Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has asked his players to gear up for a challenging pre-season schedule, as the German looks to build up the squad’s fitness ahead of next season. Klopp, who replaced Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool boss in October, has promised his players a summer of hard work on the training pitch and will bring in a second member of Bayern Munich’s backroom staff in pre-season. “It will be triple training sessions, of course,” Klopp told British media. “The problem with pre-season is that for the first three weeks we have 15 players who will have been away at…
Author: David Folami
Overall fatigue and long-term injuries to key players combined to end Arsenal’s pursuit for the Premier League title this season, goalkeeper Petr Cech has said. Arsenal, who won their last league title in 2004, made a strong start to the season and were top of the division at the end of December, but lost out to champions Leicester City and are currently third in the table behind Tottenham Hotspur going into the last match of the campaign. “It was a very strange season in a way,” Cech, who signed from Chelsea in the close season, told the club website. “If…
If Odion Ighalo stays at Watford next season he won’t be working under manager Quique Sanchez Flores who will leave Watford after their final match of the season on Sunday, the Premier League club said on Friday. Under the 51-year-old Spaniard, Watford achieved an unexpected FA Cup semi-final berth and have secured safety in the Premier League where they currently sit 13th with a match to go. Flores, who joined the club during the close season, recently revealed there was a break clause in his contract. He is the fifth manager in the last two years to part the club…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic expressed his pride at what he achieved during four years with Paris Saint-Germain after confirming he will leave the club at the end of the season. The Sweden striker announced on Friday that he will call time on his stay at the Parc des Princes, with the Ligue 1 champions having one league game at home to Nantes and the Coupe de France final with Marseille to come. Ibrahimovic declared that he rose from the status of “king” to “legend” during a trophy-laden spell in the French capital, citing his influence in establishing PSG as a major European…
Real Madrid defender Marcelo says the club needed new direction after stuttering under Rafael Benitez and has praised Zinedine Zidane for “breathing life back” into the team since taking over as coach in January. Newcastle United’s relegation from the English Premier League on Wednesday completed a miserable season for Benitez who was sacked by Real barely six months into the job. The Spaniard left with Real third in the table, four points off the top of La Liga. Frenchman Zidane has cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to a single point going into the final games of the season at…
Barcelona have the upper hand in a final day showdown with Real Madrid for the Spanish title on Saturday as they know a victory at Granada will ensure them a 24th La Liga crown. Madrid are a point behind and have to stretch their winning La Liga run to 12 games at Deportivo la Coruna and hope for a Barca slip up to land the title. The battle between the two richest clubs in the world has come down to the final day thanks to Barca’s incredible slump of three consecutive league defeats in April, the first time in 13…
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich will lift the Bundesliga trophy for an historic fourth consecutive time on Saturday – with their rivals predicting they will get even stronger next season under Carlo Ancelotti. Bayern’s home match against Hanover 96, who are already relegated, will be Guardiola’s last at the Allianz Arena before he takes over at Manchester City next season. It promises to be a festive occasion in Munich and Guardiola will be a prime candidate for the traditional ‘beer shower’ when the Bayern squad are presented with over-sized glasses of beer to start the party after the final whistle. Under…
Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has backed teammate Eden Hazard to lead the club back to the top of the English game next season after the winger’s form improved dramatically over the past few games. Hazard, who has struck four goals in his last four Premier League games, endured a difficult start to the season, scoring his first league goal against Bournemouth last month. Chelsea’s fortunes have largely echoed those of their mercurial midfielder, with last season’s champions occupying ninth place in the table. “Can he get Chelsea back to the top playing like he is right now? Of course. He…
Manuel Pellegrini has vowed to give Manchester City the perfect parting gift of a Champions League place at the expense of Manchester United, while champions Leicester will bring down the curtain on their astonishing season at Chelsea on Sunday. With a memorable Premier League campaign coming to a conclusion with the final round of fixtures this weekend, the focus is split between the Manchester rivals’ battle for the last spot in Europe’s elite club competition and a fitting finale for Leicester as the fairytale champions bow out at the home of last year’s winners. For City manager Pellegrini, his side’s…
Leicester City’s England striker Jamie Vardy has been named Premier League Player of the Season after his pivotal role in the club’s remarkable title-winning campaign. The East Midlands club, which announced the award in a tweet on Friday, defied the odds to lift their first top-flight crown having begun the season as 5 000-1 outsiders. The prolific Vardy is also in the race for the golden boot awarded to the league’s top scorer, having netted 24 goals so far, one behind his international teammate Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur with one round of matches remaining on Sunday. Leicester visit last…
