Christian Vieri has said Gary Lineker “should have known better” over his recent criticism of Real Madrid’s. Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane described the comments as “embarrassing,” while Marcelo and Emilio Butragueno were among those to step forward to Benzema’s defence. Ex-Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid forward Vieri, now a pundit in the United States, said: “I don’t know why Gary Lineker works on TV in England. “Only in England he can work in TV. He scored all of his goals in the six-yard box. The thing is, he’s a striker. So when a striker doesn’t score for a couple of…
Author: David Folami
Iker Casillas tipped his former side Real Madrid to return to form, as he was awarded the 2017 Golden Foot prize. The Golden Foot is awarded to players aged over 28 and is a recognition of a long career in the game — with Casillas’ long-time rival and friend Buffon of Juventus and Italy winning in 2016. “Everyone is looking at Madrid wondering what is going on,” Casillas said. “This is a team which has won two consecutive Champions Leagues, which is very difficult, had never been done before. Now it seems they are not so good in La Liga…
Arsene Wenger was clearly angry at what he called “unacceptable” refereeing in the Premier League after Arsenal’s 3-1 loss at Manchester City and said that Raheem Sterling “dives well” after the forward won a penalty. “Once again the referee made the decision today, with a soft penalty and an offside goal,” he told Sky Sports. “But we are used to it when we come here. Last year we had two offside goals against us. “I feel the referees don’t work enough, because their level drops every season at the moment. And overall it’s unacceptable what happens… At 2-1 we are…
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to secure a regular first-team spot after patiently waiting for his chance. “It’s never easy coming into a new team with as much quality as we’ve got here. It takes time to settle in and learn a new formation and style of play,” he told Liverpool’s website. “I’ve had to be patient. I’d have liked to have played as much as I can, that’s natural. “The only thing I can do when I get the chance is try to impress and help the team to win, with goals and creating chances. “I’m going to keep trying…
RB Leipzig have confirmed that they will not consider selling Naby Keita to Liverpool during the winter transfer window. Months ago, Liverpool announced an agreement to sign Keita at the end of the current season and there has been speculation that Leipzig could be persuaded to part with the Guinea international in January. However, Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick — who said last month that the midfielder would not have been sold but for his release clause — ruled out an early departure. “Even if we should not reach the knockout stages of Champions League, it would make no sense…
Manuel Neuer recently went to Facebook to debunk claims by German tabloid Bild that Dr. Volker Braun was responsible for his injury woes this year saying that the former Bayern team doctor is “absolutely not to blame.” Muller-Wohlfahrt and his entire staff left the club in April 2015 after 38 years of service, following disagreements with then-boss Pep Guardiola over the treatment of injured players. Bild suggested that Dr. Braun hadn’t employed “ideal treatment methods” meaning injured players such as Neuer spent extended spells on the sidelines. “The media today are giving the impression that Dr. Volker Braun is responsible…
Marseille are readying a blockbuster move for Riyad Mahrez in January, with an Algerian newspaper claiming the Ligue 1 giants are prepared to meet Leicester’s €30m asking price. Mahrez appeared set to move last summer but the Foxes rejected a late offer from Barcelona to keep the former PFA Player of the Year. The 26-year-old has shown flashes of recapturing his best form this term but could move back to French football if persuaded, where he featured in Ligue 2 for Le Havre before his move in 2014. We wait and see.
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly set to offload Angel Di Maria and Lucas Moura in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, according to reports. PSG need to gather £70 million and could dispose the South American duo after splashing out £198m for Neymar and committing to pay out a further £165m next summer to convert Kylian Mbappe’s loan into a permanent move. Di Maria failed to settle in the Premier League with Manchester United, which could limit the market for his services. While Lucas has failed to start a game for Unai Emery and may be eager to move…
Real Madrid could make a surprising move for Juan Mata to take the Manchester United star back to the Bernabeu, according to reports. The Spanish midfielder started his career with Los Blancos but failed to graduate from Castilla before joining Valencia. The 29-year-old was a shock omission from Jose Mourinho’s squad in the loss to Chelsea last weekend. Zinedine Zidane could make a move to add a fresh identity to his tired squad with a potential bargain in the horizon given Mata’s contract expires next summer.
