Last November, Barcelona tweeted a photograph of Lionel Messi hugging Marc-Andre ter Stegen with the caption: “The two biggest reasons we are where we are right now.” The tweet drew outrage because fans felt it diminished the role of the other players in the squad and Barca followed up with another post explaining that “all our players contribute to our success.” However, one year on, it remains undeniable that Messi and Ter Stegen are the keys to Ernesto Valverde’s side prospering this season. In a Barca side that is struggling in defence — they have conceded more than nine other…
Author: David Folami
Manchester United need a lift and will face a Valencia side in the Champions League on Tuesday that has just one victory in La Liga this season, but the truth is that three, four or even five wins will not change the fact that the Old Trafford club looks rudderless. Would a different manager automatically change things for the better? He would face the same issues as Jose Mourinho: A squad full of egos and players with more power than ever, who need a strong man to keep control. A new boss might benefit from a brief honeymoon and the…
Gernot Rohr’s latest Super Eagles squad ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations double-header against Libya indicates that the German coach is finally confident in the options available to him. The German coach is having to do without captain John Obi Mikel, who’s sidelined by injury, but his almost exclusively stuck with the players who have served under him in recent months. Perhaps this is the Super Eagles reaping the rewards of managerial stability, with Rohr holding the fort with limited off-field distractions over the last 26 months, a rarity in Nigerian football in recent times. 17 of the…
Maurizio Sarri has said that David Luiz has surprised him “as a player and as a man” since he took over as Chelsea head coach in the summer. Luiz has played every minute of Chelsea’s first seven Premier League matches this season and impressed under pressure against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, clearing one goal-bound header from Roberto Firmino off the line in an entertaining 1-1 draw. It is a remarkable return to prominence for the Brazil international, who was frozen out of the first team by Antonio Conte following a training-ground argument last season and did not feature…
Pep Guardiola has said that he is not afraid of Liverpool ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Anfield next Sunday — despite his side losing their last three encounters with Jurgen Klopp’s men. City were beaten twice by Liverpool in the quarterfinals of last season’s Champions League, while they also lost 4-3 at Anfield in the Premier League in January. They are winless at Anfield since May 2003 — a run of 17 games in all competitions — but Guardiola said he expects his team to fight for a result. “I believe too much in that team, in those guys,”…
Gareth Bale did not suffer a new muscle injury in Real Madrid’s 0-0 draw against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, according to reports in Spain, and could return for next weekend’s trip to Alaves. Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui said the 29-year-old had felt a problem in an abductor muscle, with his substitution being “precautionary,” and he was not included in the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League game at CSKA Moscow. Radio station Cope and newspaper Marca said initial examinations had shown no serious problem, although a further scan may take place on Tuesday. A record of more than 20 muscle injuries…
Mauricio Pochettino has said he nearly became a teammate of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi at Espanyol in 2005. Pochettino, whose side face Barca in the Champions League on Wednesday, revealed that Messi had been close to moving to Espanyol before staying at the Camp Nou. “I started to hear about him when I was at Espanyol — a small guy playing in the academy in Barcelona,” Pochettino said. “He arrived when he was 13 years old, going from Argentina to Barcelona. Then I heard he was so close to signing for Espanyol — very close — in the season Barcelona played…
So it comes down to this: Can Jose Mourinho ever produce the exciting and successful Manchester United side that fans crave? You sense they would accept the endless sideshow that comes with this manager — even accept not winning things — if they could see a team worth watching again. In other words, can he reinvent himself as a coach in the way the late David Bowie did repeatedly as a rock star? Can Mourinho accept that the formula, which brought him so much success, does not work so well in the modern era? One of Bowie’s signature tracks was…
Pep Guardiola has ruled out any chance of a move for Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe insisting “that is not going to happen.” Reports suggested that Manchester City were planning a £200 million move for the World Cup-winning striker with the French champions potentially facing Financial Fear Play issues. “That is not going to happen,” Guardiola told a news conference ahead of City’s Champions League clash with German side Hoffenheim. “Sometimes I don’t understand where that news comes from. “Man City doesn’t have or is going to spend the money that Mbappe and PSG deserve. PSG is not going to…
Lionel Scaloni has said he has not contacted Sergio Aguero to discuss a possible return to the national team despite the Manchester City striker’s excellent start to the season. Aguero, the second leading scorer in the Premier League with five goals, played for Argentina at this summer’s World Cup in Russia but did not feature in two friendlies last month: a 3-0 win over Guatemala in Los Angeles and a 0-0 draw with Colombia in New York. The 30-year-old will not be in the squad for the game against Iraq on Oct. 11, or the clash vs. Brazil five days…
