Antonio Conte claimed that Chelsea can still improve, despite recording his best win as manager of the club so far, describing his side’s 5-0 thrashing of Everton as “fantastico”. The Italian had been pressed to offer a word from his own language for the display and, having chuckled about the one he picked, then spoke seriously about how the true value of this victory is how it instils confidence in the system and his ongoing work with the squad. “You have to show that you can win with the idea of playing good football. It’s important to put these players…
Author: David Folami
Atletico Madrid suffered a Champions League hangover and whimpered to a 2-0 defeat away to Real Sociedad on Saturday. After the euphoria of sealing a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League in dramatic circumstances in midweek, this was a disappointing and underwhelming return to La Liga action. Los Colchoneros were as miserable as the weather on a wet, windy afternoon. Two needless challenges gifted the Basque outfit a pair of spot kicks. They will rarely get visitors as obliging as Atleti. Positives None. Bar possibly the fact Atletico looked so tired following their Champions League win over…
Chelsea moved to the top of the Premier League after dominating Everton from the moment the game kicked off. Eden Hazard’s low shot broke the deadlock after 19 minutes, after which Marcos Alonso swept home his first goal for the club. Diego Costa added a third from close range before half-time and it was 4-0 after 56 minutes when Hazard finished another wonderful solo effort. Nine minutes later, Pedro Rodriguez wrapped up the scoring. Positives The tactics were perfect and so was their execution. Most impressive was how every player seemed to know exactly where their teammates were, especially going…
Antoine Griezmann could be the biggest signing in the world next summer, and the Mirror reported that Manchester City and United will battle it out for the France star. It could cost a reported £70 million to pry the 25-year-old from Atletico Madrid, though the striker’s contract runs until 2021. Los Colchoneros are resigned to losing their talisman, and Pep Guardiola is agitated to add the former Real Sociedad star to forge a mouthwatering partnership with Sergio Aguero.
Gianluigi Buffon is in line to make his 600th Serie A appearance when Juventus take on Chievo Verona on Sunday. Buffon, 38, is currently fourth on the all-time appearance list behind Francesco Totti (607), Javier Zanetti (615) and Paolo Maldini (647). The Italy international could have been higher in the list had he not spent a season in Serie B with Juve in 2006-07 following the Calciopoli scandal. He made his Serie A debut for Parma in a goalless draw with AC Milan on Nov. 19, 1995 at the age of 17 years old before moving to Juve in 2001…
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says his policy regarding James Rodriguez is not going to change but confirmed the Colombia international has returned to the squad for Sunday’s La Liga clash with Leganes. James missed Madrid’s 3-3 Champions League draw at Legia Warsaw on Wednesday due to a minor fitness issue, and then told reporters that he would like to get more playing time, while adding he respected that Zidane picked the team. Asked about the situation of a player who last summer was linked with possible moves to Manchester United and Inter Milan, Zidane said at a news conference…
Transfer speculation around Sergio Aguero’s future at Manchester City will come to nothing, Ilkay Gundogan has predicted. Aguero, 28, has three-and-a-half years left on his current deal and has spoken about plans to return to Independiente, but has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. However, Gundogan is confident the Argentina international is going nowhere. “I think he will stay here,” Gundogan said. “I have no doubt about that.” Gundogan played alongside Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund and now lines up with Aguero at City and said his current teammate gives a lot to the team, even when he…
Ronald Koeman admitted that Chelsea taught his Everton team “a big lesson” after a rampant Eden Hazard helped inspire the Blues to a 5-0 win at Stamford Bridge. Hazard opened the scoring in the 19th minute and goals from Marcos Alonso and Diego Costa put Chelsea 3-0 up by half-time. The Belgian then added a spectacular fourth before Pedro Rodriguez completed the rout on 65 minutes. The result lifts Chelsea to the top of the Premier League after a fifth consecutive victory and clean sheet, and after the match Koeman spoke in glowing terms about the performance of Antonio Conte’s…
Antonio Conte insists that Chelsea are not interested in sending a message to the rest of the Premier League despite demolishing Everton 5-0 at Stamford Bridge to surge to the top of the table. Goals from Eden Hazard, Marcos Alonso and Diego Costa put Chelsea three goals ahead before half-time against Ronald Koeman’s men, and Hazard added a spectacular fourth after the break before Pedro Rodriguez completed the rout by following up a Maarten Stekelenburg save in the 65th minute. Chelsea’s fifth consecutive Premier League victory was their most emphatic yet since Conte’s decision to switch to a 3-4-3 formation,…
Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has criticised Jose Mourinho’s treatment of Bastian Schweinsteiger at Manchester United. Schweinsteiger appears to have no future at Old Trafford following Mourinho’s arrival in the summer. He was excluded from United’s Europa League squad for the knockout stages and had been training away from the first team. However, Schweinsteiger is now back in the first-team picture after Mourinho confirmed last week that the 32-year-old is back training at the Aon Training Complex. “I know Schweinsteiger very well and I used to play with him,” Can, a Germany international, said. “He’s a very good guy and he’s…
Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have it in their power to “always be the stronger” of the North London clubs as his side prepare to resume their rivalry with Tottenham on Sunday. Tottenham have earned a Champions League place and are set to move into their new 61,000-seater stadium from the 2018-19 season, meaning they will boast the biggest club venue in the capital. But Wenger, who watched Arsenal suffer financially after a move away from Highbury in 2006, thinks that even after Tottenham take up residence in their new home, they are not guaranteed to overtake their greatest rivals. When…
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo will sign a new contract in the coming week, according to multiple reports from Spain. Ronaldo, 31, has a deal which runs until June 2018, and planned talks between his agent Jorge Mendes and Blancos chief Perez reportedly began weeks ago over an extension — with the player saying last June he could see himself playing until he was 40. The Portugal captain will remain the highest paid player at the Bernabeu, according to the reports, and could sign up until 2021, when he would be 36 years old. Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez…
Marten de Roon scored a last-minute equaliser for Middlesbrough as they secured a 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester City. Middlesbrough had done well to frustrate City in the first half at the Etihad Stadium, with Victor Valdes pulling off saves to deny Aguero and David Silva. However, Sergio Aguero swept home just before the break for City, netting his 150th goal in his 223nd appearance for the club from close range after being spotted in the area by Kevin De Bruyne. Claudio Bravo was forced into action in the second half, denying former City man Alvaro Negredo and Adam…
Reuben Abati has been released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Premium Times reports. According to the report, Abati confirmed his release after he was freed from the anti-graft agency’s custody on Saturday, November 5, 2016. The former presidential spokesperson, was further reported to be putting up somewhere in Abuja. Abati has been held at the anti-graft office since he reported himself on October 21, 2016 following his involvement in an alleged fraud. The writer was accused of receiving N50 million from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has dissolved Local Government Councils in the state. The councils dissolved are – Asa, Baruten, Edu, Ekiti, Ifelodun, Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Irepodun, Isin, Kaiama, Moro, Offa, Oke-Ero, Oyun and Pategi. In a statement signed Alhaji Sola Isiaka Gold, the Governor’s action is in line with the section 18(5) (c) of the Kwara State Local Government Law (as amended) cap K33, Laws of Kwara State. It said the dissolution takes effect from Friday, November 4, 2016. The Governor, therefore, ordered all the Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Councillors, Secretaries to the LG Councils, Supervisors…
The staff of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have threatened to boycott work indefinitely if their salaries are not reviewed. The workers also want the Federal Government to appoint a substantive director general for the agency. This is coming two days after the workers ended a two-week warning strike. They said the management has refused to do something about their demands despite the warning strike. The Vice Chairman of the agency’s branch of Medical and Health Workers Union, Idzi Isua, said the workers have resolved to begin an indefinite strike soon if the authorities…
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that the suspension of judges accused of corruption is only in favour of politicians. Wike stated this when the executive members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt branch paid him a courtesy visit on Friday, November 4. He said the u-turn by the National Judicial Council (NJC) will encourage politicians to write petitions against any judge whose judgement is likely to go against such politician. The NJC had on Thursday, November 3, suspended the seven judges arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) on corruption allegations. Wike said: “This move to…
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of two justices of Supreme Court – Ejembi Eko and Amina Augie. The National Judicial Council (NJC) had earlier recommended the two candidates to the President. Acting director of information for the NJC, Soji Oye, made this known in a statement issued on Friday, November 4. Oye said the new judges will be sworn in on Monday, November 7, by the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mahmud Mohammed. “The two honourable justices will be sworn-in by the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice Mahmud…
The Nigerian Army has confirmed the rescue of a Chibok girl following multiple reports of the achievement. In a recent release by acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the Chibok girl was rescued by troops of 121 Battalion with her son. He said: “Troops of 121 Battalion, Nigerian Army, deployed at Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, for Operation LAFIYA DOLE today, Saturday 5th November 2016, at about 6.00am, while screening some escapees from Boko Haram terrorists hideout in Sambisa forest, discovered one of the abducted Government Secondary School Chibok girls, named Maryam Ali Maiyanga among…
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that Nigeria is destined to achieve greatness in spite of the current challenges. Buhari spoke in Sokoto on Saturday when he inaugurated the Kalambaina 500 housing estate built by the state government at the cost N4.8 billion. According to him, in spite of the challenges, we are determined to overcome them and fight corruption. “The administration will continue to bring development to Nigerians, improve security and welfare of Nigerians.” The president noted that Nigeria had in the early 1960s witnessed reputable peace, culture of discipline and commitment to national development. “Unfortunately, the situation had…