Sports

Sports

Meet the 30-men vying for the 2016 Ballon d’Or award.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Another Ballon d’Or award is upon us. And perennial rivals, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the front seat. Noticeably, there’s an increase in this year’s number of nominees (23-30). The list will be whittled down to three, and the winner and the final placings will be revealed on Dec. 13 by France Football
 

30-man Shortlist

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City),

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund),

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid),

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus),

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid),

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City),

Paulo Dybala (Juventus),

Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid),

Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid),

Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli/Juventus),

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United),

Andres Iniesta (Barcelona),

Koke (Atletico Madrid),

Toni Kroos (Real Madrid),

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich),

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham),

Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City),

Lionel Messi (Barcelona),

Luka Modric (Real Madrid),

Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich),

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich),

Neymar (Barcelona),

Dimitri Payet (West Ham),

Pepe (Real Madrid),

Paul Pogba (Juventus/Manchester United),

Rui Patricio (Sporting),

Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid),

Luis Suarez (Barcelona),

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City),

 Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich)

 

0 240
Sports

Jose Mourinho accuses Chelsea manager of humiliating him. The Italian replies!

Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho and Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte appeared to have exchanged heated words while shaking hands after the final whistle of the game involving both sides yesterday. Sky Italia’s Gabriele Marcotti somehow deduced the Portuguese told Conte in Italian he took offense in his sideline celebrations: “You don’t celebrate like that at 4-0. You can do it at 1-0, otherwise it’s humiliating for us.” He was quoted.

Chelsea’s manager has however denied the accusation saying emotions ran high and his behaviour was appropriate.

“There has always been respect for all, and naturally for Manchester United. Nothing happened. I did something absolutely normal. I didn’t do anything to humiliate Mourinho.” Conte explained

He continued, “The players, after a 4-0 win, deserved a great clap. It’s very normal. We live with emotions. If you want to cut the emotions, we can stay at home and I will change jobs.”

“I was a football player, so I know how to behave on the pitch.

“There were United fans who kept singing, while ours were in silence after a great performance from my team. I wanted to call the crowd to applaud the players, which seems normal enough to me.

“I have great respect for everyone. Nothing happened with Jose, especially as my behaviour seemed normal. I didn’t make fun of or humiliate anyone, as I always demand respect.

“Today, I think it is important to talk about the game and I say my players deserved this type of performance.”

“The crowd behaved in a normal way so there was nothing wrong.”

0 325
Sports

Ryan Giggs slams Man Utd players for swapping shirts after heavy defeat

ryan-giggs

Ryan Giggs was left gutted by the post-match attitude of Manchester United players yesterday. Shortly after the Reds were beaten 4-0 by Chelsea, some players, notably Ibrahimovic, Juan Mata and David De Gea were seen laughing and swapping shirts with their rivals and this didn’t sit well with the club’s former player and assistant manager.

“You can get beaten in a football match, but then when you’re getting beaten and you’re swapping shirts – which is something I don’t like, call me old fashioned,”

“If you get beaten 4-0, you congratulate the opposition, you thank the supporters and then you get off the pitch.

 “You don’t stand around on the pitch, swapping shirts and laughing, with the team that’s just beat you.” The club’s most decorated player said.

 

0 296
Sports

Mourinho never spoke to me at Chelsea

Victor Moses has opened up on his relationship with Jose Mourinho during his stint at the club. The Nigeria international disclosed to ESPN that the Manchester United never had a face-face discussion with him.

“He never spoke to me. I thought in my head, ‘He’s got his own players already.’ I think we chatted a couple of times on the phone – ¬he asked if I was alright at Liverpool, but that was it.”

Now given a starring role since his return to the Stamford Bridge, the Super Eagles player is enjoying life under his new Italian boss, Antonio Conte.

“The manager who is here now is giving everyone a chance – even the young lads. I’m pleased that he’s here and I’ve just got to go out there and enjoy my football. As long as you work hard, the manager will see it and he’ll give you an opportunity.

