Roma should follow the example of Liverpool if they are to become one of Europe’s top clubs, according to club director Francesco Totti. “When I hear the name Liverpool, [I think] respect, a big club, a big team, big fans, and a model to follow,” Totti toldLiverpool’s website. “Despite the negative result, I have nice memories of that game [at Anfield]. The atmosphere, the feeling, the passion of the fans — it was very impressive. “Obviously, if I think back to that European Cup final in 1984, it’s a bad memory, so we would have probably have avoided such a…
Author: David Folami
Mohamed Salah may have been named the PFA Player of the Year, but former Everton wideman Steven Pienaar believes that Kevin De Bruyne has been the Premier League’s outstanding talent this season. De Bruyne was one of three Manchester City players – along with Leroy Sane and David Silva – who were pipped to the award by Salah during a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House hotel on Sunday. “It’s difficult, obviously, as they’re having the best seasons of their lives at the moment,” Everton’s newly appointed International Ambassador said. “For me, personally, I’d go for Kevin De Bruyne. “He obviously…
Guillermo Barros Schelotto has confirmed his club have a desire to sign Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. “[Boca president Daniel] Angelici told me that he had called [Buffon] to ask him,” Schelotto told Radio Continental. “But I told him that we would talk about that and other reinforcements from May 17. Right now our focus is on the table and on the competition.” Buffon, who had been expected to retire, recently hinted he could continue playing for another season. A move to Boca would reunite Buffon with former Juventus teammate Carlos Tevez, who again returned to his boyhood club in January…
Jose Mourinho has admitted it may be “impossible” for Manchester United to win the Premier League title next season if Manchester City can repeat their form. Pep Guardiola’s team were crowned champions with five games to spare and remain on course to eclipse the points record of 95 set by Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2005. But speaking ahead of the FA Cup semifinal with Tottenham at Wembley on Saturday, the 55-year-old said United could have their work cut out. “If they do the same number of points it will be almost impossible,” Mourinho said at a news conference on Friday. “If…
David Moyes hopes West Ham can spoil the start of Arsene Wenger’s farewell party, but expects the Frenchman’s players to “be up for it” when the Hammers visit the Emirates Stadium. Moyes expects the atmosphere to have changed significantly when he takes West Ham to north London on Sunday. “A lot of people are now talking very positively about Arsene Wenger, when there were people who didn’t before,” said Hammers boss Moyes. “People in the know understand what he has done and the level of football he has produced. Given all that positivity I am sure their players will be…
Dele Alli has said Spurs “let ourselves down” in falling to Manchester United 2-1 after taking an early lead in Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal. Alli provided the opener in the 10th minute to put Spurs ahead, but goals in each half from Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera put United through to their record-matching 20th final appearance. “We let ourselves down. It’s very disappointing,” Alli told the BBC. “We have to try and pick ourselves up and finish the season strongly. “You can’t go 1-0 up and then 2-1 down against a team like Manchester United. We can’t put ourselves in…
Mauricio Pochettino has said his Tottenham team are close enough to touch success after defeat by Manchester United in the FA Cup semifinal but he admitted they need more time “with me or another” to get there. “We are building a very good team, about trying to create the winning mentality, but it is still at the moment not enough,” the Spurs manager said afterwards. “But I think Tottenham need to keep going in this direction. To create that winning mentality is not about a few years. Tottenham need more time, of course with me or another. “It’s so important…
Luis Suarez has said Barcelona’s Copa del Rey triumph sets the team up for a Copa and Liga double they would have accepted at the start of the season, though he admitted the domestic success does not hide failure in the Champions League. Speaking on TV Espana pitchside at the final whistle, the Uruguay forward said he and his colleagues had mixed feelings now about how their season was ending. “The circumstances were difficult, and we had to turn things around,” Suarez said. “This does not hide what happened in Rome, but it is an important trophy. “At the start…
Ernesto Valverde has said he’d have “given his arm” for the touch of his team’s captain Andres Iniesta after the veteran graced what could be his last final for the club with a goal in Saturday’s evening’s 5-0 Copa del Rey final dismantling of Sevilla. Barca completely steamrolled Sevilla to win a fourth consecutive Copa — and 30th in total — with Luis Suarez scoring twice in the first half, either side of a Lionel Messi strike. Iniesta made it 4-0 just after the break by coolly rounding Sevilla goalkeeper David Soria, with Philippe Coutinho’s penalty completing the scoring. Valverde…
Barcelona won their fourth successive Copa del Rey with a merciless 5-0 thrashing of Sevilla as departing hero Andres Iniesta joined the usual suspects on the scoresheet. Luis Suarez netted twice in the first half, Lionel Messi grabbed his 40th of the season and Philippe Coutinho marked his first final for the club with a successful penalty, but it was a rare strike from Iniesta which drew the broadest smiles in a one-sided romp at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Spanish great is set to depart for China at the end of the campaign and he showed characteristic timing by popping…
