Sturridge in line for Hull City start, reveals Rodgers
By Holly Gillett
The 24-year-old has been struggling with a thigh
injury and was restricted to a goalscoring substitute's appearance in
the Merseyside derby
Daniel Sturridge could return to Liverpool's starting line-up for the trip to Hull City on Sunday after training "exceptionally well" this week, according to Brendan Rodgers.
The 24-year-old, who has been struggling with a thigh injury, was
restricted to a brief substitute appearance in the 3-3 draw at Everton
last weekend but still found time to grab a last-gasp equaliser.
He now has nine goals in 12 Premier League games this season and
Rodgers revealed the striker may be handed a start at the KC Stadium.
"He has certainly trained very hard this week," he told the club's
official website. "We've got another day to go to prepare and see where
all the players are at.
"I like to give all the players every chance to show that they can be
in the team. He has worked exceptionally well and, when he does that,
his quality is there for everyone to see."
Liverpool are winless in their last three away league matches but remain in the chasing pack behind leaders Arsenal. --------------- goal.com
The Liverpool manager believes the veteran
midfielder could extend his career even further by adopting a defensive
role in the future, and is confident ahead of the trip to Hull
The
33-year-old made his debut for the club as a 90th-minute substitute in a
2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on November 29, 1998.
Gerrard
has gone on to win several honours with Liverpool, including the
Champions League and FA Cup, but Rodgers believes the midfielder can
prolong his career by moving into a deeper role.
"I think he can
play as a No.2 centre-half late in his career," Rodgers told reporters.
"You're playing against certain teams where they've got one up [in
attack], I think he can play as a centre-half - as a right-sided
centre-half - and build the game from behind.
"How he passes the ball is as good as anyone in the world, short and long, so it's a possibility that he could go on."
Liverpool
face Hull on Sunday, with Rodgers confident of picking up a win at the
KC Stadium, despite being impressed with Steve Bruce's side.
He
added: "The teams promoted, they've done really well, so they look to be
heading on course to be a team in the middle of the table, so that will
tell you it's going to be a very difficult game for us.
"But our
confidence is high and our spirit is very strong at the moment, so even
though it'll be tough we hope we can go and get the points." ------------- goal.com
The
Milan-based club sit fourth in Serie A but they have scored more goals
than any of the 19 other teams, and Palacio believes that Inter have
suggested that the current attackers can handle the pressure without
extra players added in 2014.
"I do not ask about anything [transfer related] - these are decisions for the coach and the club," the 31-year-old told Sky Sport 24.
"Certainly we are strong up front, though, and it is not a problem. I'd say that currently we have the best attack in Serie A."
Scudetto
holders Juventus sit top of Serie A, with Roma and Napoli not far
behind them, but the Argentine attacker is certain that Inter can propel
themselves up the table from fourth if they stick with their current
mindset.
"We are not thinking about the standings right now,
we're taking things game-by-game," Palacio added. "But, if we continue
in this manner, we can reach the top of the table."
Inter host Sampdoria at San Siro on Sunday, with kick-off at 15:00CET. ------------ goal.com
To be a man...: Has life played its last cruel card on Odartey Lamptey?
The former Ghana international has suffered one
misfortune after another in his 38-year-old life, and Goal wonders if
his latest could prove his worst yet
FEATURE By Sammie Frimpong
Mention a man toughened by abrasive adversity and the harsh realities of life, and Nii Odartey Lamptey readily comes to mind.
From childhood through his existence as a man and a footballer,
Odartey has always received little change from the people he has trusted
and expected most from. Disappointments and exploitation by those
dearest to his heart has largely been the story of his life.
As a child, Lamptey was raised amidst turbulence. His father, a
hopeless alcoholic, regularly beat him, even burning young Lamptey with
red-hot cigarette butts whenever he felt like it. Consequently, Lamptey
would often spend nights away from home. When aged just eight, his
parents split, and his mother - also occasionally abusive of him but
generally more protective - had to move in with another man. Lamptey
remained with his father, though, but not for long.
While yet a teenager, Lamptey would be practically disowned.
Continually hassled by his violent dad and having to deal with a fresh
kind of challenge in his bothersome stepmother, he was virtually forced
out of home.
The
latest unhappy episode in Lamptey's life has developed in the last few
days as dramatically as any A-list Hollywood movie could. It involves
Lamptey allegedly suspecting infidelity on the part of his wife of 20
years
Through it all, football was Lamptey's sole solace, providing him
with a semblance of the serenity he had been robbed of in his formative
years. Yet even here, his bogeyman of a daddy would try to reach him.
