Sports

Antonio Conte tempting Roman Abramovich to pull the trigger at Chelsea - but he won't jump ship

2018-02-02T15:20:00.001-08:00

Chelsea Manager;Antonio Conte.

It started as an if, slipped quickly into when but now it’s turned more to how. Antonio Conte won’t be in charge of Chelsea next season. That much we know.

Even those with a restricted view at Stamford Bridge can see it. Football’s worst kept secret has been blindingly obvious for months and now it’s about how the Italian hatches his escape plan.

It had been expected the summer would bring to a close two years in west London, ultimately a success returning the Premier League trophy to the capital last season but now it appears he may not see out the next four months.

It’s apparent the club’s board and manager are getting sick and tired of the sight of each other. The sensible thing to do would be to end it amicably, but this is Chelsea after all.

It’s also becoming clear that Conte, via his now weekly unprovoked digs at lack of support in the transfer market and public ill-advised mud-slinging with Jose Mourinho, the Manchester United

manager, is almost begging for the bullet.

A sacking on the CV holds not fears for such a coach held in high regard. Not at Chelsea, where they class the firing of managers as sport. The huntsman could have his gun out following Wednesday night’s disturbing 3-0 home defeat to struggling AFC Bournemouth.

His work here seems to be done. He knows the chances of beating Barcelona over two legs are next to none, and the going could be good to get out before things get progressively worse.

But the build up to Barca seems straightforward. Watford, West Brom and Hull City in the FA Cup.

Then comes the period which could change it all. Games away to the two Manchester clubs sandwiched in between those Champions League ties make for fearful reading. If it blows up over that period, don’t expect Conte to see out the season.

The relationship seems to have deteriorated beyond repair and there seems no desire to fix the non-functioning and fractious association. There’s an acceptance from both sides that things are going to run their natural course, one way or another.

Now it appears to be a case of who blinks first.

Chelsea, keen to save every penny, don’t want to have to fire a man with a year-and-a-half left on his contract. A summer settlement was expected to bring a satisfactory financial outcome for both, but pulling the trigger early leaves the Blues exposed with the negative PR which comes with sacking yet another boss sure to follow the former Juventus coach, 48, out of the door.

So for now, he stays. But who will win the battle of the departure mind-games is yet to be decided.

Zidane hails historic Real Madrid win, vows to stay at Bernabeu

2017-06-04T04:15:00.001-07:00

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane accepted that his team had “made history” by beating Juventus 4-1 in Saturday night’s final in Cardiff to become the first team to retain the Champions League title in its modern, expanded format.
Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo as well as further strikes from Casemiro and Marco Asensio were more than enough as Madrid powered past Juventus with a superb second-half performance, with Mario Mandzukic’s excellent, acrobatic equaliser before the break not even much of a consolation for the well-beaten Italian champions.
Speaking at the postgame news conference at the Principality Stadium, Zidane said his players had deserved to complete the club’s first La Liga and European Cup double since 1958.
“They have made history, for sure,” Zidane, whose club won their third UCL title in four seasons, said. “Nobody has done it, and now we have. Today is a historic day for all Madridistas, for the players, for me,
for all our family. But saying this, you know how it is. Next year will be much more difficult. We will have to work a lot to try and win again. But today we can say we are a very good team, and we deserved to win La Liga and the Champions League. It was not easy.”
Zidane had said in recent weeks that he was not sure he would continue next season, but he was happy to say he plans on continuing on the job and would soon start planning for next the upcoming campaign.
“Of course I am staying, we must think now about next year,” Zidane said. “I cannot confirm I will be here my whole life, as that does not happen. But I am very happy and thankful to this club to have the chance to coach these tremendous players. I have a year left on my contract, but the important thing is to enjoy what we have achieved this year.
“I played here many years, and this club is in my heart. Now we will rest a bit and then think about next season.”
Asked what had been most important in his team’s success, Zidane said that hard work allied to natural talent had been the key.
“A lot of hard work,” he said. “There is a lot of talent, but the key has been hard work, and thinking that when you think you are going to achieve things working hard, with this squad it is possible. As a coach of this team I am very proud of them all. In the end the key has been that each of them brought their own grain of salt.”
The Frenchman said his half-time team talk had been pretty simple: He only wanted his players to keep possession and play more in the Juve half.
“At half-time I told them to keep going, but to play a bit higher up the pitch, and to keep the ball,” he said. “And in the second half we did that.”
Zidane said things had turned out well for Gareth Bale, who was not quite fit enough to start the final, but had been able to celebrate the final victory in his hometown of Cardiff.
“For Bale it was very important to reach this final,” he said. “Then I have to choose the team. But I am very happy for Bale, he was able to play the game in his home city.”

Griezmann confirms Atletico stay after transfer ban upheld

2017-06-04T04:00:00.001-07:00

Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann has told Telefoot that he now plans to stay at Atletico Madrid after the club were handed a transfer ban until January 2018.
ESPN FC reported that Manchester United have cooled their interest in the France striker and Griezmann had given mixed messages over his plans over recent months but expressed his support for Atletico shortly after it was confirmed that they will not be able to make any new signings until 2018 as the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected their appeal over a transfer ban.
Last week Griezmann, who had said this week he was happy at Atletico and that his future will be decided
soon, posted a message on his social media accounts reading: “Now more than ever #Atleti #Alltogether”
And on Sunday he confirmed to Telefoot that “it would have been a blow to go now” and that he would be staying this summer.
“The questions about my future were pretty boring,” the 26-year-old said.
“The sanction of the CAS has fallen. Atletico can not recruit. With my sports advisor, Eric Olhats, we decided to stay. It’s a hard time for the club. It would be a blow to go now. We talked to the club and we will be back for next season.”
Atletico had been strongly linked with moves for Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Chelsea’s Diego Costa this summer before the transfer ban was upheld.

