Midfielder
Pep Guardiola confident Kevin de Bruyne will commit future to Manchester City
Pep Guardiola expects Kevin De Bruyne to commit his long-term future to Manchester City despite reports the Belgium midfielder’s contract talks have stalled. De Bruyne’s current contract runs until 2023, but City have already offered him a new deal. That contract extension remains unsigned amid claims De Bruyne was “disappointed” City’s offer did not significantly improve his reported salary of £280,000 ($380,000) per week. De Bruyne, voted the PFA Player of the Year last season, is said to want a deal that reflects his status as one of the world’s best midfielders and vice-captain of the club. Despite those issues, City boss Guardiola remains confident De Bruyne’s future will be at the Etihad Stadium. “I am pretty sure he will stay but at the same time we have to respect the process,” Gua...
Thomas Muller and wife venture into horse sperm business
After making a good show of his soccer career with numerous laurels to show for his efforts, German international Thomas Muller and his wife Lisa have ventured into horse sperm business. In fact they are tipped to soon become ‘horse sperm millionaires’, according to German newspaper Bild. The Mullers are selling horse sperm online and are reportedly progressing in that regard. The World Cup and Champions League winner Muller is the self-titled ‘director of carrots’ at his wife Lisa’s stables. She is a champion dressage rider so knows a thing or two about all things equine. Now their breeding farm has been named ‘EU Insemination Station’ for 2021. This means breeders can order semen from their stallions, including Muller’s favourite D’Avie (or Dave as it’s also known as). Two ‘installments’...
Mohammed Gidado vows to lift Jigawa Golden Stars
Teenager Abubakar Mohammed Gidado has expressed his readiness to utilize every opportunity to showcase his talent and uplift Jigawa Golden Stars as the 2020/21 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) gets underway. Tipped as one of the young talents to shine in the league this season, the 15-year old star is set to make his NPFL debut for the Northern club side against Sunshine Stars in their home game Kaduna in one of the opening Match Day 1 fixtures. “This is an opportunity for me to prove my talent in the league and to the world; I would be glad to give all my best for my club,” a confident Gidado said matter-of-factly. Snapped from Kingsgrant FC of Lagos, Gidado is delighted with the quality of players and standard in display at Jigawa Golden Stars which has helped him to settle do...
Rangers seek winning start in Port-Harcourt
File Photo Technical adviser of Rangers International F.C., Coach Salisu Yusuf has assured the club’s teaming supporters of a winning start in the match Day 1 fixture of 2020/2021 NPFL season as he leads his wards on a visit to Port-Harcourt for a date with Rivers United. Coach Salisu who monitored his wards as they rounded off training in the morning of Christmas Day 2020 inside the main-bowl of Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, was optimistic of getting a good result against continental campaigners, Rivers United in the opening day fixture. The former Super Eagles coach in a chat, said, “My immediate task is always to win and we have worked so hard and I believe we will have a good result there.” On the result achieved by the ‘Pride of Rivers’ in the CAF Confederations cup giving them an edge in t...
Mutiu Adepoju: It is wrong to call young players next Lionel Messi or Austin Okocha
AOIFOOTBALL.COM Former Super Eagles midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju, says it is wrong to call young players the next Lionel Messi or Austine Jay Jay Okocha since it puts them under lots of pressure. Adepoju, who is also nicknamed the “headmaster” in his playing days disclosed this when he spoke with BBC Sport. According to him, local media and fans must stop as it is not good for the growth of the players. He said: “I believe calling young players in the youth teams as the next Messi or Jay-Jay Okocha is unfair and unnecessary. “Indulging in this comparison is setting them up for failure because the weight of expectations will definitely affect these players mentally. “It’s the main reason some players refused to work hard and be themselves because they easily get carried away by what the press ...
Inter Milan confirm Christian Eriksen on transfer list
Christian Eriksen could have played his last match for Inter Milan, with club CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirming Wednesday the Danish midfielder was on the transfer list. The former Tottenham midfielder missed Inter’s final game before Christmas at Verona on Wednesday, with Italian media reporting he had returned to Denmark to be with his wife who is due to give birth to their second child. “Eriksen is among the transfers,” Marotta told Sky Sport before the game. “It’s not a punishment but he has struggled to settle into the squad… so it is right to give him the opportunity to find more space elsewhere.” The Danish international arrived from Spurs on four-and-a-half-year deal in January for a reported fee of 27.5 million euros including bonuses. But the 28-year-old has scored just four goals ...