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his support for plans to restrict the movement of persons involved in corruption to prevent them from travelling abroad. This was disclosed via a statement released by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina on Thursday, May 12, 2016. The statement reads: “We commit to work together to enhance company disclosure on the payments to governments for the sale of oil, gas and minerals, complementing ongoing work within the EITI. “Nigeria is already reporting progress through the EITI working groups and will continue to work with interested countries to build a common understanding…
Human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana (SAN) has condemned the new fuel price increase by the Federal Government, describing it as illegal, immoral and insensitive. He said the government lacks statutory power to increase fuel pump price as the body empowered to take such decision is yet to be constituted. Falana, who stated this in a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday, May 12, asked the government to revert to the old pump price. He said the Muhammadu Buhari administration acted against its promises not to remove subsidy in order to inflict undue pains on Nigerians. The lawyer stressed…
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has assured Nigerians that the removal of fuel subsidy would crash the price of petrol from the new price of N145 per litre to an unimaginable price over the next six months. Speaking on Thursday, May 12, on Channels TV’s programme, Sunrise Daily, Kachikwu said that the subsidy removal became necessary in roder to end the fuel scarcity in the country. According to him, the market dynamics would drive down the price of petrol in the long run “because there are a lot of Nigerians who are very active, very…
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, May 12, raided the Abuja residence of former director of publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode. The EFCC had stormed Fani-Kayode’s last Friday following an invitation asking him to report to the agency’s headquarters on Monday, May 9, for questioning over alleged “criminal conspiracy, fraud and money laundering”. He honoured the anti-graft agency’s invitation, but was detained. According to Fani-Kayode’s media aide, Jude Ndukwe, the Thursday raid on his boss’ residence was the fourth in the last one week. “Earlier today, the EFCC invaded…
National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has said that the new fuel pump price is a necessary pain Nigerians must endure temporarily. Tinubu, who stated this in a statement issued by his media office, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for taking “a bold step”. According to him, the new ‘no subsidy’ regime will purge the petroleum sector of the rot undermining it benefits, and push out “fake businessmen who became true billionaires over night.” “We all want fuel at a cheaper price under the subsidy, we got the right price but not the fuel,” Tinubu was quoted…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has said that he will not support the 2019 presidential bid of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff. The governor however added that he would gladly serve as the PDP’s vice presidential candidate if chosen. Fayose made the comment on Monday, May 9, 2016, during his monthly media chat, The Nation reports. “I will not support Ali Modu Sheriff for President in 2019. I am qualified to be VP if it is the will of God. God is taking me to a higher place, how, I don’t know,” he said. “If he gives…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised members of the Senate for purchasing cars, after they were given loans for that purpose. The former President said the move by the lawmakers is absolute nonsense. You will recall that Obasanjo in a letter dated January 13, 2016, criticised the legislators for being insensitive to the economic situation in the country. A move that saw the Senator representing Kogi west, Dino Melaye accusing the former President of introducing corruption into the national assembly in his bid to run for a third term in office. Obasanjo who spoke on Monday, May 9, 2016, at…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has said that he is qualified to be Nigeria’s Vice President. Fayose made the comment on Monday, May 9, 2016, during his monthly media chat, The Nation reports.f “I will not support Ali Modu Sheriff for President in 2019. I am qualified to be VP if it is the will of God. God is taking me to a higher place, how, I don’t know,” the governor said. “If he gives me the VP slot, it is a good thing for Ekiti people even though, you cannot set out to say you want to be VP.…
The South-East Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged militants in the Niger Delta not to punish President Muhammadu Buhari for the sins of his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan. The call was made by caucus spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu in Abuja on Monday, May 9, 2016. “The escalation of bombings of the Niger Delta region is an ill-wind which blows no one good; not the least the good people of Niger Delta whom the Avengers claim to avenge their age-long ills,” he said. “Otherwise, may we honestly ask the Niger Delta Avengers, where they were, when our dear former President,…
Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido has said that he is willing to serve as Nigeria’s president. Lamido also spoke on the need to restructure the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He made the comments during a recent interview with The Nation. Excerpts below: What are you doing to effect reconciliation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? You don’t know what we are doing and how hard we are working within the party, who we are reaching out, who we are talking to and people we are trying to reconcile. You don’t need to see it on the face book or…