It all went wrong for us against Real Madrid – Buffon

2017-06-04T03:47:00.001-07:00

Gianluigi Buffon

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said he was hugely disappointed after his side crumbled in the second half to lose 4-1 to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Buffon failed to beat Paolo Maldini’s record as the oldest player to win the UEFA Champions League (39 years, 126 days old) as his side fell to defeat, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo brace.
Juventus had conceded just three goals in 12 games before the final and were unlucky as two of Madrid’s goals came from deflections.
“It’s a big disappointment, because we thought that we’d done everything necessary to play this final and finally win it,” Buffon, who has never won the Champions League, told Mediaset Premium.
“We had an excellent first half, where we caused Real Madrid huge problems, so it leaves you open-mouthed in shock that incidents never go our way. That’s disappointing. Evidently in order to win a
trophy like this, you need to be stronger than adversity.
“I thought it was a great approach in the first half, not giving Madrid any more advantages, and we ran really hard. Perhaps we ran a bit too hard and didn’t make the most of that advantage on the field. That’s disappointing.
“In the second half their class, strength and how accustomed they are to winning these games showed through. They won deservedly.
“Naturally there are a few regrets, as in the incidents it all went wrong for us.”
FIFA resident Gianni Infantino, who was in attendance, paid tribute to Buffon after the game.
“Juventus played a great first half, then in the second Real Madrid were extraordinary. They were two excellent sides and in the end the best team won,” Infantino told Mediaset Premium.
“It was down to experience and other factors. It remains a very strong season for Juventus and for Gigi, as next year there’s the World Cup too. I send a hug to Buffon, who is more than just a champion. He’s immense.”

Cavs may be doing Heat and Wizards big favor in playoff race by resting LeBron James and Kyrie Irving

2017-04-13T00:28:00.004-07:00

Cavs may be doing Heat and Wizards big favor in playoff race by resting LeBron James and Kyrie Irving

The Cavs are doing the Miami Heat a major favor on Monday night by resting starters LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson as they play their penultimate game of the 2016-17 regular season. They may also be helping out the Washington Wizards, depending on how you look at it.
Basically, the Cavs are giving the Heat a break in a game Miami needs to win as they fight for the eighth playoff spot. And why that could be good for the Wizards is because the Cavs are currently tied for the best record in the East with the Celtics. The Cavs have the tiebreaker, so as of now they would face the Wizards
if both teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
If the Cavs were to slip to second, the Wizards - who are locked into the fourth seed - would not have to face Cleveland until the Eastern Conference Finals. There are a lot of hypotheticals needed in order to get there, but that would seem to be an easier road to the conference finals than having to go through the Cavs in the second round.
Then again, some might argue the Wizards would match up better with the Cavs than with Boston in the second round, as our Wizards Insider J. Michael wrote on Monday morning. If that is the case, perhaps Cleveland would be helping themselves by falling out of the top spot in the East. They would also then ensure they don't have to play the Heat in the first round, a team that has proven they are much better than their record since mid-January.

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Wenger 'will stay at Arsenal and get £200m transfer budget', Liverpool 'target £35m Ox', De Gea 'unsettled at Man Utd'

2017-04-13T00:18:00.002-07:00

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Arsene Wenger, Wilfried Zaha

When Arsene Wenger promised he would make an announcement about his Arsenal future “soon”, he wasn’t lying as such. It’s just that he probably imagined he would declare his intention to sign a two-year contract extension in a triumphant manner, perhaps after a resounding Gunners win had propelled his side towards Champions League qualification for the 19th successive year. “Two more years!” he would yell with a grin, as adoring Gunners fan hoisted him aloft and took him on a lap of honour around the Emirates pitch, repeating the mantra, “Two more years! Two more years!”

But instead, Arsenal just keep losing every week. So it’s kind of never been the right moment.

Therefore, “soon” has now become “the end of the season”.

The Times reports that Arsenal are “stalling” over making a public announcement on Wenger’s future due to “a drastic loss of form” and “increased hostility” among the club’s fan base.

He’s still staying though, and the Mirror says he will be trusted with a £200m budget to “fix the squad” in the summer.

It’s quite a big fixing job, with Wenger reportedly set to sign “a keeper, two full-backs, a deep-lying midfielder, two wide-men and a striker”. An entire team, basically, with Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette among the targets mentioned.

The £200m budget could be bolstered by the sales of contract rebels Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, along with £20m West Ham target Jack Wilshere and in-demand Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Ox is said, by the Telegraph, to be most wanted by Liverpool, who will not be “scared off” by the midfielder’s £35m price tag. Like Ozil and Sanchez, the 23-year-old is also about to enter the final year of his contract, but no one has ever seemed to care very much.

An alternative twist on the Wenger story appears in the Mail, which suggests the Gunners could appoint a Director of Football to assist the Frenchman next season – and the favourite for the role is ex-Gooner Marc Overmars.

From Wenger’s perspective, you know you’re getting old when a player you signed as a 24-year-old flying winger comes back as a middle-aged “director”.

In non-Arsenal news, the Mirror says Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all want to sign Monaco’s left-back Benjamin Mendy. The 22-year-old was signed from Marseille for £13m last summer, but would now cost “double” that amount. Obviously.

Man Utd manager Jose Mourinho fears David de Gea has suffered a recent dip in form because has been “distracted” by interest from Real Madrid, says the Star. But if that was true, his form should have been in a constant dip for the past two years.

Elsewhere, a woman has threatened to sue Cesc Fabregas after his daughter kicked a football that hit her baby’s head during a kickabout in a posh London park (Sun), Chelsea and Man City target Pepe is set to be offered a one-year contract extension at Real Madrid (Independent) and Sevilla’s Chilean boss Jorge Sampaoli, who is mates with Alexis Sanchez, says he would like to manage in England (Sun). You keep on dreaming, Arsenal fans.

