Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will be in attendance for Inter Milan’s match against Sampdoria on Saturday, but has insisted he won’t be returning to the club next season. Mourinho managed Inter from 2008-2010, with his time at the San Siro culminating with an historic Treble that saw the Nerazzurri win Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League crowns in his final season in charge. Mourinho left Chelsea by mutual consent in December amid a fractious campaign for his defending Premier League champs, and has since been linked to a number of high-profile jobs. Inter Milan, who at one…
Author: David Folami
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has told Sky he would welcome the chance to play under future Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Pogba, 22, has been linked with a number of Europe’s leading clubs for some time despite Juve’s insistence he is not for sale. It was recently reported that Barcelona, who had been touted as the favourites for Pogba’s signature, had withdrawn from the race for his services as they could not afford to sign him, paving the way for a move to City. The France international has now told Sky Sport Deutschland he would relish the chance to work…
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has insisted the 2022 World Cup vote was not fixed, saying: “You cannot buy a World Cup.” Blatter this week returned to FIFA’s headquarters as his appeal against an eight-year ban from football was heard, and the 79-year-old continues to plead his innocence on several fronts amid numerous allegations of corruption. Blatter was banned for eight years alongside then UEFA president Michel Platini over an alleged ‘disloyal payment’ between the two, but it was the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar which arguably sparked the crisis which has rocked FIFA. Qatar has denied…
Arsene Wenger admitted a replay is “not ideal” after watching his Arsenal side draw 0-0 with Hull in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday. Arsenal dominated proceedings at the Emirates Stadium but were unable to break the deadlock, with Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic making 11 saves to keep the home side at bay. The two clubs will now meet again in a replay — which has yet to be arranged — but with Arsenal still in both the Premier League title race and Champions League, Wenger concedes his team could have done without the extra game. “If we have…
Bologna held on for a scoreless draw to end champions Juventus’s 15-match winning streak in Serie A on Friday. The Old Lady of Turin had not failed to win in the league since a 1-0 reverse at Sassuolo at the end of October and turned an 11-point gap to the top of the table into a one-point advantage over Napoli with a 1-0 success against their nearest rivals last weekend. However, Juve travelled to a Bologna side who were themselves in the midst of a resurgence since former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni took over the reins in October after Delio…
Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink said Friday that Eden Hazard was happy to stay at Stamford Bridge but has told him he must improve following his disappointing season so far. The Belgian playmaker has not come close to the high standards he set last term, amid speculation he is being courted by Paris Saint-Germain. And his comments in an interview with Le Parisien just before Chelsea’s 2-1 Champions League defeat by PSG on Tuesday – “it would be difficult to say no to PSG” – did little to help his cause with the west London club’s supporters. Yet Hiddink has…
Manchester City will field a weakened team for this weekend’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Chelsea but the home club will not follow suit, their respective managers said on Friday. City are prioritising the Champions League, in which they play Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, their manager Manuel Pellegrini said. “We have just 13 players available to play and have to play the Champions League on Wednesday,” he told a news conference. “We’ll see the best team we can play on Sunday (at Chelsea). “I always try to play with a strong team in every competition. They are all important but…
Holders Arsenal’s long unbeaten run in the FA Cup continued but they were frustrated by stubborn Championship leaders Hull City on Saturday, drawing 0-0 in a dreary fifth-round tie at the Emirates Stadium. Arsene Wenger’s side piled on late pressure but could not find a way past the massed ranks of Hull’s defence and will need a replay in their quest to become the first club in the modern era to win the competition three years in a row. Despite overwhelming possession, the closest Arsenal came to breaking the deadlock was Joel Campbell’s free kick that was tipped against the…
Mauricio Pochettino’s insistence his Tottenham players will have no problem handling their daunting workload will be tested when Crystal Palace visit White Hart Lane in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday. Tottenham’s surge up to second place in the Premier League means the club’s focus is now unexpectedly trained on landing a first championship since 1961. But with Pochettino’s side also still competing in the Europa League – they face Palace on the back of Thursday’s 1-1 last 32 first leg draw at Fiorentina – as well as the FA Cup, every game between now and the end of…
The all-important 2017 Afcon qualifying game between Nigeria and Egypt will now be held on March 25 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna. There was a bit of furore about the date of the game that was to be played as the NFF earlier stated it had got approval to play the game on March 26, instead of March 23 as scheduled. The Egypt FA, apparently not aware of it, said there has been no communication between it and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and has received no information from the Caf on the change of dates. This decision…