Not content with domestic abuse, Lamptey senior would often frequent the
pitches where his boy played, and would heckle and embarrass him from
the touchline. Only years later would father and son be re-united.
His had indeed been a miserable upbringing.
Determined as Lamptey was, though, he was always going to dribble his
way out of it all. Feted by the world - with a figure no less than the
legendary Brazilian, Pele, leading his praise-singers - for his
brilliant displays at the 1991 Under-17 World Cup in Italy, Lamptey
seemed well primed to become the biggest thing in football since the
offside rule.
Here was a great talent, they said, ready to shine in subsequent years.
And shine he did, at least in his first few seasons playing in
Europe, in Belgium and Holland, with Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven
respectively. Then came a move to England's Aston Villa, an ill-fated
one as it soon turned out. From the very beginning, that transfer simply
failed to make sense. PSV were a far mightier force than Villa at the
time, thus the move represented an obvious step backwards for such a
promising young man. The motive behind it soon became clear, however.
The man who made it happen, Antonio Caliendo, Lamptey’s agent at the
time, had bagged his client the wrong deal simply to feed his own greed.
Described by a fellow player agent as "a shady character who held
Lamptey's transfer rights like a slave owner held his slave," Caliendo
had sold the naive and unsuspecting Lamptey a hard bargain when he first
landed in Europe, luring him into signing an exclusive marketing
contract that ensured he [Caliendo] personally cashed roughly 25% of the
fee any transfer of Lamptey commanded. And so he packaged the youngster
complete with ticker-tape and pushed him off to Ron Atkinson's Villa. COUNT ON US | Lamptey (2nd from right) can only fall on his old friends in trying times like this
That marked the beginning of the end for Lamptey. Scoring just thrice
for the Villans represented gross failure for a player whose hype had
always preceded him, and Lamptey then embarked on a globe-trotting
adventure that saw him play for 10 different clubs on four continents.
At two of those stops - Union de Santa Fe in Argentina and German outfit
Greuther Furth - he was hit with the shattering heartbreak of losing
children; first his son Diego, who he named after the great Argentine
legend Maradona, and then Lisa, a girl.
A troubled career over, Lamptey has been seeing out a quiet pension
in the Ghanaian capital, enjoying the growth of a world-standard
international school, a blossoming football academy, and a cattle farm
on the outskirts of Accra.
Until this week, that is.
The latest unhappy episode in Lamptey's life has developed in the
last few days as dramatically as any A-list Hollywood movie could. It
involves Lamptey allegedly suspecting infidelity on the part of his wife
of 20 years and, with his doubts reaching a crux, requesting a
DNA-based paternity test to be conducted on his three surviving
offspring. The results were brutally spine-tingling and revealing: none
had been fathered by him.
Even cruelly, his partner, Gloria, is the reason why Lamptey's
siblings remain so hostile to him to this day; the reason why he had to
bury his deceased father with little help from anyone. Being of the Ga
tribe, Lamptey's immediate family had objected to his marriage to a
Fanti lady.
With the dirty laundry of his marital life being washed so publicly
and reportedly heading for a divorce that is likely to become muddy and
heady as it gets along, Lamptey would be left pondering, hand-on-jaw for
the umpteenth time, just how things ever so rarely seem easy on him.
He's never deserved any of it, really. Not the abuse as a child. Not the shameless manipulation by his football agent. Not the untimely death of his kids. And this neither. Sorry, Nii. ---------------- goal.com
sad sad sad, but it is well; now it's time to look to God alone for succour...
New
Delhi: As Pune FC gear up for the AFC Champions League play-off, the
elite club tournament of Asia, a senior official of the Piramal
Group-owned club said that the outfit is reaping rich dividends for
strictly following club licensing criteria.
Pune FC is the only
I-League club that met the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the
national club licensing criteria and now they have been granted a
play-off slot for the Champions League.
Pune FC Head of Operations Chirag Tanna said the play-off slot means a lot to the club.
“The
AFC Champions League play-off slot means a lot to everyone at the club.
When the club was set up in 2007, playing in Asia was one of the goals.
Indian clubs have not received the Champions League play-off spot for
two years now, so we were not sure if we were going to get this,” Tanna
said, adding that the licensing criteria makes the I-League clubs focus
on other areas as well.
"It compels clubs to focus on areas like
youth and fan development, and a robust administrative set up. It also
implements salary caps and infrastructure development, both of which
will help make Indian club football financially sustainable in time to
come,” he said.