Dele Alli MUST follow Bale's lead and move abroad

2017-04-13T00:10:00.001-07:00

Dele Alli

What had you accomplished by your 21st birthday? You might have mastered the art of beer pong. or worked out the various different discounts on your student card. Perhaps you’d finally stopped buying fishbowls of brightly coloured alcohol at nightclubs or got your own Netflix password. Dele Alli at this age however, is an established Premier League star. He might even be the brightest young midfielder in Europe

Having turned 21 on Tuesday the Spurs number 20 is a wunderkind no longer. As he moves deeper into his 20s more will be expected of Alli, with a certain maturity still to be instilled in him. But consider what he has already achieved and there is no reason to believe he won’t fulfil his potential as the greatest English talent of his generation.

Alli has had a hand in more Premier League goals before turning 21 (40) than David Beckham (12), Steven Gerrard (13) and Frank Lampard (15) combined. He’s netted 19 times in all competitions just this season. Spurs are mounting a belated title challenge, with Mauricio Pochettino closer to Premier League pace-setters Chelsea than anyone else, and Alli has been the driving force behind that challenge, particularly with Harry Kane sidelined through injury.

He is undoubtedly the most exciting young talent to call White Hart Lane home since Gareth Bale, with some
suggesting that Real Madrid will soon identify Alli as their next Galactico just as they did with the Welsh winger four years ago. Barcelona have also been mentioned as potential suitors. That is the level Alli is expected to reach.

Of course, there’s still plenty for the former MK Dons youngster to achieve in England. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have yet to reach the apex of their upward trajectory. The Argentine has turned the Premier League’s perennial outsiders into title challengers in the space of just a few seasons. With some investment this summer Pochettino could take Spurs even further.

Alli should be in no real rush to leave White Hart Lane but to become one of the game’s true greats he will eventually have to seek a club with a higher ceiling. He needs a team that matches his own potential and even with Pochettino in charge Spurs probably won’t be able to do that.

Bale found himself in a similar position not so long ago. He too was part of an exciting Spurs team seemingly on the up but he was destined for even bigger and better things, just like Alli. So when the time comes for Alli to make the next, necessary step in his career he must follow the precedent set by Bale not just in making a move but in moving abroad.

Far too often young players are weighed down by all that comes with being a Premier League player. Playing in England stunts their growth on the continental stage. Bale became a great by escaping this, opening his mind to a new lifestyle, playing style and culture by swapping Islington for Iberia. He broadened his horizons and Alli should look to do the same, whether it’s in Spain, Germany, Italy or somewhere else.

Alli’s development has so far been seen through the prism of the Premier League but such is his quality it should be viewed in a wider context. By curling in the opener for Spurs in the 4-0 win over Watford on Saturday Alli notched the 26th Premier League goal of his career and his 16th of the season, meaning he has scored more league goals than any other player of the same age in any of Europe’s top five leagues.

It goes beyond goal return too. Of players aged 21 or under in the same five leagues this season only RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner (52) has had more shots inside the opposition penalty box than Alli’s 42. His shot conversion rate for the season stands at 21.1%, putting him ahead the likes of Lionel Messi and Alexis Sanchez.

The embodiment of the modern midfielder, Alli is a force of nature in the final third, with his late runs into the box reminiscent of the ones Lampard made his hallmark. He is an attacking hub of pure productivity, making more successful passes in the final third (398) than other player aged 21 or under in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

His technical ability, vision on the ball, eye for a pass, goalscoring instinct and high pressing game makes him the most promising young English talent in a generation. Not even Wayne Rooney was this polished at Alli’s age, with the Spurs man accomplished beyond his years. Bale was a trailblazer in joining Real Madrid four years ago, becoming the first British player since Beckham to play for one of Spain’s big two. When the time is right, Alli should seek to follow that trail.

Didier Drogba joins Phoenix Rising FC, eyes getting USL club in MLS

2017-04-13T00:02:00.003-07:00

Didier Drogba joins Phoenix Rising FC, eyes getting USL club in MLS

Didier Drogba has opted to extend his playing career, announcing he's signed with Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday. The Arizona-based club, currently in its fourth season with theUnited Soccer League (USL), has designs on joining Major League Soccer in the coming years of expansion.
Drogba intends to help them see out that goal. The 39-year-old Ivorian will play for the club before transitioning to an executive role.
"After seeing first hand the potential for expansion of the sport in North America and getting to know the ownership group in Phoenix, I am convinced that I can help them develop their organization on and off the pitch," Drogba said in a team statement. "I look forward to their continued success in the USL, and no city is better positioned than Phoenix for expansion into the MLS."
Drogba's role as a player and part-owner is certainly unusual, but the former Chelsea player says he's
spoken with Blues owner Roman Abramovic about taking on a front-office role.

Happy to announce I have signed with @PHXRIsingFC and will be part of the ownership group hoping to take Phoenix to the MLS #Drogba2PHX pic.twitter.com/h1eefmqgJL
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) April 12, 2017

I have spoken many times with Roman Abramovich, not only on this occasion, and trust me its not easy to be an owner. He supports me," Drogba said, via The Mirror.
The unique opportunity proved to be too much for Drogba to pass up, though.
"Its a big project and they offered me the chance to become co-owner with my experience and knowledge from football for all these years as a player, to help the club to grow and become a big part of the MLS, he said.
There are major hurdles when it comes to getting the Div. II club into the top-flight of American soccer, however. Biggest of all is competition, of course. MLS intends to expand to another four teams for the 2020 season, and there are 12 teams vying for those spots -- including St. Louis, whose bid is murky at the moment.
Phoenix has the investors, land for a stadium and now a big-name (with apologies to Omar Bravo and Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose profiles aren't nearly as prominent as Drogba's)player/co-owner on board. Their next big step will be securing the funding and approval for a stadium to build on the previously mentioned land. That's a big ask, though.

