Soccer

DO NOT INSULT THIS MAN'S FAMILY!!!

German soccer player Toni Leistner was so furious with a trash-taking fan after a loss Monday, he climbed into the stands and manhandled the dude ... and it's all on video.

Leistner and his Hamburg squad had just lost to Dynamo Dresden in a 4-1 shellacking in the German Cup when he heard someone spewing insults from the crowd.

The 30-year-old stopped a live TV interview and jumped into the stands, walked right up to the man he believed to be the trash-talker ... grabbed the dude by the shirt with both hands and shoved him to the ground.

Fans and security broke up the altercation -- and Leistner went right back to his interview and picked up like nothing happened.

The soccer star later went to social media and explained why he blew up ...

"After the match in my hometown, I was verbally abused from the stands," Leistner said.

"I can usually cope with it. But this was extremely and massively below the belt, against my family, my wife and my daughter."

"That's when I lost it, even more so because it was already an extremely emotional match for me."

He continued, "Regardless, this should have never happened to me. I am a father who wants to serve as a role-model. I apologize in all forms and can only promise that -- no matter what insults are thrown my way -- this will never happen again."

As for the COVID component -- roughly 10,000 fans were allowed inside the stadium to watch the game ... but were all required too wear masks and engage in social distancing.

The platers were tested before being cleared to play -- but the fans were not tested.

Soccer star Mason Greenwood has issued an apology for the "embarrassment" he caused after getting busted sneaking women into England's team hotel in Iceland.

18-year-old Greenwood -- along with England teammate Phil Foden -- were cut from the England national team Monday after officials say they broke COVID-19 quarantine protocol to meet up with the women at the team hotel.

At least one of the women is an Icelandic model and beauty queen, according to the Daily Mail.

The players were specifically told not to leave a certain part of the hotel that was sectioned off for the team -- but they decided to venture outside of that zone to meet up with the ladies.

Bad news for the players ... they got caught -- and were immediately dropped by the team.

Greenwood -- a striker for Manchester United -- issued an apology Tuesday morning.

"Having now had the chance to reflect on what’s happened, I can only apologise to everyone for the embarrassment I have caused," Greenwood said.

"It was irresponsible of me to break the COVID-19 protocols which are in place to protect players, staff and the public."

"Playing for England was one of the proudest moments in my life and I only have myself to blame for this huge mistake."

"I promise my family, the fans, Manchester United and England that this is a lesson I will learn from."

Foden has also apologized -- saying, "I breached COVID-19 protocols put in place to protect myself and my England colleagues. As a consequence I will now miss the opportunity to travel to Denmark with the squad, and that hurts."

Soccer superstar Jerome Boateng has a LOT to celebrate -- he just won the Champions League AND turned 32 ... so naturally, some diamonds are in order!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Bayern Munich defender wanted to commemorate his recent accomplishments with some one-of-a-kind ice, so he hit up his go-to-guy, Gabriel The Jeweler to make him a personal gift.

The finished product is incredible -- a massive link chain made of 110-carat VVS diamonds and white gold ... and we're told it's valued at a solid $200k (though unclear exactly how much Boateng paid for it).

The chain has smaller diamonds on the outside and larger stones in the middle to really make the thing pop.

Boateng celebrated his special day on Thursday ... just a little over a week after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League Final.

Of course, Boateng came to Gabriel for a $350k jewelry spree of watches and chains last year ... and we're sure this won't be the last, either.

Cristiano Ronaldo's longtime GF Georgina Rodriguez turned the Venice Film Festival into her very own fashion show on Thursday ... and yeah, the woman SLAAAAAAAYED.

Yes, that's 7 As ... and they're all necessary.

The soccer superstar's gorgeous lady showed up for the showings of "The Human Voice" and "Quo Vadis, Aida?" at the big event in Italy ... decked out in a light pink gown that was sure to turn heads.

The best part?? SAFETY!!

Georgina even had a matching mask to go with her wardrobe -- after all, the coronavirus is still very much a thing, you know.