“When the new manager came in, I just wanted to see how it went. It’s a blessing for me that he enjoys the way I play and appreciates the effort I put in. It gives you a lot of confidence when the manager believes in you.”

0 312
Sports

Premier League not intense than La Liga or the Bundesliga – Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has dismissed the notion that the Premier League is more intense than other European leagues, specifically La Liga and Bundesliga. Speaking after his side’s 1-1 draw on Saturday, the Barca boss said all the leagues are competitive
“I hear a lot of times about the intensity of the Premier League when none of you have been in La Liga or the Bundesliga to know how it is. The problem here is maybe that there are more games but the way that they play in Germany is… it’s amazing. I think you have to have respect for the other leagues, how they play and the way they play.
“Of course Barcelona is special in how they play, a machine. Three amazing players in front, good counter-attack, the way they build-up so when they win 4-0 it’s because they deserve to win 4-0.
I think every league has its points but especially it’s the quality of the players and that’s the reason why. In Spain in the last seven, eight, nine years they’re winning or in the final of all the European competitions because they play well because they have good players. That is the reason why.

“Here there are more games to play… but the intensity in Italy, in all of these places, is the same.”

0 279
Sports

Onazi battles former club over unpaid wages

ogenyi-onazi-548964
Nigeria international Ogenyi Onazi is fighting tooth and nail to receive his salary from his former club, Lazio. The Super Eagles midfielder alleged that the serie A side owe him two months’ salary, specifically May and June and has asked FIFA to wade into the issue.
The 23-year-old midfielder who spent five seasons at the club made 110 appearances and scored seven goals before his move to Turkish club, Trabzonspor. 
He told BBC Sport, “We have no option but to go to FIFA to ask the disciplinary committee to act on Lazio’s refusal to pay me. My agent and lawyer have written to Lazio, but after two months we have heard nothing from the club. We all conclude that the only ideal thing to do is to approach FIFA to enable me to get what I worked for.”

0 307
Sports

Suarez wins Golden boot for 2015/16 season

img_20161020_151212
Barcelona forward, Suarez has received the Golden boot for season 2015/16 for being leading goalscorer in top European leagues. He won his 1st in 2013/14.
The Uruguayan who was joined by his wife and two kids paid tributes to his Barcelona teammates and reiterated his desire to finish his career at the Nou Camp
img_20161020_151254
 
“I have magnificent teammates who make it easy for me, but I don’t want to take anything away from myself, you still have to score. I want to thank Barça for bringing me here and allowing me to fulfill my goals. My team mates play a part in my goals. I hope I can finish my career at Barça. I have fought a lot in my life and since coming to Barça I am trying to enjoy it, be happy and win trophies” He said.

0 392
Sports

We controlled, except the goal – Guardiola

img_20161020_133636 Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has denied claims that his side’s 4-0 loss to Barca is the worst run of form in his career. A hat-trick by Lionel Messi and a Neymar strike saw Barca triumph over Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday.
He told AS, “The worst defeat of my career was with Bayern against Madrid. It was the whole situation and the mistakes I made with the starting line-up.”
The Spaniard added that his team had a lot of opportunities but just couldn’t find the net.
“Last time with Bayern in 2014 we didn’t create chances but today we did, we created chances to score one or two goals,” he said.
“But Barca can punish you, they have a lot of quality. We controlled, except the goal.”

0 344
Sports

Didier Drogba refuses to play for Montreal Impact

Didier Drogba refused to play for Montreal Impact after learning he'd start on the bench
Didier Drogba refused to play for Montreal Impact after learning he will
be left out of the team’s starting XI against Toronto. The Chelsea legend wasn’t happy with the idea that he would
start from the bench and so opted not to turn up for the game which later ended
2-2.
Montreal initially thought his omission was due to a back injury but
later learnt he could actually feature in the game play but just didn’t show up…he
probably felt slighted.


‘I spoke with him on Saturday and he didn’t accept the fact that
he would come off the bench and, in the end, he didn’t want to be in the 18. He
decided not to play.’ There was tightness in his back, yes, but he was capable of
playing. The organisation will have to handle this .” coach Mauro
Biello said
0 267
Open chat