Luis Enrique shoulders blame following Barca defeat

2017-04-12T02:37:00.001-07:00

We’ve seen this scenario before but Barcelona is still in a very precarious position as it heads into its UEFA Champions League quarterfinals second leg against Juventus.

The La Liga side fell 3-0 to Juventus on Tuesday after Paulo Dybala’s brace and Giorgio Chiellini added a third for the Italian side.

While there were some chances to be had for Barcelona, particularly over the second half of the match, manager Luis Enrique refused to blame his players following the defeat at the Juventus Stadium.

“It was a difficult first half, very similar to the one in Paris and the second was much better,” Enrique said following the first leg defeat. “If you gift the first half, then obviously you’re going to have problems.

“A coach does everything to help the team and prepare them, but evidently I did not. We have to improve, learn from these mistakes, analyse the game carefully and realise where we went wrong.
Barca’s best chance on the day to pull an away goal back came just prior to the 70th minute when Neymar’s attempted shot from inside the penalty area was blocked by Chiellini.
However, upon replay it appeared the Italian defender handled the ball as he slid in to make the block on the Brazilian star.
The Barca boss continued about how challenging it will be to replicate another massive comeback as the club did in the Round of 16 against Paris Saint Germain.
The Blaugrana trailed PSG 4-0 heading into the second leg affair before mounting a massive 6-1 victory (6-5 on aggregate) to reach the quarterfinals.
“It’s the second time this has happened,” Enrique said. “It’s hard to think of a remuntada [comeback], but we’ll try to get back on our feet and put in a good performance in the second leg.
“It’s not good to pick on single players after a defeat. It’s a defeat for the whole team, starting with the coach.”

Report: Steven Gerrard to manage Liverpool U-18 team next season

2017-04-12T02:32:00.002-07:00

A familiar face could be making a full-time return to Anfield next season, but it won’t be with the senior team for Steven Gerrard.

According to several outlets, the former Liverpool midfielder will manage the Reds’ Under-18 team next
season after serving as a coach with the Merseyside club in 2017 with a number of age groups.
Gerrard, 36, retired from professional soccer in 2016 after finishing up his two-year stint with MLS side LA Galaxy.
The U-18 side is currently managed by Neil Critchley and has been since 2013. ESPN FC is reporting that no announcement will be made on Gerrard in the immediate future.
While the U-18 role is filled at the moment, Liverpool does have an opening with its U-23 team.

Report: Real Madrid to target four Chelsea stars

2017-04-12T02:29:00.002-07:00

A report from Spanish outlet Don Balon claims Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on four Chelsea stars ahead of the summer transfer window.

The players who are said to be interesting the reigning European champs are Eden Hazard (Real are long-time admirers of his), plus N'Golo Kante, Thibaut Courtois and Marcos Alonso.
Rumors of Hazard and Courtois swapping Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu have been circulating for the past few months, while the report about Zinedine Zidane wanting to sign Kante last summer but being shut down by Real’s president Florentino Perez suggests they may go back in for the France superstar after his stunning debut season for Chelsea.

Kante joined Chelsea from Leicester for $35 million last summer and you have to think he is now worth over $60 million following his stunning displays which suggest he will be named the PFA Player of the Year while also winning his second PL title in a row after clinching the crown with Leicester City last season. Kante and Casemiro would provide some serious steel to Real’s midfield but is there room for both of them with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos around too?
It’s always a fine balancing act for Zidane and also the definition of “champagne problems” when you consider he also has central players Kovacic, Isco and Marco Llorente around too.
As for Alonso, the former Real Madrid academy product has had a fairly nomadic career for a player of his age, spending time with three different clubs in England (Bolton, Sunderland, Chelsea) and then in Italy with Fiorentina. With Real currently having Marcelo at left back bringing in Alonso, who is entering his prime at 26, doesn’t seem like a sensible move for the player or the club.
He would be a good long-term option at left back and has shown his undoubted attacking ability to slot in to Real’s team perfectly, but given the fact he’s a regular for Chelsea at left-wing back it would seem slightly far-fetched to see him leave the Blues. That said, Chelsea have been linked with a move for former Chelsea left back Ryan Bertrand, so maybe Alonso moving back to his boyhood club to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather makes sense.
The likelihood of one of these deals, let alone four, getting done seems remote considering all four players are key cogs in Antonio Conte‘s machine at Chelsea.
Hazard remains the jewel in Chelsea’s crown and if Real come in with a world-record bid for the Belgian attacker this summer it’ll be interesting to see what happens.
It’s not like Chelsea need the money but with Conte’s philosophy clear and everyone on board as they lead the Premier League by seven points, if heads are turned this summer he will soon realize.

'Diego Costa is a big-game player' - Alonso warns Man Utd ahead of Chelsea visit

2017-04-12T02:23:00.001-07:00

The Blues are due at Old Trafford on Sunday, with their 18-goal top scorer looking to end a five-match run without finding the target

Marcos Alonso considers Diego Costa to be “a big-game player” as Chelsea prepare to face Manchester United in the Premier League.

The Spain international has been a key figure for the Blues this season, with his 18-goal return helping to guide them to the top of the table.

He has, however, suffered a dip in form since becoming embroiled in a distracting transfer saga during the winter transfer window and is on a five-game drought at club level, having scored just four times in 2017.

Alonso, though, is adamant that the 28-year-old remains a talismanic figure, telling the Evening Standard:

“Diego has been massive forChelseathis season

“He has almost scored 20 [current tally is 18] goals and that is a significant contribution.

“But it’s not just about that, with the way we play, he is very important.

“He had another couple of chances to score against Bournemouth but no doubt next week, he’ll be there again.

“Is he a big-game player? Yes. Manchester United is going to be a tough game for us but it doesn’t matter who scores, hopefully, we will get the three points.

“We have a week to rest a little bit and then prepare, that’s what we have to be focused on these days.”