“The AIFF needs to hit a score of 600 points for
an I-League club to get direct entry into the group stages of AFC
Champions League (not the play-offs). Our points have improved
significantly in the last 12 months and in 2013-14 we have managed a
score of 526. We are within touching distance of where we aim to be.
With a sustained effort, I’m certain we will achieve this goal,” he
said.
IANS --------------- ZEENEWS.com
German footballers to get $408,000 each for World Cup triumph
Last Updated: Friday, November 29, 2013, 21:53
Berlin:
The German Football Federation unveiled its incentive scheme for the
2014 World Cup in Brazil saying that each player would get a payout of
$408,000, if the country wins the tournament.
Team captain Philipp Lahm and
the rest of the players quickly agreed to keep the same incentive scheme
that was in place for last year`s European Championship in Poland and
Ukraine, reports Xinhua.
The scheme only kicks in after the
second round with each player receiving $68,000 for reaching the
quarterfinals, $136,000 for reaching the semifinals and $204,000 for the
final.
IANS ------------------- ZEENEWS.com
Meeeenn, i think i should go dust my football boots...
David Moyes say best is yet to come from improving United
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 00:23
London:
It was short and sweet but the five minutes that Manchester United
manager David Moyes spent in his weekly news conference on Friday
offered the clearest sign yet that he is settling into the job.
It
has been a testing period for the former Everton manager since he
replaced Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, with United making their worst
start to a Premier League season.
However, they are unbeaten in
all competitions since a 2-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion on
September 28 and have climbed to sixth in the Premier League, one point
off the top four.
Conceding a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at
Cardiff City last week was a jolt, but United responded with a 5-0
thrashing away to Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday -- a result that could
prove to be a defining moment in the season.
United visit
Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday when the London club will be anxious to
bounce back from the 6-0 mauling they suffered at Manchester City last
week.
A relaxed-looking Moyes said he felt there was still room for improvement from his United side.
"The best is to come and I still think we can continue to improve and progress," he said.
"We
had some little bits of inconsistency at times, which we need to try to
do better with, but there have been moments that have shown we are
beginning to come right back into form.
"That is what I hope.
Midweek certainly showed what we are capable of when we are playing well
and the job is to do that week in, week out."
Experienced left back Patrice Evra said United were determined to use the Leverkusen result as a springboard.
"We were so disappointed about the Cardiff draw. We are in good form but for that silly goal at Cardiff," he said.
"We want to keep winning and winning. We cannot wait for Tottenham."
Evra said that the champions would again be pushing for the Premier League title despite their slow start.
"People
always write Manchester United off," he said. "Remember last year
people were saying the same then, but in the end we won the league by 11
points."
Reuters ------------- ZEENEWS.com
Doping battle must be more cost efficient, say medical experts
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 09:10
Zurich:
The fight against doping costs $300-400 million a year and sporting
medical experts at a conference hosted by FIFA on Friday questioned
whether it was value for money.
FIFA`s chief medical officer Jiri
Dvorak said prevention measures should be tailored according to the
perceived risk in each sport, rather than be the same across the board.
"The
question of whether this money is invested efficiently is justified.
We`re therefore discussing potential cost-effective and deterrent
strategies," he noted in a statement following the anti-doping forum at
FIFA headquarters.
"The time may be right for the development of a
customised system which takes account of the risk assessment in each
different type of sport and also has to be cost efficient."
Many
football players and officials are unhappy about the use of the
so-called `whereabouts rule` in football, under which players have to
stipulate where they will be for one hour of every day, seven days a
week.
Mario Zorzoli, chief medical officer of the International
Cycling Union (UCI), agreed that the doping fight needed to be more cost
effective but supported the `whereabouts rule`.
"We have to find
new ways of testing athletes, but also have to strike a better balance
between the cost and the effectiveness of the fight against doping," he
said.
"The exchange of ideas with authorities such as police and
customs must continue to be promoted. The fact that an athlete could be
tested at any time throughout the year serves to deter potential drug
users." ------------------ ZEENEWS.com
Revealed: Odartey Lamptey discovers three kids with wife are not his biological children
By Kobina Welsing
The former soccer star is battling serious
marriage problems after realizing all three kids he has fathered all his
life are not his biological children
Former Ghana international football star, Nii
Odartey Lamptey has spent his entire marriage life without knowing all
three kids he has been fathering are not his real children.
The 38-year-old after sensing marriage infidelity on the part of his
wife proceeded to conduct a DNA test only to realize the kids are not
his biological children.
