Robert Lewandowski revealed Saturday he is close to signing a new deal with Bayern Munich, which could reportedly make the Poland hot-shot the club’s highest earner. Lewandowski netted his seventh goal in nine league games so far this season when he scored twice in their 3-1 win at Augsburg to leave Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern two points clear in the German league. The 28-year-old’s contract expires in June 2019, but Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is said to be eager to secure the services of Lewandowski, the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season with 30 goals in 32 games, on a bumper contract.…
Author: David Folami
Manchester United assistant manager Rui Faria suggested sarcastically that referee Mark Clattenburg did “fantastic work” by sending off Ander Herrera during their 0-0 draw with Burnley. United midfielder Herrera was dismissed for two bookable offences, the second of which came midway through the second half for a foul on Dean Marney. The Spaniard appeared to slip as he made the challenge, but Clattenburg ruled it worthy of a booking and issued a red card. Herrera wasn’t the only one to see red at Old Trafford as Faria conducted post-match media duties, with manager Jose Mourinho absent after being sent to…
Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon called for improvements despite a 2-1 win over title rivals Napoli that left the Serie A champions four points clear of an increasingly ambitious chasing pack. A second-half winner from ex-Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain sent Juve four points clear of Roma, with Napoli now seven points off the pace after AC Milan and Lazio won on Sunday to move into third and fourth places respectively. Although Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri paid tribute to his squad for “interpreting the game well”, Buffon said it’s not enough. One of the world’s most decorated goalkeepers, former World Cup winner…
Pep Guardiola is the world’s top manager but needs more time to make Manchester City great, and will have to hope for some luck to beat his former club Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, says the Spanish club’s ex-forward David Villa. “Guardiola is the best manager in the world but I think it is too early to compare his Barcelona side with Manchester City. We have to give him time because I am sure he will make City a great team,” Villa told Reuters in a telephone interview. City won their opening six matches in the Premier League…
Barcelona top the group at the halfway point with three victories from their three matches, while City have four points after a draw against Celtic and victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach. Guardiola said the group standings meant Tuesday’s match was of greater significance for City than Barcelona. “It is not a final for them. It is a final for us,” the 45-year-old explained. “There are just three games left. We dropped two points in Glasgow against Celtic and we need to recover those points. “Every manager, every trainer has his plans. We know them, they know us. But football is unpredictable.…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted his players must keep their discipline and produce the “perfect” performance to beat Barcelona in the Champions League at Eastlands on Tuesday. Guardiola’s side lost 4-0 in their Group C encounter against the Spanish giants at the Nou Camp on October 19 –- their fifth defeat in as many meetings with the Catalan club. City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was sent off in that match and Guardiola acknowledged the importance of keeping 11 players on the pitch against a side of Barcelona’s class. “We know we need to play almost perfectly,” Guardiola, who guided…
Barcelona members passed a bumper contract extension with American kit manufactures Nike that will see the Catalans make at least €150 million a season from 2018. The initial deal, which smashes Manchester United’s previous record deal with Adidas, will run until 2023 when Barca’s members will have the chance to vote in favour of a further five-year extension. “It is a figure which puts us number one in the world for sponsorship in the sports industry,” Barca vice-president Manuel Arroyo told the club’s annual general meeting on Saturday. “The fixed rare of the contract increases 48 percent and the royalties…
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique insisted his side will need an improved display when faced with the very different challenge of former Barca boss Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City after labouring to a 1-0 win over Granada. Barca travel to Manchester on Tuesday having thrashed Guardiola’s men 4-0 less than two weeks ago to take a commanding lead of Champions League Group C thanks to a Lionel Messi hat-trick. However, Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar endured a rare off night in front of goal as midfielder Rafinha bagged the only goal against an ultra defensive-minded Granada. “Now we will go to Manchester…
Gareth Bale tied his long term future to Real Madrid on Sunday by extending his contract with the Spanish giants to 2022, the club confirmed. “Real Madrid C. F. and Gareth Bale have agreed an extension to the player’s contract, keeping him at the club until the 30th of June 2022,” Madrid said in a statement. Bale, 27, joined Real for a then world record fee from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 on a six-year deal and has won the Champions League twice in his three full seasons in the Spanish capital. The Welshman is just the latest of a series…
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa has said Algeria’s choice of former manager, Georges Leekens will count for nothing in the World Cup qualifying clash. Eagles will host the Algerian opposite, Desert Foxes in the group’s 2018 Fifa World Cup matchday 2 clash on November 12 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. The Belgian was handed a second spell at the North African side on Thursday to replace the ousted Serbia’s Milovan Rajevan. Ezenwa said the present crop of Eagles want to pick the World Cup ticket with a game to spare in the qualifying campaign. “Georges Leekens’ appointment…
