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Mauricio Pochettino has written an open letter to Chelsea fans ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

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Pochettino thanks fans for patienceInsists he is desperate to win trophyBlues have endured disappointing seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea are gearing up for their Carabao Cup final against Liverpool and Pochettino insists that he and his players will "continue the traditions" of the club by attempting to win his first trophy in English football. Of course, in the Premier League, the Blues are 10th and have won just one of their last four games; they played Liverpool earlier this season and lost 4-1 at Anfield.

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In the letter, published on Chelsea's website, Pochettino said: "Chelsea supporters,Today at Wembley we can create something special. A memory that lives with us all. A moment that endures. Finals have this power. They unite us. Families will come together and be connected in their emotion. Friends will share this experience and be bonded.

"Then there are the children who will live a final for the first time. It is something that always stays with you. For me, it was the 1978 World Cup final in Argentina. I watched with my father. I was just six years old but I remember it so well. Of course, the feelings are different now. As a coach you must be relaxed ahead of a final to be clear in your thinking. It’s the same for my staff.

"We all believe in our players and the way we work. This season has not always been easy, that is the reality. But the trust between us as a team has remained really strong. That has helped us reach Wembley and it will help us in this final. Now we must do what Chelsea do. Win.

"You, the supporters, will help us. We know this. You have been patient and defended us in our hard moments. You have celebrated and enjoyed our steps forward. We are proud this relationship is blooming and the feelings we had in this competition after the wins against Newcastle and Middlesbrough – and recently after Aston Villa and Crystal Palace – are something we want again."

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Pochettino added: "Liverpool will not make it easy. They are capable of bringing a storm on the pitch and when it arrives, we must be ready to give our best to achieve what we all want. We will remind the players that when the heart beats a little faster, that is when you must be ready to fight.

"We all know the history of Chelsea. It is massive and everyone understands the expectations of this club. That is the owners, the players, the staff at Cobham, the staff at Stamford Bridge, the Academy, and the women’s team.

"Many people from the club will be at Wembley today to help us as a team, but also to help translate the atmosphere of the final to the supporters that can’t be in the stadium. Only if we are together can we live these special moments and create these memories.

"We want the same as you. We want to continue the traditions of Chelsea. We want this trophy. See you at Wembley, Mauricio."

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Pochettino has spent a total of 11 years managing in England, with Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea, but he has never lifted a trophy. He has been runner-up on multiple occasions with Spurs but will aim to finally end his hoodoo on Sunday.

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West Ham will reject a loan bid from FC Schalke for striker Lucas Perez before the transfer deadline, Football FanCast can confirm.

The Irons have thus far adopted a stance that they will not loan out any first-team players in this transfer window.

A BBC report claimed on Wednesday that the German club had lodged a loan offer for Perez, who has struggled for minutes thus far this season in east London.

However, the Irons would prefer to receive a transfer fee for Perez and value him at around £4million.

Perez has played 10 times in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, but has yet to complete 90 minutes under Manuel Pellegrini in the top flight.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Nevertheless, Football FanCast understands the club intends to retain Perez as cover for Marko Arnautovic, who recently signed a new contract at the London Stadium, and Javier Hernandez.

Andy Carroll is injury-prone and as we exclusively revealed earlier this month, would likely be allowed to leave if a deadline day bid is tabled. However that appears unlikely, given his patchy fitness record and poor form when he has played.

Football FanCast also understand that Reece Oxford has been told that he can leave on loan, having failed to play a single minute for the first-team thus far this season.

It remains to be seen if an offer will be forthcoming that suits his needs, however.

Matt Turner produced a sprawling save to deny Gio Reyna during Nottingham Forest training, with the USMNT stars enjoying friendly competition.

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Keeper has lost his place at the City GroundOn-loan playmaker also seeing bench dutyBoth looking to catch the eye of Reds boss NunoWHAT HAPPENED?

Both men are eager to catch the eye of Reds boss Nuno Espirito Santo, with neither seeing as much game time as they would like of late. Turner has been dropped to the bench following a number of costly errors and the January arrival of Matz Sels at the City Ground.

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Reyna, meanwhile, is taking in a Premier League loan spell from Borussia Dortmund. He has only seen 29 minutes of action across two substitute appearances so far, but the 21-year-old boasts the kind of creativity that Forest may find useful in their ongoing bid to steer clear of relegation danger.

