Managers
Thomas Tuchel targets title charge next season
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has set his sights on a challenge for the Premier League title next season. Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard at Chelsea in January on an 18-month contract with the option to extend for a further year. Tuchel has enjoyed a fine start to life at Stamford Bridge Since his appointment, the Blues have been in flying form, losing just two from 18 games in all competitions. They currently sit fifth in the Premier League and have reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League. On Saturday, Tuchel’s side face runaway leaders Manchester City, who will be hoping to end the campaign with an unprecedented quadruple. Ahead of the fixture, the German has spoken of his aim to close the gap between the two sides next season. As quoted by Eurosport, Tuchel s...
Bayern Munich legend tips Hansi Flick for Germany job
Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus has claimed that Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick will replace Joachim Low in charge of the German national team. Flick was appointed as Bayern Munich manager in November 2019 on an initial interim basis, following the departure of previous manager Niko Kovac. In his first season, he exceeded all expectations, winning all three major trophies available to him. Flick won a treble last season This season, things haven’t been as successful. The Bavarians remain in the driving seat for a ninth successive Bundesliga title, but have been eliminated early in the Champions League and DFB Pokal. Last week, it was reported that the 56-year-old was set to leave the Allianz Arena and take over from Joachim Low at the German national team after this summer’s Europe...
Former Juventus boss wanted to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Italian source
Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri wanted to sell star man Cristiano Ronaldo before his departure, claims Italian outlet La Repubblica. Ronaldo came to Juventus from Real Madrid for a whopping €100 million in 2018 following a third Champions League title in a row. It was hoped that the Portuguese forward could be the man to propel the Old Lady to European glory, having not lifted the trophy since 1996. Ronaldo has netted 97 goals for Juventus Since his move to Turin, the 36-year-old has scored 97 goals in 126 appearances, helping his side to two Serie A titles. However, while Ronaldo has shone, Juventus have begun to go downhill. They are on course to miss out on the league title for the first time in a decade, have not won the Coppa Italia in the previous two seasons, and have s...
Klopp, Nagelsmann and more: 5 managers who could replace Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich
Hansi Flick has done an exceptional job at Bayern Munich, winning the treble in his first season, having taken over from Niko Kovac in November 2019. This season, he has continued in a similar vein, sitting seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with just seven games remaining. However, they have already been knocked out of the DFB Pokal and are up against it in the Champions League after losing the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain. It now appears that Flick is ready to take on a new challenge, with Norwegian reporter Jan Aage Fjortoft claiming on Twitter that he is set to take over the German national team after the European Championships this summer. The 56-year-old previously worked as assistant manager for Die Mannschaft during their most succes...
Seplat issues $650 million oil and gas bond
Seplat Petroleum Development Company, a Nigerian independent oil and gas firm, has issued $650 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due in 2026. It is said to be the largest ever Nigerian oil and gas bond issuance. A senior note is a type of bond that must be repaid before most other debts in the event that the issuer declares bankruptcy. It is more secure than other bonds. The dual listed company said the five-year bond was well-received in the market with orders from high quality institutional investors. “The notes priced at a yield of 7.75%, representing a significant pricing reduction from its $350 million debut issuance in 2018, which priced at a yield of 9.50% , with a coupon of 9.25%,” a statement by the company read. “The offering was well oversubscribed with deman...
Newcastle fans get stuck into Bruce – survey says 95% want him out
Newcastle United fans have taken part in an online survey, with 95% of participants voting in favour of sacking manager Steve Bruce. The Englishman has been under immense pressure from fans in recent weeks, with Newcastle sitting just two points above the relegation zone. The Magpies are on a poor run of form, having not won any of their last six league fixtures. Things are not going to get any easier, with Newcastle still to play five of the current top six before the season concludes. To compound Steve Bruce’s woes, The Chronicle have been running a poll for the past week to find out what Newcastle fans think of the current situation. 14,000 fans took part in the survey, with 95% of participants feeling that Newcastle should part company with Bruce. 49% of fans cited Bruce’s tactics as t...
