La Liga president Javier Tebas says the punishments handed out by FIFA to Spanish giants Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona for breaking youth transfer regulations are “medieval and anachronistic.” Earlier in January, Madrid and Atletico were banned from all transfers during the summer 2016 and winter 2017 windows after FIFA found the two clubs had on many occasions broken the laws regarding the international transfers of players aged under-16. Both clubs have denied any wrongdoing and are set to appeal as far as the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary, with Atleti lodging a formal appeal to FIFA’s…
Author: David Folami
Atletico Madrid lodged an appeal Monday against a one-year transfer ban imposed by Fifa over their dealing in under-age players. The ban starts from the July transfer window this year and finishes with the January transfer market in 2017. Real Madrid were hit with the same punishment. Atletico were also fined 900 000 Swiss francs (820 000 euros) and Real 360 000 (330 000 euros). However, both clubs are still allowed to sign players until the end of the month. Atletico in a statement announced that they had “lodged an appeal against the decision by Fifa’s disciplinary commission”. World football’s…
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said on Tuesday he was confident that Brazilian star Neymar would commit to the Catalan giants beyond his current contract in 2018. Asked at the team’s press conference if the Brazil captain was ready to extend his stay in Barcelona, Luis Enrique said: “I believe so, yes.” Neymar, 23, has himself remained vague concerning his future plans, and after stating last month that he was in talks with the club concerning a new contract, he added: “I don’t know, life is very long.” This has lead to speculation of a possible move, including to Liga rivals…
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has apologised to the Federal Government and Nigerians for the Super Eagles’ failure at the ongoing African Nations Championship (Chan) in Rwanda. The Eagles led the group before kick-off of the final group matches on Tuesday but failed to fly in a 0-1 loss to Guinea in Rubavu that eliminated the side from the continental party in Rwanda. NFF President Amaju Pinnick reiterated that the African Nations Championship is “both developmental and preparatory for bigger challenges” and said without mincing words that the federation would now shift focus to the qualification race for the bigger…
Everton manager Roberto Martinez said his side have “nothing to lose” when they face Manchester City in a League Cup semifinal at Eastlands on Wednesday. The Toffees travel to Manchester with a 2-1 lead from the first leg and Martinez believes there’s no reason why they cannot go all the way to Wembley despite some poor recent form, including Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat by Swansea City. But Spanish boss Martinez believes Everton have not got full value for their efforts this season. “You want every player to show the mentality of being ready and that the team can rely on…
Liverpool will win the League Cup title regardless of who they meet in the final, manager Jurgen Klopp has predicted after his side’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over Stoke City on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved two penalties in the semifinal as Liverpool won the penalty shootout 6-5 to reach Wembley after the tie finished 1-1 at Anfield. They have to wait until Wednesday to find out whether Manchester City or Everton will join them in the Feb. 28 final. “Manchester City or Everton, I don’t care, we will win the cup,” Klopp, who returns to Wembley for the first…
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois backed teammate Diego Costa to continue his goalscoring spree after the striker scored the winner in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League victory over bitter rivals Arsenal. Costa has struggled to recapture the form he displayed on his debut season, when he netted 20 goals in 26 league appearances to lead Chelsea to the league title. The 27-year-old appears to have found his scoring touch since Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho at the helm at Stamford Bridge, scoring six goals in as many appearances in all competitions. “We knew that when he scored a few goals again he…
Olivier Giroud’s high work rate and an ability to “smell” situations have been key to the striker’s impressive form this season, according to his Arsenal team mate and compatriot Laurent Koscielny. The France international has scored nine times in his last 11 club appearances, including a vital Champions League hat-trick at Olympiakos Piraeus and a brace against Liverpool in the Premier League. Giroud, 29, has netted an impressive 18 goals in 32 games in all competition for the Gunners this season and Koscielny stressed the forward gives much more to the team than just those goals. “He’s so massive and…
Manchester City playmaker David Silva is not fully fit but the 30-year-old is improving fast and should be at his best by the end of the season, manager Manuel Pellegrini has said. Silva had a six-week lay-off with an ankle problem prior to the minor knock he picked up in the League Cup semifinal first leg 2-1 loss to Everton on January 6. Limited to just 13 Premier League starts this campaign, Silva has scored two goals and registered eight assists and his manager expects him to get better. “David has had different injuries during the season… But now he…
Anthony Martial has all the attributes to become a great striker, his Manchester United teammate Daley Blind has said. Following his big-money move from French side Monaco in the close season, Martial has scored eight goals in 27 appearances for United. Blid is impressed by the talent of the France international as well as how the 20-year-old has adapted to English football. “He is a big talent, he is still young and we cannot forget that. But you can see on the training pitch and even in the matches already how much quality he has,” Blind told the club’s website…
National chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, has said his party would not return the N100 million he collected from a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Anenih. The money is said to be from the $2.1million meant for the procurement of arms and received by the Office office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki in the last administration. Falae had insisted that he had no idea the money he took from Anenih was from the arms fund. He said his party collected the money from the PDP, represented by Anenih and…
The Osun Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), will flag-off the ‘Integrated Campaign Against Measles’ in the state on Thursday. The State Health Promotion Officer, Mr Adewole Adewoye, said on Monday in Osogbo at a stakeholders meeting that the campaign would hold between Jan. 28 and Feb.1. He said children between nine months and five years would be immunized against the disease in all the designated health centres across the 30 Local Government Areas in the state. He said the measles campaign was part of government efforts in preventing the damages caused by measles such as brain…
The Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), Lagos State Chapter, on Monday said that it had destroyed no fewer than 4,400 rats at six major markets in the state under its de-rat market programme. Its president, Mr Samuel Akingbehin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that his association carried out the exercise at Onigongbo, Oshodi , Oke-Odo, Ikotun Idanwo, Ojuwoye and Mile 12 Markets. He said that de-rating the markets was part of the association’s efforts to curb the spread of Lassa fever in the state. “The exercise is strategic in our effort toward the prevention of communicable…
Former minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has responded to the statement of Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, which linked her with the $2.1bn arms scandal. The immediate past minister alleged that Falana made the statement because she “hurt the interests of his corrupt sponsors” while she was in office. The human rights lawyer had on Sunday, January 24, urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute and arrest Okonjo-Iweala for failing to “prevent systematic and widespread corruption” in the previous administration. According to a petition sent to the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, Falana…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, has said that the party is broke and does not plan to involve President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it is not part of his national assignment. He stated this during an interactive session with journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja. “We are working to raise resources within the membership. We have not asked for rescue from the president because it is not part of his national assignment”, he said. READ: John Oyegun says PDP is paying for their sins He also lamented the current state of the nation,, saying…
Former president, Goodluck Jonathan is set to hold a world press conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. The event is part of activities organized by the Circle of Diplomats (Circle Diplomatique), Geneva to honour Jonathan. This was disclosed via a statement released by the Executive Director of the Geneva Press Club, Guy Mettan. Mettan also said that Jonathan will expectedly speak on the issues of security and civil peace in Nigeria and West Africa and the improvement of health and education of children. The former Nigerian president will most likely also speak on Boko Haram and Nigeria’s…
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the people who looted Nigeria’s public funds are very powerful. Mohammed also said that the people in question have been using their influence to frustrate the government’s war against corruption. The minister made the comments on Sunday, January 24, 2016, while speaking in Lagos, Punch reports. “…We know that those who stole us dry are powerful. They have newspapers, radio and television stations and an army of supporters to continuously deride the government’s war against corruption. But we are undaunted and will not relent until corruption is also…
500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reports say. The defectors were led by PDP chieftain, Brigadier General Enang Ukagu (rtd), Daily Trust reports. The mass defection reportedly occurred over the weekend at the Nko Ward in Yakurr Local Government Area of the state. Ukagu is said to have revealed that he made the decision to defect because he saw the importance of keying into the APC’s ‘change mantra.’ He also said that the APC had proven to Nigerians that the era of good governance and…
The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has reportedly said that some members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government are guilty of stealing public funds. Secondus said further that some of the 55 Nigerians who, according to the government, stole N1.34 trillion are part of Buhari’s cabinet, Vanguard reports. “This involves both APC and PDP. Those involved are still in the government of Muhammadu Buhari, serving as ministers, some holding ranking positions even in security agencies,” he said according to Vanguard. “He should bring them to book; we are not against his fight against corruption,…
A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, has described the recent sacking of 3,000 workers by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, as “most reckless, insensitive and completely lacking in economic sense”. Ihedioha made the comment through his media aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu and also condemned the scrapping of 19 government agencies in the state., Vanguard reports. “There is no doubt that the Nigerian economy is facing a downturn as a result of dwindling oil revenue but the solution is not arbitrary disengagement of workers and scrapping of key parastatals, such as the Hospital Management Board, Imo…