Seán O'Connor: How the ‘Special One', Jose Mourinho, made Damien Duff into a box-office manager like him
While it's all eyes on the Champions League for Shelbourne in 11 days, with that famous anthem set to return to Tolka Park for the first time in almost two decades, it's a little under a year ago now since Damien Duff sat in the stadium's media room and opened up on his memories of big European nights.
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Extra.ie
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Watch: Dua Lipa shares emotional moment with fan at Dublin gig
Dua Lipa left one fan visibly emotional during her Dublin show at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night, after she made her way down to the barrier mid-performance. The singer, who brought her Radical Optimism tour to the Emerald Isle, took a moment to interact with fans up closem sparking a wave of excitement in the front rows. As she moved along the barrier, greeting fans and taking a few brief moments to take photos, one fan was seen wiping away tears as he approached her. Dua Lipa left one fan visibly emotional during her Dublin show at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night, after she made her way down to the barrier mid-performance. Pic:The young fan named Jack opened up to the New Rules singer about the impact she's had on his life, revealing he is now an aspiring dancer after seeing the star in concert. Jack went on to thank the singer for her dedication to her fans, admitting he hopes to be on stage dancing with her someday. 'Never forget, you change lives,' he remarked as the pair posed for a selfie, with the young fan visibly emotional. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@extradotie) It wasn't the only hard hitting moment of the night, with Dua also paying tribute to a late, great, Irish star. Traditionally the singer uses her surprise song slot to pay tribute to each city she plays in, choosing to pay tribute to iconic Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, who she described as an Irish legend. Dua belted out a touching rendition of the late star's anthem Nothing Compares 2 U, with fans reaching for their torchlights to build the atmosphere. The European leg of Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism tour wrapped on Friday night, with the star taking to the states in September following a brief festival stint in her native Kosova.
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WITH all four of its clubs through to the second round, Brazil has been enjoying a highly successful Club World Cup. This should not come as a complete surprise. Having a tournament like this - with a chance to have a crack at the European giants - is a dream come true for Brazilian football. Advertisement 5 Palmeiras star Estevao has impressed at the Club World Cup Credit: Getty 5 Nottingham Forest-bound Igor Jesus has also impressed in the tournament Credit: AP 5 Colombian Jhon Arias is one to keep an eye on Credit: Getty Even so, one thing remains unaltered. The Brazilian game continues to lose its outstanding talents to Europe - and, increasingly, to the Premier League. Estevao, the Palmeiras wonderkid, joins Gerson, the Flamengo midfielder who was so impressive in the win over Chelsea, appears on the verge of signing for Zenit in Russia - and there is a chance that one of his team-mates may also be on his way across the Atlantic. 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How Club World Cup feud was nearly THREE YEARS in the making as two stars 'tried to offer each other out in the tunnel' A Flamengo player who has put himself in the shop window earlier than expected is striker Wallace Yan. Advertisement The club have been bringing the 20-year-old along gently, giving him experience as a late substitute - and now in the USA he has made a real impact, coming off the bench to score against Chelsea and Los Angeles. A rangy figure who can attack from the right or through the middle, he has been running at defences with the nerveless sense of freedom of someone playing a kick-about in the park, and Wolves are said to be interested. With even the biggest Brazilian clubs selling their young stars, one of the ways that they have been becoming more competitive is to buy in from neighbouring countries. In fact, Brazil now treats the rest of South America in the same way that Europe treats Brazil, picking up some of the best talent. Advertisement An excellent recent example is that of Alvaro Montoro, an 18-year-old Argentine who has just been picked up by Botafogo. The attacking midfielder came through the ranks at home with Velez Sarsfield. Club World Cup 2025 Guide SOME of the world's biggest clubs are in action at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States! Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13. The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane are showcasing their skills to packed crowds across the US. INFO Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup LATEST NEWS & FEATURES Club World Cup top scorers His breakthrough came in this year's group stages of the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League. His skill and strength of character were quickly apparent as he weighed in with three goals. Botafogo signed him on the eve of the Club World Cup. Advertisement They have been delighted by his displays in training - and even more with the substitute appearances he has been making during the competition, where he is looking entirely at home in high pressure situations. Great things are expected. 5 Big things are expected of Botafogo star Alvaro Montoro Credit: Getty One who has been producing great things for a while is Colombia's Jhon Arias, the star man in the Fluminense side. He was not considered a big name in 2021 when he was still at home with Independiente Santa Fe. But Fluminense played against him, liked what they saw and picked him up for a bargain fee. Advertisement A squat little figure, for the Colombia national side he is often used as a disciplined member of a central midfield trio. For Fluminense he is a right winger with freedom to roam. He combines well, turns and surges at the opposing defence and - and he showed against Ulsan of South Korea, he strikes a mean free-kick. Arias was by far the best Fluminense player in the side that went down 4-0 to He demonstrated that he could hold his own in such company, and it is surprising that major European clubs did not make a move. Advertisement Age is against him - he turns 28 in September, and the current market prefers teenagers. But he is so good - and versatile - that someone should surely take a chance. Another Colombian international midfielder who has made his name in Brazil is Richard Rios of Palmeiras. His is a fascinating story. Rios was a futsal player, representing his country in an international tournament in Rio. Flamengo liked what they saw, and offered him an 11-a-side career. Advertisement After bouncing around between Brazil and Mexico, Palmeiras acquired him in 2023 and he has since become a fixture for club and country. 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