Traffic in Suez Canal resumes after stranded ship refloated
Shipping traffic through Egypt’s Suez Canal resumed on Monday after a giant container ship which had been blocking the busy waterway for almost a week was refloated, the canal authority said. The 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given became jammed diagonally across a southern section of the canal in high winds early last Tuesday, halting traffic on the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. Live footage on a local television station showed the ship surrounded by tug boats moving slowly in the centre of the canal on Monday afternoon. The station, ExtraNews, said the ship was moving at a speed of 1.5 knots. “Admiral Osama Rabie, the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announces the resumption of maritime traffic in the Suez Canal after the Authority successfully rescues and ...
Jose Mourinho hits back at his critics in classic Jose Mourinho fashion
Jose Mourinho has been one of the game’s most influential figures for the past two decades. From his underdog days at Porto, to his famous ‘Special One’ press conference, to his divisive time at Manchester United – he’s always been at the heart of the drama. In recent years, the Portuguese has come under a lot of scrutiny, with many fans feeling like his days at the top level are over. His time at Tottenham Hotspur has further heightened this feeling. Mourinho took over from Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs The Lilywhites are looking unlikely to reach the top four this season and suffered an embarrassing Europa League exit to Dinamo Zagreb, all while playing uninspiring football. On the whole, it seems like a vast downgrade from the Mauricio Pochettino era. Mourinho has responded to those who ...
Group urges service chiefs to fish out criminal elements
Following the activities of armed bandits in the country, group has charged the new service chiefs to address the current Insecurity situation in the North East, particularly Maiduguri, which they noted,was the epicenter of insecurity in the country. By way of appeal the group urge the new security heads adopt a new strategy, hit the ground running by relocating to the theatre of the war against terrorists for at least six months in the first instance and not national tour. In a statement, Wednesday, the experts operating under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Nigeria Security Experts noted that two months after the current security chiefs assumed office, insecurity was assuming a new dimension. In the statement by its National Coordinator, Prof. Otedola Adekunle and National Secretary,...
Brendan Rodgers likely to replace Jose Mourinho at Tottenham
Brendan Rodgers has emerged as the favourite for the Tottenham Hotspur job should the club choose to sack manager Jose Mourinho, according to 90min. Mourinho took over from the immensely popular Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, after the Argentine suffered a disastrous start to the 2019/20 season. In his first few months, the Portuguese guided Spurs to sixth place, qualifying for the Europa League. Mourinho’s men made a strong start to the season The 2020/21 campaign was looking far more promising for the Lilywhites. They spent four weeks at the top of the table in November and December, defeating Manchester City and Arsenal. However, things have gone sour since then. Tottenham have won just six of their last 17 league games, falling to eighth. Meanwhile, the football has been uninspiring...
Jurgen Klopp admits top four place is “almost impossible”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted defeat in his hopes to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season, labelling the task “almost impossible”. Having lifted the league trophy with ease last season, the Reds made a strong start to their title defence, finding themselves top of the table at the beginning of the new year. However, 2021 has been nothing short of a disaster for Liverpool. They have lost eight of their last 13 league games and been knocked out of the FA Cup by bitter rivals Manchester United. Liverpool have been well below standard in 2021 They currently sit in sixth place, five points off the Champions League spots. Meanwhile, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa could all overtake them if they win their games in hand. Manager Jurgen Klopp has played down...
Chelsea owner takes legal action over ‘Putin’s People’ book
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has launched legal action for defamation over the book Putin’s People. The Blues owner’s case relates to “a number of false and defamatory claims made about our client in the book published by HarperCollins.” The book was written by author Caterine Belton and contains a number of claims about Abramovich and others close to Russia president Vladimir Putin. Abramovich’s statement, published on Chelsea’s club website, says: “Today my legal representatives have issued legal proceedings in England in relation to a book that was published in the UK. The book contains a number of false and defamatory statements about me, including about my purchase, and the activities, of Chelsea Football Club. “Today’s action was not taken lightly. It has never been my ambition to ...