Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has reaffirmed his commitment to the club by saying he wants to lead them into their new stadium in 2017. Simeone is under contract with Atletico until 2020 but he cast doubt on his future in May, immediately after the team’s defeat to Real Madrid on penalties in the Champions League final. The Argentine coach has since stated he made those comments in the heat of the moment, although talk of his future has resurfaced following the team’s disappointing start to the season. Atletico have drawn their first two games of the La Liga campaign,…
Author: David Folami
Just days after the transfer window closed, the works are already in motion for potentially a second-successive world transfer record. Enter Antoine Griezmann, with Manchester United setting their sights on nailing down Paul Pogba’s France teammate to continue a Galactico era at Old Trafford. Though the Atletico star is adamant he would only leave if Diego Simeone departed, the Telegraph now reports that Chelsea are plotting to make their move too. The Blues might grant Diego Costa his wish to return to the Spanish capital — rather than trigger Griezmann’s £84 million release clause — in order to sweeten the…
Nicky Butt has told The Times that Adnan Januzaj is good enough to return to Manchester United after his Sunderland loan spell and break into the team at Old Trafford. Januzaj, 21, will spend the campaign on a season-long loan at Sunderland, and Butt believes the winger has the quality to play for United if he concentrates on developing his game. United sold Tyler Blackett, Donald Love, Paddy McNair and Will Keane this summer, and while he does not believe they were good enough for the Red Devils, Butt wants to see Januzaj part of the United first team. “They’re…
Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Claudio Bravo will all be available to make their Manchester City debuts in the derby against United at Old Trafford on Saturday, a source has said. None of the three has featured for Pep Guardiola’s side since joining in the summer, although Bravo only arrived from Barcelona four days before City played West Ham on Aug. 28. Gundogan has been recovering from a dislocated kneecap, suffered while at Borussia Dortmund in May, which kept him out of the European Championship. However, the £21 million signing has been back in full training for over a fortnight…
Manchester United fans have hit out at the reduced ticket allocation they are receiving for their Europa League meeting with Feyenoord. United travel to the Netherlands to face Feyenoord in their opening game of Group A, which has also drawn them against Turkish side Fenerbahce and Ukrainian team FC Zorya Luhansk. The Times reports that United supporters have been granted 1,400 tickets for Sept. 15’s game at the De Kuip stadium, which is set to host just half of the usual 52,000 capacity. The Dutch club are to reduce their capacity in a bid to avoid triggering suspended punishments they…
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has added fuel to the fire for this weekend’s Manchester derby by suggesting that Pep Guardiola transformed an exciting Bayern Munich team into a boring one to fit his tactical approach to the game. Under Guardiola’s guidance, Bayern won three consecutive Bundesliga titles along with the DFB-Pokal twice. Having taken over from Jupp Heynckes, who took Bayern to the treble — Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal — the Spanish coach failed to win the Champions League in his time there. “He was okay at Bayern Munich. I have to say he was okay,” Schmeichel told…
Eden Hazard took a swipe at former manager Jose Mourinho by praising his new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte for “knowing how to treat players.” Mourinho suffered a bitter end to his Chelsea managerial career after losing nine of their first 16 Premier League games last season, before exiting Stamford Bridge. Hazard who had a dismal campaign last time out has found a second wind, and has been one of the star performers under Conte’s regime with two goals in three league games this season. “Conte puts trust in his players and now we are good after an ugly season last…
Nicky Butt has told The Times that Marcus Rashford can develop into Manchester United’s Thierry Henry, and that it’s only a matter of time before he forces his way into the team. Rashford, 18, burst into the first team at United just over six months ago with a brace against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, and his meteoric rise saw him named in the England squad for Euro 2016. Butt, head of coaching at United’s academy, said that the player’s best position is similar to that of Henry, who went on to be Arsenal’s record goal scorer. “He wasn’t…
David Luiz has said he is happy to play anywhere for Chelsea’s “amazing” head coach Antonio Conte. Chelsea confirmed the shock return of Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day. His erratic style of defending and flamboyant skill has prompted some observers to claim he is more suited to playing in midfield than at centre-back. Interim manager Rafa Benitez often deployed the Brazilian in front of the Chelsea back four during his first spell at Stamford Bridge. There are also suggestions that the arrival of Luiz could allow Conte to experiment with the 3-5-2 system that underpinned his success at…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is under investigation for money laundering. Ize-Iyamu is being probed for his alleged role in the distribution of N23 billion which was allegedly laundered by former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke to fund the PDP’s 2015 elections campaign. The PDP candidate was earlier questioned by the EFCC but was not detained leading to the assumption that he had been cleared of all wrongdoing. “I can confirm to you that he (Ize-Iyamu) is still under investigation,”…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, has alleged that Governor Nyesom Wike has turned the state into a river of blood where lives no longer matter. According to the party, Wike has shown that he is incompetent to handle the issues arising in the state. The Rivers APC also said the Governor is turning himself into an emperor in this democratic dispensation. According to the Chairman of the party in Rivers state, Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, Wike should tender his resignation. Ikanya said “The evidence clearly shows that Wike is a terrible disappointment to both Rivers State and Nigeria.…