Chelsea will head to Manchester sat seven points clear of the chasing pack in the Premier League title race.

They will also make the journey having already secured a league and cup double over former boss Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo leads Real Madrid trip to face Bayern Munich but Pepe and Raphael Varane are out

2017-04-12T01:48:00.003-07:00

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has taken all his 22 first-team available players to travel to Germany ahead of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night (12 April).

Dani Carvajal has finally made the squad despite missing the Monday's training session so Raphael Varane and Pepe are the only two major absentees due to injuries.

Zidane is expected to make few changes to face Carlo Ancelotti's side after Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema already led the line-up in the weekend's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.

Yet, the derby was expected to be a crucial game in the La Liga title race with Barcelona and the Real

Madrid boss opted to deploy his Gala XI even though Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio and other fringe players had impressed in the previous 4-2 win over Leganes.

The draw against Diego Simeone's side proved to be positive after Barcelona suffered an unexpected 2-0 defeat at Malaga, leaving Real Madrid three points ahead at the top of La Liga table and with one game in hand.

However, pundits and fans in Spain in recent days have still asked Zidane to rethink his plans to face Bayern and drop one of the members of his attacking BBC trident in order to make space for an extra midfield like Isco in a more balanced 4-4-2 formation.

The Real Madrid boss is expected to ignore this advice as ever since he took over the Champions League winners he has insisted that the BBC will play whenever they are fit.

Yet, the boss will still need to make at least one change in his line-up after Pepe was forced off during the game against Atletico Madrid only minutes after scoring the opener for Real Madrid.

This way Nacho is tipped to take a place in the heart of the back-line as Varane remains on the sidelines following his latest hamstring blow.

Meanwhile, Carvajal's participation in the game came under question on Monday morning after the Spanish international was unavailable to complete the training session with the rest of his teammates. However, the right-back has been included in Zidane's 22-man squad and reports in Spain are suggesting that he won't have problems to start when Real Madrid visit the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.

Manchester United: Jose Mourinho Has ‘Concerns’ Over David De Gea

2017-04-12T01:45:00.002-07:00

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Sergio Romero will play in goal for Manchester United in its UEFA Europa League quarterfinal against Anderlecht on Thursday evening amid reported worries over the form and fitness of regular goalkeeper David De Gea.

De Gea, 26, has been close to moving to Real Madrid in each of the past two summer transfer windows, with only a delay in paperwork holding up a transfer to the Spanish capital in 2015.

In Jose Mourinho’s first season at United, though, De Gea has been a key player though he missed United’s victory at Sunderland on Sunday with what Mourinho described as a “hip problem.”

Now, though, the Daily Mail claims Mourinho is “concerned” about De Gea’s performances and will stick with Romero in goal against the team currently top of the Belgian First Division A. United has two routes remaining to secure UEFA Champions League football, via a top-four finish in the English Premier League and winning the Europa League.

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea at Old Trafford, Manchester, April 4. De Gea missed United's victory over Sunderland on Sunday. Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

Romero, the Argentina national team goalkeeper, made a superb save to deny Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe at the Stadium of Light and has been a regular starter in the Europa League this season.

Phil Neville, the former United defender, said earlier this week that he believed De Gea had been dropped for the Sunderland game and would sign for Real Madrid this summer.

"I’m still amazed at David De Gea," Neville said in quotes reported by the Manchester Evening News following United’s 3-0 victory. "You know when Real Madrid likes a player, they tend to come and get him. So it’d be a worry, if I were a United fan."

United plays the first leg of its quarterfinal at Constant Vanden Stock stadium in Brussels on Thursday evening, with the return at Old Trafford on April 20.

Neymar will be seeking redemption in Champions League

2017-04-12T01:33:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, and Neymar da Silva from Brazil, right, gesture during their match against CF Malaga in a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Malaga and Barcelona in Malaga, Spain, Saturday April 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Daniel Tejedor)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — One month after leading the most improbable of comebacks, Neymar earned himself the scorn of Barcelona's fans with a pair of senseless bookings.

He'll get a chance to redeem himself on Tuesday when his team faces Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Neymar picked up a pair of unnecessary yellow cards on Saturday and got sent off with 25 minutes left and his team trailing by a goal at Malaga. Without him, the undermanned side lost 2-0 and squandered an opportunity to close in on Spanish league leader Real Madrid, which was held to 1-1 by Atletico Madrid.

Neymar's infractions bordered on the absurd. Or tragicomic.

The Brazilian got his first yellow card for bending over to tie his boot laces and not giving space for a Malaga player to cleanly take a free kick. Then, knowing he was one false step from leaving his team with 10 men, Neymar charged into a Malaga player with no real chance to win back the ball.

As if he hadn't hurt his team enough already, Neymar may have made matters worse by sarcastically applauding the assistant referee as he exited the field.

The sending-off meant Neymar will be suspended for the next match against Real Sociedad, but his added dose of bad attitude could earn him an extended suspension, putting in danger his availability for the match at Madrid on April 23 that will go a long way to deciding the domestic title.

Referee Gil Manzano included Neymar's sarcastic applause in his report to the Spanish federation's competition committee, which will meet on Tuesday to decide the length of his suspension.

The front page of Barcelona-based sports daily Sport on Sunday summed up the incredulity of Barcelona's supporters by splashing the headline "UNFORGIVABLE" over a photo of Manzano showing Neymar his well-deserved red card.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique tried to deflect criticism of Neymar by pointing at Manzano's decisions.

"There were nasty tackles from behind that didn't earn bookings, while other fouls committed by us were," Luis Enrique said. "The rules are to be interpreted, but they should be the same for all."

Excuses aside, what a month is has been for the Brazil striker.

His two goals and last-gasp pass for the winner in the dying minutes of Barcelona's historic 6-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain on March 8 earned him praise. The result sent Barcelona through 6-5 on aggregate, making it the first team to overturn a 4-0 first-leg loss in the competition.