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For now, Reyna and Turner are having to showcase their talents on the training field. They have come into direct competition during those drills, with Turner producing one impressive stop (3:38 in the video above) to keep out his United States international colleague – despite Reyna having two small goals to aim at!

Paul Mullin is “second to none” when it comes to goalscoring, with Wrexham team-mate Steven Fletcher claiming the prolific striker has no weaknesses.

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Forward helped to secure promotion last seasonUp and running in the current campaignOne of the best finishers in the businessWHAT HAPPENED?

The Dragons frontman has become a talismanic presence at StoK Racecourse – with club co-owner Ryan Reynolds among his biggest fans – and has now found the target on 81 occasions through 101 appearances for the Welsh outfit.

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Mullin fired Wrexham to promotion back into the Football League last season and is up and running in 2023-24 after recovering from a punctured lung. Summer signing Fletcher is among those to have been left mightily impressed by the 28-year-old’s skill set, with the veteran Scotland international telling of his fellow forward: "I have played with a lot of good strikers and Paul's finishing is second to none. Left foot, right foot, it doesn't matter where it lands for him, he will hit the target and I am delighted for him to get off the mark this season."

WHAT THEY SAID

Fletcher has also been among the goals for Wrexham since joining them as a free agent, with his account opened when netting a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Crewe. The 36-year-old said of his experiences with the Dragons: "What a feeling. Brilliant. You want to get off the mark as a striker and score as many goals as you can. To get one in the 95th minute was great. I got eye contact with Jacob [Mendy] straight away, he knew I would make that run and it was a great, pinpoint cross. I didn't have to do much."

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Wrexham are still looking for consistency this season, with Phil Parkinson yet to settle on a winning formula that works every week, and they will be back in action on Tuesday when taking in a trip to fellow promotion hopefuls Mansfield.

Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid on Sunday but controversy soon followed, as they complained about the assistant referee spying on them after the match.

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Barca celebrate narrow win over AtleticoNumber of controversial decisions Assistant caught eavesdropping outside dressing roomWHAT HAPPENED?

Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez was in charge of the match and the Montjuic home crowd felt that Barcelona had been given the short end of the stick on several occasions, particularly about Joao Felix's penalty appeal, Memphis Depay's two fouls, and his block of Ilkay Gundogan during the German's forward play. Linesman Raul Cabanero was allegedly discovered outside the Barcelona locker room following the game, according to [via ]. They claim he was listening in on the players throughout both half-time and full-time. Press officer Edu Polo instructed Cabanero to leave the premises of the locker room at full-time; however, the linesman summoned Sanchez over his radio, who subsequently inquired about Polo's identity. When Xavi Hernandez showed up, he verified Polo's identification.

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According to Diario AS [Football Espana], Sanchez urged composure, and a discussion was able to fix the matter. They do, however, support Sport's accusations, asserting that Cabanero entered the locker room at half-time to perform the routine player kit check, which is typically done outside the locker room.

DID YOU KNOW?

This season, the Catalans and referees have had a tense relationship that president Joan Laporta brought up last weekend when he insisted his club should have received a penalty for a foul on Raphinha in the LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Although there isn't likely to be any official process for this type of action, Barcelona will undoubtedly be tempted to vent their displeasure even more in a period when the big two have been eager to fuel the embers of refereeing controversy. All things considered, in recent seasons, officiating in Spain has far too frequently been a topic of discussion.

U.S. Soccer has announced format changes to the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the sake of stakeholders and congestion with MLS teams.

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U.S. Soccer announces Open Cup changesOnly eight MLS teams to appearSweeping changes arrivingWHAT HAPPENED?

For the first time since 2008 – after 16 years of progress an advancement in the tournament – U.S. Soccer has opted to revert to a format where the First Round of 32 matches will consist exclusively of amateur and professional teams.

In addition, sweeping changes arrived in the form of Major League Soccer's participation. Only eight MLS sides will compete in the 2024 edition of the tournament, with 11 developmental MLS NEXT Pro sides as well.

Sides competing in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup – and their MLS NEXT Pro sides – were excluded from participation, based on results from the 2023 MLS season. D.C. United is the lone MLS side without CCC or USOC participation.