Thomas Tuchel has said he does not believe Ligue 1 football reduces his side’s chances in the Champions League. “Ligue 1 is a very physical league,” Tuchel told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Nice. “In each team, there are very fast players, dangerous wide men with plenty of speed and endurance. “Le Championnat is very balanced and of high quality. There are teams like Monaco, Marseille and Lyon but also Lille, Nice and Toulouse, who are strong. I do not agree that Ligue 1 is a problem for us. “We have our own limits and we have…
In the 26-year history of the Premier League, it’s difficult to remember many more dramatic shifts in style between Chelsea pre-Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea under the Italian manager. Even Arsenal’s transition from George Graham’s defensive-minded football to Arsene Wenger’s artistic attacking was aided by the one-season reign of Bruce Rioch, who had the demeanour of Graham but preached the importance of playing out from the back and loaded his side with creative talent. Chelsea have not had that type of transition manager and Sarri will have to initiate, and complete, a similar reversal himself. It’s not merely that Chelsea were…
The Spanish Referee Committee (CTA) has requested a review of the tool used to determine offside positions in Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology. Reports in Spain said Leganes’ opening goal in their 2-1 win over Barcelona on Wednesday should not have been awarded because Jonathan Silva was offside when he received the ball before setting up Nabil El Zhar. El Chiringuito TV reported that the lines drawn by VAR when looking at the position of the striker and the defender were off and, had they been straight, Silva would have been shown to be ahead of play by 16 centimetres.…
Italy international Jorginho has said he chose to join Chelsea over Manchester City because of Maurizio Sarri’s arrival at Stamford Bridge. However, City were unable to finalise an agreement with Napoli, and Jorginho joined Chelsea in a deal worth €60 million. “There are a lot of things behind a negotiation process,” Jorginho said, when asked about his decision to join Chelsea over City. “I believe Sarri’s arrival played a big part on it. “And there’s also the greatness of Chelsea, such a big club. So these factors helped me making my mind.” Despite Jorginho having already been at Napoli for…
Everton forward Richarlison could be switched from his regular position on the wing to striker in Saturday’s Premier League game against promoted Fulham, manager Marco Silva said on Friday. He struck twice on his first international start for Brazil to seal a 5-0 friendly win over El Salvador this month to leave Silva mulling the new role for the 21-year-old. “He could be one of the strikers. It is possible, everything is possible. This week I can tell you he worked some moments as a striker. It is up to me to decide tomorrow,” Silva told a news conference. “We…
Hertha Berlin stunned Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich 2-0 on Friday for their first win against them in nine years, snapping the champions’ unbeaten run this season and moving the Berliners joint top in the league. Hertha captain Vedad Ibisevic sent Manuel Neuer the wrong way to score with a 23rd minute penalty after Jerome Boateng had brought down Salomon Kalou. Slovak forward Ondrej Duda continued his sensational form with his fifth goal of the season, firing in on the stroke of half-time. Bayern, without injured Leon Goretzka, had their share of chances with Arjen Robben in the first half and…
Unai Emery is confident that Aaron Ramsey won’t let his contract situation affect his performances and called on the midfielder to show his quality amid a stand-off between the club and player over new terms. Emery indicated that he has no plans of dropping the Wales international, though, and said he isn’t worried that his performances could suffer. “I don’t think so,” Emery said ahead of Saturday’s home game against Watford. “I am sure the best for us and the best for him is to take this opportunity to do the best performance each match, to show every supporter his…
Jose Mourinho has refused to expand on his reasons for stripping Paul Pogba of the vice-captaincy or the trigger for a tense exchange between the pair at training but did warn “no player is bigger than the club.” “He’s a player like the others, no player is bigger than the club and if I’m happy with his work he plays, if I’m not happy he doesn’t play,” Mourinho said. “I’m happy with his work this week, really happy. “Manchester United is bigger than anyone and I have to defend that.” Mourinho and Pogba’s training ground confrontation has come amid a…
Richard Russell has shared his confidence over Adele‘s next record – as well as revealing what he looks for in an artist before signing them to XL Recordings. Russell is the owner of XL Recordings – home to the likes of Adele, The xx, FKA Twigs, Arca, Sigur Ros, Arca, Thom Yorke and Jungle. Speaking to NME on the red carpet of the Mercury Music Prize, where he was nominated for the collaborative album ‘Everything Is Recorded’, Russell remained tight-lipped about what to expect from Adele’s upcoming fourth album, he did praise her recent ‘Titanic’ themed birthday party. “I went…
Veteran actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, is presently under heat for her comment, which was aimed at judging what female celebrities wore to the just concluded Africa Movies Viewers Choice Awards held in Lagos on Saturday. The actress allegedly wrote: “The men were well suited looking so modest and handsome while the women were almost nude, though they look so beautiful but you can see that there dresses are either showing their upper thighs or boobs. Except Omotola…her dress is so lovely and divine, with her awesome curves. Other women celebrities should goan learn dress sense from her(sic),” . And many people…