Neymar's performance, which he rightly called the "best of my career," appeared to mark a watershed moment for the 25-year-old Brazilian. Suddenly, he wasn't just Lionel Messi's flashy sidekick; he had willed Barcelona to victory as only a true leader can.

Now, with his reputation tarnished, Neymar heads to Turin for the first of two legs against a Juventus side he helped beat two years ago in the Champions League final to give Barcelona its fifth European Cup.

Europe has suited Neymar again this season. While Messi leads the Champions League with 11 goals, Neymar tops the competition with eight assists, to go along with four goals of his own.

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta insisted on the need to regroup for the Juventus match.

"There isn't long to go and mistakes are most costly as we reach the end," Iniesta said. "Now we have to switch focus and concentrate on the Champions League, a competition that is very enticing. What we have to do is go there and play a great game."

A great game without any tantrums from Messi's heir apparent.

Explosion hits Borussia Dortmund team bus ahead of Champions League tie, Marc Bartra hospitalised

2017-04-12T01:21:00.004-07:00

German authorities have confirmed reports of three explosions involving the Borussia Dortmund team bus

ahead of the club's Champions League tie against Monaco.

Dortmund confirmed the incident via their official Twitter with defender Marc Bartra taken to hospital to treat minor wounds.

Nigeria Olympic Fund to open two training centres early 2017 – Onyali

2016-12-01T01:08:00.001-08:00

Mary Onyali, the Executive Director of Nigeria Olympic Fund, on Wednesday said the body plans to open two training centres for kids early next year.
Onyali told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the two centres would be located in Kwara and Kogi States.
Onyali said: “Our focus next year is to set up at least two training centres in the first quarter and kick start operations immediately.
“The centre in Kogi will be named after the late athlete, Sunday Bada; we will accommodate and train kids in these centres for future Olympic events.”
She said weightlifting would be the target sport for the Kwara State centre and would be named after veteran weightlifter, Ruth Ogbeifo.

Onyali, a bronze medallist at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, also said that centres would be created in all 36 states of the country, depending on the availability of funds
She said that the Fund has embarked on advocacy visits to get support for the project.
She appealed to Nigerians to support the project by contributing at least N100 to its cause through details available on nigeriaolympicfund .com.
She said: “Right now, we are still on advocacy visits. Funds are coming in, but still very little.
“The highest we have had so far is N10 million given to us by Chief Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University.”
NAN reports that the Nigeria Olympic Fund aims to prepare and sponsor Nigerian contingents for future Olympics.

Wheelchair Tennis national ranking tourney serves off

2016-12-01T00:35:00.001-08:00

The 2016 National Wheelchair Ranking Tournament will serve off Thursday in at the National Stadium, Lagos with no fewer than 40 players participating.
Nigeria’s wheelchair tennis head coach, Frank Tarmena, disclosed that the players that have already registered will represent about 20 states.
Tarmena expressed optimism that more players will register for the tournament before it gets underway.
“Registration so far has been average because we are expecting a large number of participants due to the importance of the tournament. Some few more states have notify us that they are on their way to Lagos and because of this we have decided not to extend registration till Thursday morning after which we will commence the draws,” he stated.
Tarmena, who is an ITF Instructor on wheelchair tennis, stated that the players enthusiastic about the tournament as they hope to get a better ranking which will automatically earned them places into the main
draw of big tournaments like the Central Bank of Nigeria Open, which guarantees them monetary prizes.
He revealed that the duo of Alex Adewale and Kafayat Omisore will be the top seeds for the men and women chart which will be competed for in round of 32. The quad division, he added, will feature about 10-12 players.
Adewale, who represented Nigeria at the London 2012 Paralympics, is the reigning CBN Open champion while Omisore, who was a finalist in the women’s singles, will head the women’s chart due to the absence of Foluke Shittu, who is currently abroad.
The likes of Wasiu Yusuf, who represented Nigeria at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, Jude Uwaize, Lateef Shodipo are also among the favourites to shoot into the top of the ranking for the men’s division while Tosin Dawodu and Remi Basanya also look good to push their way to the top of the ladder board.

Super Falcons officials evacuated, as plane develops electrical problem

2016-11-30T23:45:00.002-08:00

Five members of the Super Falcons participating at the on-going African Women’s Nations Cup in Cameroon were forced to travel by road from Douala to Yaoundé yesterday, as the aircraft in which they were supposed to fly developed electrical fault shortly before take off.
The team, which defeated the Banyana Banyana of South Africa 1-0 to qualify for the final of the championship, had left their Parliamentarian Flat hotel in Buea at 6.00 a.m. and arrived in Douala for their flight to Yaoundé. They were scheduled to depart Douala at 9.00 a.m. for the state capital, a journey of about 45 minutes by air and about four hours by road.
The Nigerians arrived at Douala airport alongside their South African counterparts, who will face Ghana’s Black Queens in tomorrow’s third-place match.
But on getting to Douala airport, CAF officials could not secure enough seats for the entire Nigerian team to continue their journey inside one plane. “The team experienced some delay at the airport, but at the end, all
the players and officials could not travel together in one plane because it was a small aircraft which could not accommodate both Nigeria and the South African team at the same time. As a result, five members of the team were left behind.
“Those five people were later checked into another plane, but just as they were preparing to commence the journey to Yaoundé, smoke started coming out from the plane due to electrical problem and everybody was evacuated. The five people had to embark on their journey by road to Yaoundé,” a member of the team said.
She added that even those who made the trip by air had to leave their luggage behind in Douala due to the small nature of the plane.
They were expecting their bags to arrive their Djeuga Palace hotel in Yaoundé at 8.00 p.m. yesterday.
The incidence is coming less than 24 hours after a Brazilian football team was involved in a plane crash on their way to a match in Colombia.