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32 amateur teams will meet 32 division-three teams in Round One, with the winners facing off against each other in the second round of the tournament. Round three will see 16 USL Championship sides enter the tournament and they will be paired with the 16 victorious sides from Round two.

Then, the eight MLS teams – Houston Dynamo, Atlanta United FC, FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, LAFC, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders – will enter the fray. For an amateur side to be paired up against an MLS club, they will have to qualify for the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The changes arrive much to the dismay of players and managers around the league. New York Red Bulls defender John Tolkin blasted MLS over the rule changes prior to the announcement, while D.C. United is the lone club across MLS with ZERO representation in the tournament. Their developmental side does not play in MLS NEXT Pro, therefore they will have no participation at any level.

Houston won the 2023 final against Inter Miami.

WHAT U.S. SOCCER SAID

"First and foremost, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all our members for their invaluable input over the past couple of months— sharing with us of the reasons the U.S. Open Cup is so great, and what we can do to make it even better,” said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson. “After extensive discussions, we have put together a competitive format specific to the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, promising exciting matchups from the First Round and through the entire tournament. U.S. Soccer values the tradition and importance of the U.S. Open Cup, and we will continue to have conversations with all our members to explore avenues for enhancing future editions of the tournament and how we all work together to grow soccer in every community in the country”.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE U.S. OPEN CUP

Round One will begin on Tuesday, March 19 with the final of the 2024 tournament wrapping up on Wednesday, September 25. MLS sides will not enter the tournament until Tuesday, July 9.

David Beckham believes that England can end their international tournament woes by winning the 2024 Euros with their talented squad.

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Beckham discusses England's chancesHopes for glory at Euro 2024Praises the depth of the squad(C)GettyImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The former England captain spoke about England's chances at the 2024 Euros as he attended the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and India in Mumbai in his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. The 48-year-old revealed that he was hopeful of the Three Lions' chances in the coming tournament thanks to the quality in their squad with youthful players like Jude Bellingham helping out experienced veterans such as Harry Kane.

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Although England have performed well in recent international tournaments, they have not experienced victory since winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966. They reached the World Cup semi-finals in Russia in 2018, before suffering a heartbreaking loss to Italy in the European Championship final at Wembley on penalties. With two games remaining, Southgate's team has already secured a spot at the Euro 2024 championships.

WHAT BECKHAM SAID

"I really believe in this England team," Beckham told the AFP. "I believe in Gareth Southgate and what he's doing and what he's done for a number of years now. We were unfortunate to lose in the Euros final against Italy, but we were so close. And I've seen that when our national team has some kind of success, the way our country comes together is incredible."

"I don't want to speak too soon, but with the 2024 Euros, I think that we have a real opportunity with young players like Cole Palmer, like Jude Bellingham, and the other players that we have in the team. And of course, you know, we have a captain like Harry Kane who still continues to inspire his team and still continues to score goals. So I think we have a real opportunity."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

England host Malta on Friday before travelling to North Macedonia three days later, despite having already qualified they will want to finish well in order to claim top seeding in next month's group-stage draw.

Inter Miami teenager Tyler Hall admits he was left feeling “like I was in a video game” after being joined in Florida by all-time great Lionel Messi.

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All-time great now in the United StatesImpressing all of those around himCatching the eye on and off the pitchWHAT HAPPENED?

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner linked up with the MLS outfit over the summer, with a remarkable move to the United States being completed after reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi made an immediate impact in Miami, as he helped to deliver a historic Leagues Cup triumph, and still has a number of team-mates pinching themselves.

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Hall falls into that category, with the highly-rated defender telling FIFA’s of what it is like to work with Messi on a daily basis: “The first day Messi came, it didn't feel real. It was like I was in a video game or something! It hits me once in a while that he's right next to me. He's a very approachable guy. He is always smiling and always comes over to shake my hand. He is a great guy and is so good with all the young players.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Facing Messi in training is helping Hall to improve his game, even if he admits that the Argentine icon can prove impossible to stop at times. The 17-year-old, who is yet to make his competitive debut for Inter Miami, added on lining up against Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba: “I’ve played 11v11 against them. It’s crazy. They just think faster, they play faster. It's amazing to have them on the field next to you at this young age. Messi actually played on my side [of the pitch] and was up against me. If you watch Messi's games, you see him walking around, scanning the field, then all of a sudden he checks his shoulder and then he's just gone! He moves so quick and it was hard for me to keep up. I was frustrated, even knowing he's one of the best players in the world, because I want to be able to guard him. I want to better myself and be able to defend him really well in the future.”