The woman claims the former Anderlecht and Aston Villa player was the
one who suggested an artificial insemination after realizing he was
infertile.
According to reports, Nii Odartey Lamptey has
suspected his wife of infidelity for several years but decided to stay
in the marriage out of love and the chain of businesses they own
together.
A source close to the former Ghana star revealed to Goal Ghana that he has on several occasions 'fought' with his wife to make her change her cheating ways.
Lamptey who is the owner of Golden Lions Soccer Academy and Glow Lamp
International School is now heading to court for a divorce after over 20
years of marriage. ------------- goal.com
The Schwarzgelben were thrashed 3-0 by the Roten
last weekend to leave their Bundesliga hopes bruised but recovered with
a midweek win over Napoli, which leaves them in a healthy position to
reach the last 16 in the top European cup.
Although the World Cup
winner acknowledged the threat posed by Real Madrid and Barcelona,
Breitner believes last season's runners-up in the Champions League are
the greatest enemies to Bayern's continental crown when they are without
injuries.
"We are the clear favourites," the Germany legend told AZ. "Then come Madrid, Barcelona and Dortmund.
"That, to me, is the current order in world football, so the starting position for where we stand in 2014.
"In
normal circumstances, for me Dortmund are absolutely the clear second
best in Europe! When all of their players are fit, they are at the
pinnacle of the game."
Although Breitner retained reverence for
treble-winning Jupp Heynckes, who was replaced as head coach in the
summer, the 1972 European Championship victor thinks that the influence
of Pep Guardiola has taken the Bavarians' quality up a level.
"Heynckes
developed our play very much but now our game is even more
unpredictable and varied," the German continued. "I merit that to
Guardiola."
Bayern's next game is at home to Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday, which kick-off at 15:30CET. ------------- goal.com
Cardiff City deserve credit for Ramsey rise, insists Mackay
By Jack Davies
The Scot believes the Welshman's blistering form
is a credit to the staff who nurtured him at the Bluebirds' academy
prior to his move to the Emirates
Malky Mackay has praised the Cardiff City staff who coached Aaron Ramsey in the club's academy prior to his move to Arsenal in 2008.
The midfielder returns to the Welsh capital this weekend as one of
the Premier League's in-form players, having scored 11 goals in all
competitions for the Emirates Stadium club this season.
And manager Mackay believes those who developed the Welshman in
Cardiff's youth ranks can feel a sense of pride as Ramsey lines up
against his former employers on Saturday.
"Aaron Ramsey will get a good reception," he said. "He's playing
consistently now and is showing his talent for club and country.
"It's a great credit for the people who were here and in the academy at the time to nurture a talent like that."
After picking up points against both Manchester City and Manchester
United at the Cardiff City Stadium already this term, Mackay is well
aware of the task that lies ahead.
"We're under no illusions to the challenge we face against the current league leaders tomorrow," he continued.
"Last week we faced the current champions in Manchester United now we
face the league leaders. Everyone relishes playing the big teams.
"There's a growing confidence that we can play and match anyone in this division.
"Our fans are really enjoying being in the Premier League, the place is buzzing every week.
"I'm glad, I want them to enjoy this and they're making the stadium a hard place to travel to for the opposition.
"My group of players are working hard for everyone at this club at the moment. I'm immensely proud of their performances."
Cardiff sit 15th in the Premier League, three points clear of the relegation zone. --------------- goal.com
I know, i know, success has a lot of parents doesn't it...
The Chile international has no interest in
leaving the Bianconeri for pastures new on the back of a match-winning
performance on Wednesday night
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal has revealed he is ready to sign a new contract with the club and says there is no chance of him leaving Turin.
The Chile international scored a hat-trick on Wednesday night as the Bianconeri
ran out 3-1 winners over FC Copenhagen to keep their hopes of
qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League intact.
Vidal
has been linked with several of Europe's biggest clubs in recent times,
on the back of his rise to prominence with Juve, but with the January
transfer window looming on the horizon he insists moving is the last
thing on his mind.
"I am happy at Juventus and I want to stay
here. I'm ready to sign [a new deal]," he told reporters. "The beginning
of next week should be a good time to announce my new contract."
Having
scored the first hat-trick of his career in midweek, the 26-year-old
also admitted the number of goals he has scored for Juve - he now has 10
in 18 games this season - has come as a surprise.
"I never
expected to be able to score so many," the former Bayer Leverkusen man
continued. "I remember when I first arrived at Juventus, Antonio Conte
spoke to me about a new way of playing and it's worked well for me."
