
It is reported that Barry, who is happy to remain at the club, will have to settle for a basic wage of around £70k-a-week if he is to secure his long-term future with the Citizens.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]JUST TAKE OUR BUS BOLLOX
THE FA has conveniently told fans to use sponsors National Express to get to the FA Cup final.
Supporters of Manchester City and Wigan are furious at the 5.15pm kick-off time for the May 11 showpiece.
The last train to Manchester on that day is 9pm, meaning fans might have to leave early to be sure of getting home — especially if it goes to extra-time.
Now the FA is suggesting fans should book a coach seat with National Express, who just happen to be Wembley’s ‘official travel provider’.
An FA statement read: “The FA would like to highlight that 5.15pm is a regular kick-off time in the football calendar.
“Additional coach services, which National Express are running — including directly from Wembley Stadium — mean there are more options for fans returning north after the game.”
Former Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou, 27, says he would be interested in a summer move to Arsenal from his current side Lille. Sun
Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul is on AC Milan's summer wanted list, with the Italian giants lining up a £12m bid. The 25-year-old, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, is under contract until 2017. Daily Mirror
Alex Song is keen on a return to Arsenal after growing frustrated with his role at Barcelona, according to cousin and former Liverpool defender Rigobert. The 25-year-old moved to the Spanish club from the Gunners last season for £17m but has made just 15 appearances. Metro
Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is determined to fight for a future at Arsenal, despite finding himself out in the cold again. The 27-year-old was dropped last month after a poor run of form and has struggled to re-establish himself in the side. Daily Mirror
Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala want to re-sign Queens Park Rangers defender Christopher Samba - just months after selling the 29-year-old to the west London club. Daily Star
Netherlands striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel's £8.5m summer transfer to Norwich City could be cancelled if the Canaries, who are four points clear of the bottom three, are relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season. DSSC
FA Cup finalists Wigan Athletic want to sign out-of-contract Deportivo La Coruna striker Riki, 32, in a summer Bosman transfer move. Sun
Jose Mourinho admits he will leave Real Madrid in the summer - and has hinted at a return to Chelsea. The Portuguese boss, 50, won six trophies at Stamford Bridge between 2004 and 2007. Daily Star
But the Blues are also keen on appointing Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini as interim boss Rafael Benitez's successor and have met with an advisor of the 59-year-old Chilean. Guardian
England manager Roy Hodgson says he fears for the future of the national team because of the number of foreign players in the Premier League. DSSC
Craig Bellamy says his father, a lifelong Cardiff supporter, will "die a happy man" after seeing his son help the Welsh club win promotion to the Premier League. Independent
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup believes his side's Premier League clashes with Cardiff next season will feel just like the Rome derbies between Roma and Lazio. Daily Mirror
West Ham will not face any further action, other than a warning letter from the Football Association, over Chelsea players being pelted with objects during their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge last month. Sun
Security cameras filmed Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin, 31, who is set to leave the Premier League club this summer, appearing to argue with staff outside a London nightclub. DSSC
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery says Barcelona and Real Madrid have both tried to lure him away from the Bavarian club in recent years. Bayern will face Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League next week. Mundo Deportivo
German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, 22, says he will remain at Borussia Dortmund next season despite interest from other European clubs, including Real Madrid. Bild
Former Dinamo Zagreb player Jozo Gašpar has become a local laughing stock after an incident with a credit card which led to his sacking as coach of Croatian first league team NK Zagreb Precko. 606 Newsletter
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