Rodriguez and Ronaldo have been living it up together in 2020 ... from a pants-optional quarantine to sailing around on an expensive yacht with their incredibly attractive friends while we all sit back and watch jealously from afar.

Oh, and don't forget the thong'd out underwater video she made the other day.

Georgina is KILLLING!!!

Neymar -- one of the most famous athletes in the world -- has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 after a holiday in Ibiza.

Neymar's pro soccer club Paris Saint-Germain confirmed Wednesday that 3 members of the team tested positive -- but the organization did not release the names of the players.

However, media outlet L’Équipe and ESPN say sources have confirmed the 28-year-old Brazilian superstar is one of the players who tested positive ... along with his PSG teammates Angel Di Maria and Leo Paredes.

All 3 men were recently spotted out in Ibiza after PSG's August 23 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final.

PSG has issued a statement on the situation saying, "Three [PSG] players are confirmed positive after a Sars CoV2 test and have undergone the appropriate health protocols."

"All players and staff will continue to be tested over the next few days."

The team has been off since the loss in the finals -- but are scheduled to pick back up on Sept. 10.

Neymar was in hot water last month for breaking COVID protocol when he swapped jerseys with Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg following their August 18 game.

Players have been banned from the jersey swap -- and there were fears Neymar would be blocked from competing against Bayern Munich in the final, but he ultimately was allowed to play.

Horrible allegations of racism being hurled at Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen -- with former players and staff describing him as an n-word-dropping racist, akin to Donald Sterling.

Andy Williams -- a former RSL player, who later worked for the team -- told The Athletic, "He's a f**king racist, to be honest."

"I’ve been in situations where it’s like Donald Sterling. He says something, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, what did he just say?’ It’s Donald Sterling part 2."

"It’s just unbelievable. It’s crazy how he doesn’t see that the stuff that he says affects people."

The bombshell report also describes a 2014 incident in which Hansen used the n-word twice when speaking with the team equipment manager.

Two years later, The Athletic reports Hansen made racially charged comments to FC Dallas player Kellyn Acosta, who scored a goal in the club's victory over RSL.

After the game, Hansen allegedly told his general manager, "When are we gonna lynch this guy?" while directly in front of Acosta.

Former RSL defender Aaron Maund described another disturbing incident when Hansen saw him wearing a hoodie on an elevator in the stadium and told him, "Oh my God, I thought you were a thug."

As we previously reported, Hansen has been under fire over the past few days for comments he made about protests and demonstrations surrounding the Jacob Blake shooting.

Hansen compared watching the protests to being stabbed and said the player demonstrations had "taken a lot of wind" out of his sails.

NBA star Donovan Mitchell was furious about DLH's comments ... and publicly called for him to sell the team.

David Beckham isn't quite ready to pucker up for International Dog Day, but he is ready to show off his newest pooch, which seems more than eager to plant one on its owner.

The soccer star posted a cute photo Wednesday in honor of the holiday, showing off the Beckham family's newest canine addition, Sage, which made its debut this past Christmas.

In his IG post, David can bee seen trying to resist face licks from Sage. He captioned it ... "Happy International dog day 🐶 sage trying her luck with a kiss on the lips 💋." Lips or not, it looks like Sage is getting her share of face time with papa bear.

BTW, Victoria appears to have been the photog here ... she posted a BTS shot that might be just as adorable -- showing Dave cradling Sage, who looks all too pleased with the attention.

Sage is the Beckhams' third dog ... they have two other Cocker Spaniels, Fig and Olive, who've been with the brood for a bit now. As with any incoming family member, though, Sage is the one getting most of the fam's love ... social media-wise, anyway.

Don't worry, you're just as important F&O. It's just Sage's time to shine right now ...

It may be the end of an era with Barcelona, but Lionel Messi is getting serious love from his longtime teammates on Tuesday ... after the international soccer superstar has asked the club to terminate his contract.

The earth-shattering news broke hours ago ... with arguably the greatest player on the planet sending a letter to Barca asking to be released from his contract, citing a clause that could make him available at the end of the season.