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Few defenders have been able to contain the obvious threat that Messi poses down the years, with the 36-year-old superstar having reached 726 goals through 899 appearances at club level while also hitting the target on 106 occasions in 178 outings for his country.

Pep Guardiola has explained how being a “handsome man” helps him to get his message across during short training sessions at Manchester City.

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Catalan coach one of the best in the businessDoes not push players hard before gamesIs still able to deliver positive resutlsWHAT HAPPENED?

With so many games being packed into a hectic schedule, the Catalan coach is wary of pushing his players too hard behind the scenes. That means he can spend as little as 25 minutes working on upcoming fixtures, but he is still able to impart wisdom and ensure that his star-studded squad are ready for whatever challenge awaits them.

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Quizzed on how he is able to achieve that, former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has jokingly said: “Because I'm really good. I'm a handsome man and I seduce them and we did it. So, I'm really good. Today we have the TV, the images, and we talk individually, and moving that way. I spoke with Ruben (Dias) with what happened at Chelsea, I spoke with Kyle (Walker) with what happened at Chelsea. I talked about it in this specific was after they made mistakes, they just understand.”

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Revealing that he has never been one for long practice sessions, Guardiola said of the limited time that he spent with his players prior to a 1-1 Premier League draw with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium: “In seven years, I don’t train. Maximum 35 minutes. We don’t train. They started pre-season 15 days before. Do you know what 15 days is? We played the FA Cup final and then the Champions League final. They had 15 days more with the new players. We didn’t do one day of tactical. It's the same for Jurgen [Klopp], I’m pretty sure. The day before this game, we did 10-15 minutes with the ball and 10 minutes defensively. Before Tuesday it will be 10 minutes on the pitch, moving in that way. We cannot train. If we train, we don’t have players for the next game. We don’t have them. That’s why we have to learn from the past: just understand what you have to do. The press, who jumps. This is what we absolutely rely on.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GUARDIOLA?

City, who claimed a historic treble triumph last season, will be back in Champions League action on Tuesday when playing host to RB Leipzig. The Premier League title holders are nursing a number of injuries at present, which is further preventing Guardiola from pushing aching limbs towards breaking point.

Argentine wonderkid Claudio Echeverri continues to make quite the name for himself, but he claims to be “nowhere near” the level of Lionel Messi.

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South America always produces top talentExciting forward has emerged at River PlateReluctant to be compared with all-time great

WHAT HAPPENED?

For a long time, football in Argentina found itself forever searching for the ‘next Diego Maradona’. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who savoured World Cup glory with his country in 2022, has now picked up that baton and every emerging superstar in South America is likened to the current Inter Miami talisman.

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Echeverri falls into that category at just 17 years of age, but the hottest of prospects – who has made his senior debut for River Plate in 2023 – is wary of being compared to an all-time great. He has told when asked which Argentinian player he is most similar to: “I always said that my idol was Messi, but I’m nowhere near Messi! I also really liked Pablo Aimar, who’s part of the national-team staff, and he’s spoken to me many times. He’s a great person, and he gives me useful pointers about what I need to correct in my game. I’d probably say ‘Pablito’, then – he was a talented player and loved to take on defenders like me.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Echeverri is already attracting admiring glances from afar, as European heavyweights begin to notice his obvious potential, and he has all of the qualities that a South American forward would be expected to boast. The talented teenager added on his biggest strengths: “I’m not really sure what my biggest strength is. I think it could be my speed, because I'm very fast; I try to get on the ball quickly and I immediately get forward.”

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While eager to avoid picking up the ‘next Messi’ tag, Echeverri is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his iconic fellow countryman. He said of his ambition for the immediate and long-term future: “I always said that my dream was to make my debut for River’s first team, and I’ve done that now. Now, it’s probably playing for the senior national team. That’s my dream.”