Godwin Obaseki, the All Progressive Congress flagbearer in the upcoming Edo State guber elections, has won himself another supporter. This time, the APC candidate has won over the hearts of singer, Sammie Cross, who recently recorded a song for the gubernatorial hopeful. The PM Records signee who released the visuals the song entitled “Obaseki” on Tuesday, September 5, 2016 said he is one of the many people that is happy for Obaseki’s candidacy. Sammie said: “I made this special gift for G.O and the APC, its an expression of my support for good governance,” he understands that less is usually…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has urged voters in Edo State not to be deceived by the promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the Saturday, September 10 governorship elections in the state. Fayose also urged voters to cast their votes for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu on Saturday. The governor made the comments via a statement released by media aide, Lere Olayinka. The statement reads: “Edo people should not make the same mistake Nigerians made last year by enthroning the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Muhammadu Buhari.” “The people should not just…
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has reacted to the call for the postponement of the Edo state governorship election scheduled for Saturday. The Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigeria Police had earlier called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the election for security reasons. But Governor Fayose who spoke through his special assistant on public communications and new media, Lere Olayinka, alleged that the call was born out of fear that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may lose the election to Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “It is obvious that the…
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, on Tuesday warned Nigerians against using grinding machine to grind vegetables. Ogbeh, who gave the warning at the launching and National Dissemination of Food and Nutrition Policy in Abuja, said that the machine was not good for such purpose. According to him, the machines which are being used to grind tomatoes, pepper and other vegetables, contain some elements which were harmful to the body. “The elements in those machines are produced in ordinary steel not stainless steel. As a result of that, a great deal of granules get into our…
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has requested redeployment of some police officers attached to the state’s Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit for arresting innocent citizens. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, said in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday that the governor had sent the request to the state commissioner of police. Ayorinde said Gov. Ambode asked for the redeployment following raids carried out in different parts of the state by officers of the taskforce on Friday. “The governor has sought an immediate redeployment of several of the taskforce officers from the unit,…
The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bayo Onanuga has said that reports of economic hardship in Nigeria are being exaggerated by the media to discredit the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Onanuga also dismissed the news reports of economic crisis as “mere propaganda” being sponsored by the opposition. The NAN MD made the comments via a Facebook post on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. He said: “I was in Bauchi and Jos at the weekend, I also found that food was cheap everywhere. In our hotel, we paid about N700 for a plate of semovita, or eba with a…
Prominent lawyer, Dr Olisa Agbakoba has said that Nigeria might be in recession till 2020 if the Federal Government doesn’t take urgent steps to resolve the situation. Agbakoba also urged the FG to take hold of the banking sector and exert more regulatory control. The lawyer made the comments while speaking to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. “We must spend our way out of recession. When you go to the hospital and the doctor says you’re anaemic, only one thing is done – transfusion. So, how can the government present an austerity programme?” he said. “The government…
In a dramatic twist, journalists and photojournalists assigned to report President Muhammadu Buhari’s engagements ‘abandoned’ him for his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan. Ex-president Jonathan, former heads of state, Abdusalami Abubakar, and Ernest Shonekan were at the Villa today, September 7, 2016 for President Buhari’s first Council of State Meeting. The council comprises all former presidents and heads of states, as well as vice president, governors, Senate president and House of Representative speaker. President meeting which is currently ongoing is being chaired by President Buhari. Jonathan stole the show as journalists and photographers turned their attention on him. This is the first…
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has expressed shock at the death of business mogul, Olorogun Michael Christopher Onajirevbe Ibru. Ibru died in the United States on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, where he was receiving treatment, at the age of 86. Saraki, who also condoled with Ibru’s family, described him as a trailblazer who impacted lives positively. According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said “Olorogun Ibru, as he was fondly called, was a pioneer of great repute who contributed immensely in entrenching private entrepreneurship and business development in Nigeria. “Simply put,…