Gerrard should work as youth coach – Thompson

2016-11-25T02:36:00.000-08:00

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has warned Steven Gerrard against taking a management job until he builds up his coaching experience.
Gerrard, who announced on Thursday that he was retiring as a player after leaving LA Galaxy, has already confirmed that he turned down the chance to take charge of League One strugglers MK Dons.
While Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp appears open to Gerrard joining his coaching staff, Thompson suggested the 36-year-old should start by working with current England under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd.
Thompson, who worked with Gerrard during his time as Liverpool’s assistant manager, told Sky Sports: “There will be a lot of opportunities but I’d rather see him with England U21s, which would probably be my preference, then come back to Liverpool in some capacity, maybe with the U23s or as first-team coach.
“Aidy Boothroyd is down there in an interim role with the England U21s with a wealth of experience. He’s gone into the under-21 setup [and] is the sort of figure to learn from.
“It’s one thing cutting your teeth with the younger players at a football club but going into a League One or League Two side is a difficult scenario unless you’ve got a senior coach with you.”

Thompson highlighted Pep Guardiola’s work with Barcelona B, Zinedine Zidane’s spell in charge of Real Madrid Castilla and Patrick Vieira’s time with the Manchester City academy side as positive examples of top former players learning their trade away from the spotlight.
He also said it was unlikely Klopp would want him to work with the Liverpool first team at present, explaining: “With the team doing to so well it could take the focus away, especially with Jurgen Klopp’s trusted lieutenants doing such a great job.”
Thompson, who won three European Cups with Liverpool, also said he had spoken to Gerrard “a couple of months ago” and that he had expected him to continue playing in some capacity.
“He was still unsure about where his next step was. The one thing he was sure about was leaving LA Galaxy,” he said.
“He was hoping to be a player-coach somewhere, which would have given him some coaching experience as he’s not got any whatsoever.
“You just felt with the way he retired quite suddenly, having known he considered carrying on player and coach, that maybe he has something in the pipelines.”

Mourinho sets Rooney Europa League goal

2016-11-25T02:13:00.001-08:00

Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho arrives for the UEFA Europa League group A football match between Manchester United and Feyenoord at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north-west England, on November 24, 2016.AFP/Oli Scarff

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho challenged Wayne Rooney to lead the club to Europa League glory after the England captain broke United’s European scoring record against Feyenoord.
Rooney, 31, scored his 39th European goal as United crushed Feyenoord 4-0 on Thursday, thereby closing to within just one goal of Bobby Charlton’s all-time club scoring record of 249 goals.
United need just a draw away to Ukrainians Zorya Luhansk in their final Group A game to progress and Mourinho says Rooney can be the inspiration behind the club’s first success in the competition.
“It’s an amazing achievement, obviously,” Mourinho told reporters when asked to sum up Rooney’s feat in surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy as United’s outright leading scorer in UEFA competitions.
“It will be even better if he can help to bring to the club the only competition that the club never won in its history, which is the Europa League.
“It’s not the biggest competition, obviously, but it’s a competition that Man United’s history doesn’t have. So let’s try, let’s push.

“I know that it’s difficult. I know there are lots of matches in the knockout (phase).
“But let’s try to qualify and if we qualify in Ukraine, then more matches to come and hopefully more goals for Rooney to score.”
Rooney’s performance followed a week of negative headlines after he supposedly ‘gatecrashed’ a late-night wedding party while on England duty.
Despite his milestone, the England captain missed out on the man-of-the-match award to his team-mate Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who marked his first start since September 10 with a fine display.
Mourinho said the Armenian playmaker had been left out of last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal because he was not ready for the “pressure” of such a high-profile fixture.
– ‘Premier League is different’ –
While Mkhitaryan’s direct running and neat footwork delighted the Old Trafford crowd, Mourinho said the former Borussia Dortmund star still had work to do.
“He just needs now to try to replicate this type of performance in the Premier League. The Premier League is different,” said Mourinho, whose side entertain West Ham United on Sunday.
“He needs one more step. Obviously now confidence levels are higher.
“This performance gives him the right to believe that he can play the next match again and he needs to replicate this kind of performance in the Premier League, with more physicality, more aggression.
“He needs a little bit more of that, but the quality, we know why we bought him.”
Rooney gave United a 35th-minute lead, starting the move in his own half and exchanging passes with Zlatan Ibrahimovic before coolly chipping Feyenoord goalkeeper Brad Jones.
Rooney teed up Juan Mata for United’s second goal in the 69th minute and after an own goal by Jones, substitute Jesse Lingard sealed victory in stoppage time.
United leapfrogged Feyenoord to second place in Group A, a point below leaders Fenerbahce.
Feyenoord must now win at home to Fenerbahce in their final group game if they are to guarantee a spot in the round of 32.
“It’s of course a result we didn’t want,” said beaten manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
“We could cope with Manchester for 70 minutes. The second goal was a big punch for us. We had a big chance to score the first goal.
“You know against Manchester, you don’t get many chances, but we created one or two big chances to score the first goal. After 70 minutes, you could see the difference in quality.”