It's a HUGE deal -- 33-year-old Messi has been with Barcelona since 2001, winning 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles.

Messi's also won the Ballon d’Or 6 times with Barca ... the most any player has ever earned in a career.

While Messi is prepped to leave the only pro club he's ever known, his teammates are taking the news in stride ... wishing the forward the best of luck in the future.

"Respect and admiration, Leo," Carles Puyol said on Twitter. "All my support, friend."

Luis Suarez -- Messi's teammate since 2014 -- echoed Puyol's message with a couple clapping emojis.

Messi wanting out isn't all that shocking to some, especially coming off an embarrassing season ... but it's still crazy to think about the guy in a new uniform.

The break-up might be a bit messy, however ... there are reports Messi's clause may have expired back in June ... which would require an $826 MILLION buyout.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found GUILTY of a number of charges stemming from a massive brawl in Greece last week.

The 27-year-old superstar defender was vacationing with family in Mykonos late last Thursday when a fight broke out on the beach over allegations his sister was injected with a "rape drug."

Officers in plainclothes tried to break up the scuffle ... but ended up injured in the process, according to law enforcement.

At the time of the arrest, Maguire allegedly told cops, "Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich, I can give you money, I can pay you, please let us go."

Maguire was held in custody for nearly 2 days before being released on Saturday.

On Tuesday (apparently, the courts move super quick there) Maguire was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery ... resulting in a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days.

Man. U released a statement ... saying, "Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence."

The team added ... "It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare."

Soccer superstar Ronaldinho has been released from house arrest in Paraguay in his fake passport case -- which means he'll soon be able to return home to Brazil.

Ronaldinho -- sporting a black COVID mask -- was in court Monday as the judge made his ruling ... ending a saga that's played out on the global stage for the past 6 months.

As we previously reported, the 40-year-old legend was arrested at an upscale hotel in Paraguay back in March ... after officials say he entered the country using a fake passport.

FYI ... Dinho had reportedly had his Brazilian and Spanish passports confiscated in July 2019 over unpaid taxes -- but continued to travel internationally anyway to promote a new book.

Authorities raided the hotel where Ronaldinho and his bro were staying, seized their passports and threw them both in jail -- but Ronaldinho was eventually moved to house arrest.

Now, a Paraguayan judge has ordered Ronaldinho to be released as part of a deal that's being described as a "conditional suspension" of the charges.

In other words, Ronaldinho will pay $90,000 in costs and fines (some of which will go to charity) and in exchange, the charges will be dropped.

Officials in Paraguay have told the media they do not believe Ronaldinho was aware his passport was fake.

One prosecutor added, "There is no indication that he has any personal characteristics or criminal behaviour that ... would put society at risk."

Unclear when Ronaldinho will actually leave the country ... but our guess is he's probably moving as quickly as possible given he was facing up to five years behind bars.

Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and fast cars go together like peanut butter and jelly ... and if you need proof, just look above!!!

The 31-year-old striker decided to flex on the 'gram for his nearly 10 million followers recently ... by posing next to his 5 favorite gold and chrome silver supercars.

Now, anyone who knows Aubameyang understands his passion for fast vehicles is no joke -- he's even got a $2.6 MILLION Ferarri.

Also, part of his carsenal (get it?!) includes FOUR different types of Lambos -- an Aventador, a Huracan Spyder and two Urus.

Now, none of these cars are available for under $200k ... but just by looking at the exterior, we're guessing Aubameyang had a bunch of personal bells and whistles added to these puppies.

Oh, and did we mention he's got a BUNCH of other cars -- from an Aston Martin to an Audi to a Porshe and more?!?

Look out, Floyd Mayweather.

Wanna get on Cristiano Ronaldo's yacht? It'll cost you a 6-pack ...

The international soccer superstar brought some pals on his super expensive boat off the coast of Mallorca, Spain ... and even his friends are ripped.

Unclear if these guys are just musclebound norms or other soccer pros ... but whoever they are, it looks like they haven't had a carb in decades.