The 46-year-old actor recently talked about his role on Empire. Diggs joined the show in the role of Angelo DuBois in 2016 at the request of star Taraji P. Henson. So how is he enjoying working on the show? “I’m having a lot of fun, I’ve been telling everybody it’s very rare to be a fan of a show and then to actually be on it, so it’s somewhat surreal,” Diggs told the co-hosts. He continued, “I’m always continuing to be starstruck because of the caliber of celebrity and talent that they have on the show, it’s crazy.” When asked…
She re-joins a coaching staff that will include Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. NBC’s The Voice has firmed up its coaching staff for season 14. Alicia Keys will return to the NBC singing competition series and join returning favorites Adam Levine and Blake Shelton and first-time coach Kelly Clarkson for the upcoming season. That means current season 13 coaches Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson are out. The duo replaced Gwen Stefani and Keys from season 12. Keys is fresh off her season 12 win with Chris Blue. “We are thrilled to welcome back Alicia’s positive energy, competitive spirit…
She is rumoured to be expecting her first child with beau Travis Scott. And while Kylie Jenner is still yet to confirm or deny, eagle-eyed fans spotted a telling sign on her Snapchat story on Monday evening, which cast heavy doubt over her alleged baby news – while her ex Tyga began discussing her pregnancy again shortly after. The 19-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star shared an image of a calorific feast for a girls’ trip at a checkout – yet one remarkable element of the snap was what appeared to be a box of sanitary products which led…
Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West have sold their customised Bel Air mansion for a hefty figure. The couple purchased the property in early 2013 for $US9 million ($AU13 million) and spent the next two years and a considerable fortune on a renovation that transformed an opulently appointed faux-Tuscan villa into a severely minimalist home. The approximately 835 sqm residence has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, while the back of the house opens to stone patios, a broad lawn and an open-air cabana alongside a newly repositioned swimming pool and oversized spa with panoramic canyon overlook. The buyer…
His closeness with old friend Jay Z seem to be at an all-time low. But it is about to get worse as it has emerged Kanye West has moved to set up a rival streaming service to Tidal. The 40-year-old Gold Digger star has submitted a trademark application for a similar enterprise which would be dubbed Yeezy Sound. The application states the trademark would be for the purposes of ‘streaming of music, audio, images, video and other multimedia content over the internet.’ At the moment it is unclear whether it would be a Prince-style solo venture purely to market the…
After recently telling fans he has new music on the way, Drake made good on his promise and premiered a new song during a performance in New Zealand. During the Australian leg of his Boy Meets World Tour, Drizzy performed his newest track but didn’t reveal a title. “Please don’t stand at my grave and cry though/I’m not there, they it made it so I can never really die, no/Please don’t stand at my grave and cry though/Pop champagne, scream my words,” the rapper sings. Drake previously told the crowd at one of his concerts about a fan he met…
A judge sentenced rapper Meek Mill to two to four years in prison for a probation violation Monday, drawing outcry from fellow entertainers and the hip-hop world. “The sentence handed down by the Judge — against the recommendation of the Assistant District Attorney and Probation Officer — is unjust and heavy handed,” Jay-Z wrote Monday on Facebook. “We will always stand by and support Meek Mill, both as he attempts to right this wrongful sentence and then in returning to his musical career.” Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation manages Mill, has been a vocal supporter of criminal justice reform. He produced…
Thanksgiving dinner has yet to be served, but Rihanna already has holiday footwear on lock. The pop star-turned-designer is releasing a holiday collection with Stance — where she’s a contributing creative director — and it’s festively titled “Thottie or Nice.” The line — Rihanna’s ninth with Stance — comprises nine offerings. It centers on preppy, grade-school styles — in keeping with the theme of the Fenty Puma by Rihanna fall 2017 line — in holiday hues such as red, black, cream, navy and burgundy. There are three over-the-knee offerings, two of which feature an added touch of Christmas kitsch, three…
Serena Williams celebrated her bachelorette weekend in New York City on Friday, November 3, and Saturday, November 4, alongside her sister, Venus, and pals including Ciara and LaLa Anthony. Reports have it that Venus, Ciara, LaLa, and Serena’s family all stayed at the Baccarat Hotel. They took a party bus around town and had a private dinner at TAO Group’s new seafood brasserie, Legasea. The ladies continued their fun later in the night. Adds the onlooker: “They partied ‘til the wee hours at PH-D Rooftop in the Meatpacking District before returning back to the hotel.” The group opted for a…
Queen Beyonce and Pharrell just keep slaying … the items they donated for a charity auction fetched 19 TIMES MORE than anticipated. Reports havve it that Bey and P. Willy donated items auctioned off at Heritage Auctions to help raise money for The Lung Transplant Project… a non-profit that raises money and awareness to reduce transplant waiting list times. Beyonce’s “Formation” tour hat was supposed to bring between 1 and 2 G’s … but after Monday’s auction closed it brought in a whopping $27,500!!! Pharrell donated two pairs of adidas Originals … the first pair featured the hit-making producers’ John…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been appointed as a member of an 18-man United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation. The appointment was stamped in a statement by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutierrez. The board was described as a part of the “surge in diplomacy for peace” consistently asked for by Gutierrez. The board, according to reports will allow the UN work more effectively with regional organisations, non-governmental groups and others involved in mediation around the world. Guitierrez described Obasanjo as one of the most distinguished elder statesmen of Africa. Others on the board include President Michelle…