I’ve no Rio regrets, I’m part of Chelsea history – Mikel

2016-11-25T01:56:00.000-08:00

Nigeria captain Mikel Obi has insisted that he stands by his decision to represent his country at the Rio 2016 Olympics instead of parcitipating in Chelsea’s pre-season with new manager .
The 29-year-old also asserts that his place in Chelsea’s history is assured after his long, trophy-laden service to the English club.
“I’m not a guy who makes excuses in life,” Mikel, who is yet to feature for Chelsea under Conte, said in a BBC World Football interview on Friday.
“I never make excuses. I never shy away from my responsibilities. Yes, maybe people would say maybe I lost my place at Chelsea because I went to the Olympics, I didn’t have pre-season with the team, a new manager was coming in and was probably upset that I left for the Olympics, and probably thinks I don’t care about the team.
But I don’t want to use those excuses, I want to keep training hard and make sure I change the manager’s mind. But if it doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen.
“I’ll keep doing my best and be ready for whenever I’m called upon. Let’s see what happens in January. I
have to remain professional. I keep training and working hard, hoping that one day I’ll get to play.”
Mikel, who captained the Nigeria U-23s to bronze in Rio in August as one of the three allowed overage players, says his medal is a prized possession he will forever cherish.
“I wouldn’t trade my Olympic bronze for a place in the Chelsea team,” he said. “As a man, when you make a sacrifice, you have to deal with it, you have to face it like a man, you have to stand by your decision. You have to live with your decision because it’s your decision.
“I have no regrets at all, not one single regret for going to the Olympics and I’d not trade my medal for anything. I deserved it, I worked so hard for it, so why would I trade it for something else?”
Mikel, who joined Chelsea in 2006 after a protracted transfer wrangle that involved Manchester United, remains proud of his time at Stamford Bridge despite not playing a single minute this season and is not fazed by the likelihood of a January exit.
“I’ve been part of the best years at the club, I’ve enjoyed the best part of the club,” he added.
“I was there when we won our first ever Champions League title. I played in the final and I was the man of the match in that final.
“I’ve written my name in the history books of Chelsea. I’ve won loads and loads of trophies, I’ve played close to 400 games for this club.
“I have no single regret, I’ve done it all. But as a player you’re still hungry, you still want to win more with the club. If that’s the way it ends (leaving in January) then that’s it. Players move on. In life you move on. I’m very relaxed about the January transfer window. I’ll speak to the club and we’ll find the best solution.”
When asked why he did not leave Chelsea in the summer despite several reported offers, Mikel replied: “I went to the Olympics and there was no communication about what the situation was, then the transfer window ended.
“The club didn’t tell me to leave, I didn’t get anything from the club. I have one year left so I decided I didn’t want to leave just like that because I’ve been here for a while, 11 years now. It’s good sometimes to leave when you know you’ve finished your contract and your business there is done.”

Ex-Eaglets star Dami Paul joins Katsina United

2016-11-25T01:54:00.000-08:00

Former Nigeria U17 and U20 goalkeeper Dami Paul has joined newly promoted NPFL side Katsina United.
The club’s coach Bala Nikyu said: “We have brought in a new goalkeeper Dami Paul from Nasarawa
United, I met three goalkeepers here and they are all doing well.”
The agile Paul was top choice when Nigeria hosted the 2009 U17 World Cup.
He will thereafter feature for the Flying Eagles as they won the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa.

Lagos hosts Wheelchair Tennis National rankings tourney

2016-11-25T01:04:00.001-08:00

Over 120 players are expected to participate a the inaugural National Wheelchair Tennis National Ranking Tournament scheduled to hold from November 30- December 3 in Lagos.
Nigeria Wheelchair Tennis scribe, Wosilat Aliu-Abass, informed that entries are still being expected from states who have all been sent letters for the championship.
She added that Wheelchair Tennis Nigeria, which is a division under the Nigeria Tennis Federation, is expecting a massive participation due to the fact that the tournament offers opportunities for players to occupy good position which would in turn help them in selection for national assignments.
Nigeria wheelchair tennis coach, Frank Tarmena stressed that the tournament will help in discovery of new
players for the national team while also enhance competitions among the players.
He stressed that the tournament would also afford players that have been deprived of featuring in tournaments like the Central Bank of Nigeria Open which is invitational to have chance of participation.
‘’Since the last three years, it has always been the same set of 16 players that have been featuring in the CBN Open due to the fact that the ranking has always been about the same set of players but this time around, new players have the chance to break into the top 16 which will pave the way for them to also feature in CBN and any other tournaments,’’ he said.

Heartland’s crisis festers, as Etuemena rejects new head coach

2016-11-25T00:37:00.003-08:00

The crisis and face-off between the Chairman of the Imo State government owned Heartland Football Club (FC), Goodfaith Etuemena, and the Deputy Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly/Supervisor of the side, Ugonna Ozuruigbo, deepened yesterday when the club boss dissociated himself and the board from the appointment of a new head coach for the team.
A statement on Thursday signed by the club’s Media Director, Cajetan Nkwopara, Etuemena dismissed Ozuruigbo’s employment of Cross River-based Camerounian, Emmanuel Deutsch, as Heartland’s new technical adviser, saying the move was just to factionalise the team.
The statement read: “Chairman of Heartland FC of Owerri, Goodfaith Etuemena has washed off his hands on the purported hiring of Cross River State-based Cameroonian, Emmanuel Deutsch, as team’s new technical adviser by the Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Ugonna Ozuruigbo, a.k.a. OZB.
“Etuemena said both himself and the body of Heartland FC management was neither aware nor party to the hiring of Cameroonian, who was dropped as Heartland’s goalkeeper trainer before the team was able to
pick a ticket to feature in the CAF Champions League competition in 2009.
“This action represents the first direct attempt to factionalize our darling team and turn it into another political movement. But I would plead with Nigerian football stakeholders to reject and resist it. As a matter of fact, we have a team of seasoned coaches handling the team at the moment and if we need to change any of them, we’ll go for coaches with greater pedigree,” he said.
Etuemena, who took over as chairman of Heartland on July 25 2016; long after the club had booked an inglorious position on the relegation log; also complained that the companies (such as OZB Communication) whose logos appeared on the backdrop used for the unveiling of Deutsch by the other faction of Heartland FC Management, have no sponsorship, partnership or affiliation with Heartland FC.”
He added: “For Heartland to get out of relegation in just one season as the people and government of Imo State have tasked the team, every effort should be made to unite the team and not divide it.
“I have said it severally, that as long as my deputy speaker of the house of assembly is able to understand and focus on his role, I’m ready and willing to work with him. I’m not a man of crises, I’m for peace any day.”