Barcelona will consider what is best for Neymar when they decide whether to release their Brazilian star for the Olympic soccer tournament at the Rio Games – just as they did for Lionel Messi in 2008, coach Luis Enrique said on Friday. Neymar, part of the Barca team on course for a second successive treble this season, has said he wants to be one of Brazil’s three permitted over-age players at the Olympic Games from August 5-21 in his home country. The 24-year-old was in the team that lost the final of the 2012 London Games to Mexico, failing to…
President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday that his administration would not tolerate any corrupt government. He said this while addressing the closing session of the Catholics Bishops Conference of Nigeria at a mass at the Holy Cross Church, Gwarimpa, Abuja. Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari said that resources meant for millions of Nigerians ended up in the pockets of a few corrupt individuals. ADVERTISING He said he aligned himself with the communiqué of the conference that Nigerians must hold those elected into offices accountable. “Corruption is a sin against humanity; it is a crime against humanity; we must…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused prominent lawyer, Rickey Tarfa of bribing a judge with N225,000. According to the EFCC, Tarfa, who has been charged with obstruction of justice, sent the money to Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court on January 7, 2014. The lawyer is suing the agency for arresting him and detaining him on February 5, 2016, and is demanding damages of N2.5 billion. The bribery allegations were made by EFCC agent, Moses Awolusi in a counter-affidavit on the basis of which the agency is urging the court to dismiss Tarfa’s case against…
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria has the fastest growing economy in Africa. Buhari made the remark on Thursday, February 18, 2016, in a keynote address at the public presentation of a book by Dare Babarinsa in Abuja. “Yes, our land is blessed by providence with riches in oil and gas, iron ore, gold, limestone and almost all the minerals of this earth,” the president, who was represented by former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni, said. “Our soil can grow almost any crop and our vegetation supports animal life as varied as creation can manifest. Our rivers and coast…
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate disengagement of 26 heads of prarastatal agencies and commissions, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, said in a statement. The statement, issued in Abuja on Monday, said the president had directed that the most senior directors in the affected organisations oversee affairs pending the appointment of substantive chief executive officers. “Mr President, however, thanked the affected chief executives for their invaluable services to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours,” the statement said. It said the agencies affected included Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation…
President Muhammadu Buhari has come under criticism from Nigerians for his frequent official trips abroad. Buhari is set to leave Nigeria for Egypt today, February 19, 2016, just about a week after he returned from London on February 10. The president is also said to be planning visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar at the end of the month. Nigerians are commenting on Buhari’s trips with the hashtag “#WakaWakaBuhari”.
Senator David Mark has urged residents of Benue State to take destiny into their hands for the February 20, 2016 senatorial rerun elections in Benue South. Mark made the call via a statement released by his media aide, Paul Mumeh on Wednesday, February 17, 2016. “You must stand tall and exercise your franchise within the ambits of the law. What we shall not accept is for external forces to decide who represents us,” the statement read. “This is an election that affects the political destiny of our people. No outsider should decide for us; we must take our destiny in…
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed that its new national Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, is substantive and not in acting capacity. The party was responding to media reports describing Sheriff as the party’s acting chairman. In a statement released by the PDP yesterday, February 18, the reports were described as “being erroneously rendered by a section of the media”. “The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the media and members of the public that His Excellency, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff is substantive and not acting National Chairman of the PDP”, the statement said.…
The Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have asked all members of the party to accept the new chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. The appointment of Sheriff has angered many members of the PDP. Some lawmakers have even threatened to decamp if the new chairman is not removed. Reports also say Femi Fani Kayode called on members to pray for PDP, when he heard that the former Senator was selected as the party’s chairman. The PDP Governors, through the coordinator of its forum, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, said “It has come to our notice that some members of our great…
President Buhari hosted members of the Diplomatic corps in Nigeria, to a cocktail party, at his official residence on Thursday, February 18, 2016. The visibly elated President said “I am very delighted to have you at this reception organized principally, to provide a relaxed atmosphere for an informal interaction at the early stage of the New Year. “Although the year is somehow far gone today for me to say Happy New Year to all of you, but it is not too late to convey my very best wishes for your well-being, joy and peace in the rest of 2016.” Meanwhile,…