Antonio Conte has admitted that it will be harder for Chelsea to win the FA Cup this season after the “great chance” they wasted against Arsenal at Wembley last May. Conte is haunted by the memory of that game and believes that Chelsea, currently fifth in the Premier League and battling to change the narrative of a disappointing season, are not as strong as they were a year ago. He said: “I must be honest: I think that last season we missed a great chance to win the FA Cup and also in the Community Shield [against Arsenal] this season,…
Jose Mourinho blasted Manchester United’s critics after they booked their place in the FA Cup final. “We deserve [to finish second],” Mourinho told the BBC. “We should ask ourselves why there is too many critics on all of us? We can finish second with six more points. To do that with all the fantastic teams we play against will be an achievement for a club that couldn’t do it for a few years now. “And it will be a fourth final in three years. So, maybe too much criticism.” However, Mourincho conceded in his news conference that United’s season will…
Alexis Sanchez expressed his gratitude to Arsene Wenger, calling the Arsenal manager a “football master” the day after he announced he would end his mammoth 22-year reign at the club at the end of the season. Sanchez told reporters: “I texted him yesterday to wish him the best. I could not say anything on social media but I texted him and he replied to me saying thank you to me. “It’s sad because he is a historical football legend, I always said he is a gentleman and a football master, he taught me a lot about respect and to be…
Theresa May has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of Commonwealth countries to invest in young people so as to build a more prosperous future. In her speech, she told Commonwealth leaders to step up efforts in reaching a series of shared commitments that will help to build a more sustainable, more prosperous and fairer future for all. She also disclosed that the summit has pledged to ensure that all girls and boys across the Commonwealth will be able to access at least 12 years of quality education and learning by 2030. Her statement read, “In building a more…
Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state has reacted to a comment made by President Buhari at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday. Buhari said “About the economy, we have a very young population, our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. This is a very conservative one. “More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free.” Fayose condemned the President’s comment saying that Buhari…
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public the location and status of polling units across the country. PDP alleged that INEC was secretly planning to create 30,000 illegal polling units in compromised areas in favour of All Progressives Congress (APC). The party alleged that there were series of “clandestine meetings’’ between “compromised officials of INEC and certain agents of APC.’’ PDP said that from the meeting, there was plot to sneak in 30,000 illegal polling units in some remote areas and through which they planned to allocate votes to the APC. “Having completely…
Lai Mohammed has said that President Buhari was quoted out of context. This is following the President’s comment at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Buhari said “More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free.” The comment which has sparked outrage among Nigerian youths, has put the Presidency on defence mode. Femi Adesina said that his boss’ words were deliberately…
Dr Bukola Saraki has urged Nigerians to guard the country’s democracy jealously and shun acts that could truncate it. The Senate President pointed out that though the system was yet to be perfect, democracy was still the best way to realise the country’s development aspirations. “We must preserve democracy at all costs. It is the duty of everyone, all the citizens of the country. “No matter the problems we are facing, democracy is still the best form of government to guarantee development “, he said. Saraki said the media had contributed to the survival of democracy in the country through…
President Buhari has left London for Abuja. This was revealed known in a tweet by the Presidency “President @MBuhari has departed London for Abuja, after participating in #CHOGM2018 and meeting with Prime Minister @theresa_may.” Buhari left Abuja on Monday, April 9, 2018, on an official visit to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May. While in London, the President also spoke at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, where he described Nigerian youths as Lazy. He said “More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and…
Lai Mohammed has said that it is wrong to tag President Buhari as anti-youth. The minister made the statement in Abeokuta, Ogun state, at the ongoing African Drum Festival. According to reports, he said “Some people have just made it their full-time job these days to scrutinise and twist whatever the president says out of context. “ I wonder how a government that has employed 100,000 unemployed graduates and also feeds about 7.5 million people daily could be tagged anti-youth. “Our social investment programmes have continued to generate jobs and created opportunities for our teeming youths while our empowerment programmes…