Diego Costa’s sublime strike sealed Chelsea’s 2-0 success against Southampton on Sunday as the Blues chalked up a fourth successive Premier League victory. Costa doubled Chelsea’s lead with a fine finish from 25 yards after Eden Hazard had put Antonio Conte’s side ahead early in the first half at St Mary’s. Inflicting Southampton’s first home league defeat since February gave Chelsea four league wins in a row for the first time since April 2015, when they were on the verge of lifting the title under Jose Mourinho. While it is too early to predict another Chelsea charge to the title,…
Sergio Aguero was branded Manchester City’s ‘Special One’ after ending the worst run of manager Pep Guardiola’s career. Argentina forward Aguero scored twice in the first half against West Bromwich Albion before setting up the third for Ilkay Gundogan, who also grabbed the final goal in City’s 4-0 win at the Hawthorns. It was a welcome result for City boss Guardiola, who had gone six games in all competitions without a win. City remain top of the Premier League on goal difference ahead of Arsenal despite their recent struggles and they can now look forward to Tuesday’s Champions League clash…
French international Olivier Giroud rubbished talk of Arsenal winning the Premier League title despite an excellent run of form saying on Sunday it is far too early to make such predictions. The 30-year-old striker had been a peripheral figure this season, after suffering a toe injury, but his double after coming off the bench inspired the Gunners to an ultimately convincing 4-1 win over hapless Sunderland on Saturday. Victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 14 games and fuelled talk of them winning their first league title since 2004. Victory kept them level on points with Manchester City…
Ross Barkley’s excellent goal sealed an impressive 2-0 win for Everton over West Ham in their Premier League clash on Sunday ending a four-match winless run in the league. For Barkley, who had been dropped both from the England squad and the Everton starting line-up this season as his form dipped, it was his first goal since the opening day of the season against Spurs. Belgian international Romelu Lukaku, who set up 22-year-old Barkley for his goal, had opened the scoring for the hosts with his 50th for the club. It also maintained his extraordinary record against the Hammers as…
Victor Moses has spoken out about how much he is “relishing” playing as a wing-back at Chelsea this season after struggling to hit the ground running since joining the Blues in 2012. The 25-year-old has featured in eight Premier League matches for Chelsea including in their last three against Hull City, Leicester City and Manchester United which they have won without conceding. Moses opened up on why he has thrived as a wing-back despite having never played in that role before, and credits his outstanding performance to his Italian manager at the club, Antonio Conte. The Nigeria international said he…
Sunderland manager David Moyes was charged by England’s governing Football Association with misconduct on Thursday after being ordered off the touchline during Wednesday’s 1-0 League Cup fourth-round loss away to Southampton. Former Everton and Manchester United manager Moyes was sent to the stands after complaining about a decision by referee Chris Kavanagh not to award a late penalty after Maya Yoshida appeared to trip Victor Anichebe in the box. Scottish boss Moyes said afterwards he had had been dismissed for swearing at fourth official James Adcock. “David Moyes has been charged with misconduct by the FA in relation to Sunderland’s…
Arsene Wenger warned his Arsenal stars not to get carried away after they gave another demonstration of their sky-high confidence with a 6-0 demolition of Ludogorets in the Champions League. Wenger’s side are in peak form at present and Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets were powerless to prevent their hot streak extending to seven successive victories in all competitions. Alexis Sanchez scored a sublime opener and Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were also on the scoresheet at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday before Mesut Ozil hit a second half hat-trick. With Arsenal top of their Champions League group after three matches and…
Lionel Messi ran riot through Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City defence as though it was a playground game, according to Barcelona coach Luis Enrique as he savoured a dazzling 4-0 Champions League win. Inspired by Messi’s hat-trick, Barcelona joined Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain in registering important wins on Wednesday night. The Argentine genius was hailed for his composure after a month out with a groin injury. Before 96,290 people at Camp Nou, Messi picked up on one City mistake on 17 minutes and added two more — one brilliantly curled in — in the second half after City…
Dortmund, who have now failed to win their last three Bundesliga matches, struggled against lowly Ingolstadt and rescued a point thanks to Pulisic’s stoppage-time equaliser. Four days after their Champions League win at Sporting Lisbon, Dortmund were 2-0 down thanks to goals from Almog Cohen and Dario Lezcano. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cut the deficit in the 59th minute with his seventh league goal of the season but the hosts struck back seconds later, again through Paraguayan Lezcano. Adrian Ramos gave Dortmund hope with a 69th-minute goal before American teenager Pulisic levelled. Hoffenheim, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, continued a stellar…
Lionel Messi delivered a foul-mouthed tirade toward Valencia fans who threw objects at Barcelona players near the end of Saturday’s game. Barcelona trailed 2-1 in the second half but fought back to win 3-2 with Messi’s stoppage-time penalty in front of the home supporters. As Messi and his teammates celebrated the Blaugrana’s winner, a bottle was thrown from the home supporters’ Curva Nord stand into the centre of Barcelona’s huddle. Neymar and Luis Suarez were both hit by objects and fell to the pitch, leading Messi to confront the fans and pump his fist. After being briefly pulled away by…