Tottenham boss ‘angry’ with Dele Alli for creating ‘problems for his own team’
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has hit out at Dele Alli, accusing the midfielder of creating “problems for his own team” in his side’s 3-1 win over Stoke in the Carabao Cup. Alli was handed a rare start at Stoke on Wednesday and looked dangerous on occasions in attack, seeing a goal-bound strike saved by Andy Lonergan in the first half. However, he was at fault for Stoke’s goal when a flick gifted possession to the home side – and it was an action that angered his coach. “For me a player who plays in that position is a player that has to link and create and not create problems for his own team,” Mourinho said in his post-match press conference. “They got us on the counterattack, so yes I was angry. “First half we were solid. They didn’t touch the ball, have a shot, have a corner. Instead of ...
Liverpool star set to leave on free transfer at end of the season
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is reportedly expected to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of his contract in the summer. The Netherlands international has been a hugely important part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad for some time now, but it looks like he’s now heading for the Anfield exit instead of landing a new deal. This is currently looking the most likely scenario, according to The Athletic, who report on how Liverpool tend to have a firm stance on new contracts for players over 30. Wijnaldum is surely still an important part of this squad and many fans would surely rather he stayed for a little while longer, even if it might not be the most sensible financial decision. Liverpool have plenty of other options in midfield so should be in a strong position in that departme...
Joe Aribo helps Rangers extend Scottish Premiership unbeaten run
Joe Aribo provided an assist to help Rangers extend their unbeaten run in the Scottish Premiership following a 3-1 victory over Motherwell on Saturday. The midfielder was handed his 11th league appearance as a second-half substitute and made a vital contribution for his side. Rangers started the game unimpressively, allowing their visitors to open the scoring as early as the sixth minute of the encounter through Callum Lang. The Gers struggled to level proceedings as Motherwell frustrated their efforts before respite eventually came their way when Kemar Roofe found the back of the net in the 73rd minute. Eight minutes before full-time, Cedric Itten handed Steven Gerrard’s men the lead for the first time in the game after benefitting from Ianis Hagi’s assist. Aribo then set up Roofe to scor...
PSG confirm Neymar’s ankle injury
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain say an initial assessment of key forward Neymar’s ankle injury has been “reassuring”. The Brazilian striker was stretched off in Sunday’s loss to Olympique Lyonnais, with the Paris side saying on Monday that he had sprained his left ankle, adding that further examinations will be carried out in the next 48 hours. In the extra time of the tie, the 28-year-old went down screaming in agony and clutching his ankle after a poor challenge from Lyon midfielder Thiago Mendes, who was thereafter sent off with a straight red. “The medical examinations carried out on Neymar are reassuring following his twisted ankle in Sunday’s game against Lyon,” PSG said. The club, and Neymar in particular, will hope the damage is not too deleterious and does not rule him out of t...
Nigerian midfielder sees red as 10-woman SL Benfica fall at Chelsea
Christy Ucheibe got sent off in Wednesday’s Uefa Women’s Champions League first leg, Round of 32 encounter as 10-woman SL Benfica suffered a 5-0 loss at home to Chelsea. The Nigerian midfielder was first cautioned in the 31st minute for a foul on Fran Kirby before receiving a second yellow card for a bookable offence against Erin Cuthbert in the 74th minute. Having squeezed past POAK and Anderlecht to the Round of 32, the Portuguese champions hosted the English giants at the Benfica Stadium with the ambition of boosting their next round chances. The hosts made a false start in the encounter when Fran Kirby opened the scoring for the visitors after just two minutes. In the 29th minute, Guro Reiten set up Millie Bright to double the lead for Chelsea before Reiten bagged her brace of assists,...
Juventus hit back to beat Torino
Juventus came from behind to beat Torino 2-1 on Sunday with US midfielder Weston McKennie among the scorers for the first time since he joined the Italian champions on loan. McKennie’s close-range header on 78 minutes put Juve level after Nicolas Nkoulou had given Torino a first-half advantage. After McKennie’s equaliser, Leonardo Bonucci produced an 89th-minute winner to lift Juve to second in the table, three points behind AC Milan who visit Sampdoria on Sunday. Inter Milan can overtake Juve by beating Bologna in Saturday’s late match. Before the game in Turin, Cristiano Ronaldo was presented with a special jersey commemorating his 750th career goal. But Ronaldo played a supporting role for once as 22-year-old McKennie, on loan from German club Schalke 04, scored a first Serie A goal and...