Ronaldo's been living it up over the past few weeks -- sailing around some of the most exclusive parts of the coast with his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, and their kids ... flexing his abs every time someone pulls out a camera.

Ronaldo's yacht is insane -- reportedly featuring 6 bathrooms, 5 luxury cabins, a dining area, kitchen, bar ... and there's gotta be a fitness area on there, right?

Ronaldo reportedly spent around $7 mil on the yacht -- which is nothing for him ... he's reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars from soccer contracts and endorsement deals.

According to Forbes, he made over $105 million over the past year from contract money and sponsors ... the 2nd highest-paid athlete on the planet.

The only athlete who made more money? Roger Federer, who raked in $106.3 mil.

But, Federer ain't got nothin' on CR7's physique. Good lord.

Police in Florida say a homeless man posted up in a luxury suite at a pro soccer team's stadium for 2 WEEKS while the facility was closed due to COVID ... helping himself to food and merch the whole time.

The St. Petersburg Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... on July 26, Daniel Neja -- who cops say is homeless -- somehow got into the closed home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies and began squatting in the facility.

Cops say surveillance cameras captured the 39-year-old moving around Al Lang Stadium freely ... eating and drinking things from the concession area, as well as snagging Rowdies clothes and memorabilia from the team store.

Cops say Neja ultimately ended up taking more than $1,000 worth of stuff ... and an additional $250 from the concession area.

Officials say Neja was only caught because a cleaning crew noticed personal items like shaving cream and razors in the suite he had allegedly been living in.

Eventually, an officer showed up to the stadium Monday and found Neja ... and arrested him for burglary. Cops also say Neja refused to provide his name during questioning, so he was booked on an additional charge of resisting as well.

LOOK OUT BELOW!!!

International soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic is making a big splash on vacation with his family in Saint-Tropez ... by jumping off an expensive-ass yacht into the water below.

38-year-old Ibra has been getting some quality R&R while on vacay this week ... alongside wife Helena Seger and sons Maximilian and Vincent.

Now, if you know anything about Zlatan, he considers himself to be the greatest soccer player to walk the earth ... but the cocky footballer says he ain't just limited to land!!

"Lion on land, shark at sea," Ibrahimovic said on Instagram.

If we're talking form, Ibrahimovic ain't too shabby!! He's probably up there with Conor McGregor's diving abilities ... and much better than Jay-Z for sure, (sorry, Hov).

But, in true Zlatan form, the AC Milan forward wasn't ALL play while getting rays on the yacht -- he's been working out on the deck to prove he's staying in pristine shape.

The exercises appear to be working ... 'cause the dude looks RIPPED!!!

There's a huge group of super powerful women teaming up to bring pro women's soccer to L.A. by 2022 ... including Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, Eva Longoria and more!

The group is calling itself Angel City -- and they're working with the National Women's Soccer League to establish the city's first pro team.

The NWSL is the women's version of the MLS -- but they only have 9 teams throughout the country in cities like Portland, Orlando, Tacoma, etc.

But, the Angel City group claims there's heavy fan demand in Los Angeles ... and they're rallying together to get a team here, stat.

The lead investors are Portman, technology mogul Kara Nortman, gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Ohanian is married to Serena Williams -- who is part of a smaller investment group affiliated with the team which includes a TON of other big names.

Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Garner, Uzo Aduba and Lilly Singh are on board -- along with soccer legends Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Shannon Boxx and more.

"Today we take an exciting step by announcing the first women majority-owned and led ownership group," Portman said.

"I am thrilled by the opportunity to partner with this incredible group of people to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Los Angeles."

"Together, we aim to build not only a winning team on the field, but also to develop a passionately loyal fan base. We also hope to make a substantive impact on our community, committing to extending access to sports for young people in Los Angeles through our relationship with the LA84 Foundation."

"Sports are such a joyful way to bring people together, and this has the power to make tangible change for female athletes both in our community and in the professional sphere.”

So far, the organization has not announced a team name or logo -- but plan on releasing that info sometime soon.