Vidal
joined Juve from Leverkusen in the summer of 2011 for a reported €10.5
million, with his current deal set to expire in June 2016. ------------------- goal.com
Berlin: Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola admitted Friday to having concerns about his team`s mounting injury problems.
Last
season`s treble winners have not yet lost in this campaign, winning 11
and drawing two matches in the Bundesliga while winning all five
Champions League encounters.
But ahead of Saturday`s visit of
Eintracht Braunschweig, Guardiola said they would be fighting a
rearguard battle until Christmas.
"We`re going to need to survive
for two or three weeks," said the Catalan coach, who will lead his side
to Morocco in a couple of weeks time for the Club World Cup.
"But we have to make do, that`s why we have a second team."
Captain
Philipp Lahm is the latest addition to the treatment table with a
hamstring injury, joining the likes of vice-captain Bastian
Schweinsteiger, France winger Franck Ribery, Peru striker Claudio
Pizarro, Switzerland wideman Xherdan Shaqiri and Germany defender Holger
Badstuber.
Guardiola does at least have first choice Croatia
forward Mario Mandzukic and full-back Diego Contento back for the clash
with the Bundesliga`s basement sitters, as the reigning champions seek
to extend their record unbeaten run in the league to 39 matches.
PTI -------------- ZEENEWS.com
I joined Everton on loan because I needed to play, says Lukaku
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 09:08
London:
In-form striker Romelu Lukaku said he chose to join Everton on loan for
the season from Chelsea because he needed to play regularly and not
because he was not wanted at Stamford Bridge.
"Imagine I was
playing for Chelsea now, I would play maybe five games and score one
goal or two, now I am playing for Everton and I have eight games and
seven goals," he told the BBC in a television interview to be broadcast
on Saturday.
"Everyone in England is talking about me and as a
player I am improving. I am having that certainty, that consistency in
my game," the 19-year-old Belgium international was quoted as saying in a
preview of the programme on the BBC website.
"It wasn`t the fact
that I wasn`t wanted. I think I was wanted but I had to make a decision
for myself and analyse what was the best thing for me."
Lukaku,
who has scored seven goals in eight Premier League games for Everton so
far this term, said the last time he heard anything from Chelsea was "a
couple of months ago" but "I think they are watching my performances."
Earlier on Friday, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told a news conference Lukaku should explain why he left Chelsea.
"You
know, Romelu likes to speak, he`s a young boy, he likes to speak, but
the only thing that he did not say is why he went to Everton on loan,"
Mourinho said when asked about the striker.
"That is the only
thing he never said and my last contact with him was to tell (him)
exactly that. Why (do) you never say why you are not here?" added the
Portuguese coach.
British media have questioned why Mourinho let
Lukaku leave the club on loan after he missed a penalty in Chelsea`s
defeat by Bayern Munich in the Super Cup contested by the Champions
League and Europa League winners at the start of the season.
Chelsea
have struggled for consistency this season with injuries to their main
strike force of Fernando Torres, who missed two games earlier this month
with a leg injury, and Samuel Eto`o, who is out for two weeks with a
hamstring tear.
Reuters --------------- ZEENEWS.com
Schalke`s Aogo out for season with knee ligament tear
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 09:38
Berlin:
Schalke 04 defender Dennis Aogo will miss the rest of the season after
tearing his cruciate ligament in training on Friday in another injury
blow for the Bundesliga club.
"A medical examination this evening
showed a cruciate and interior ligament tear in the right knee,"
Schalke said in a statement.
"The left-footer is expected to miss the rest of the season."
Already
without a string of key players, including striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
and central defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Aogo`s injury could not have
come at a worse time for sixth-placed Schalke who are looking to
improve their league form.
Midfielders Jefferson Farfan (groin)
and Kevin-Prince Boateng (knee) have also been forced to sit out games
in recent weeks due to nagging injuries.
Schalke are hoping to book their
spot in the Champions League knockout stage by beating Basel in their
last group phase match on December 11.
Schalke are third in Group E, a point behind the Swiss team with Chelsea in top spot.
The
Germany international, who is on loan at Schalke from Hamburg SV, had
also been hoping to catch the eye of national team coach Joachim Loew
ahead of next year`s World Cup finals.
He won the last of 12 international caps against the United States in June.
Reuters --------------- ZEENEWS.com
Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov says foreign owners good for English football
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 11:49
London:
Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov has said that foreign ownership of
Premier League clubs is good for the English game.
According to SportsMole.co.uk,
critics have suggested that the increasing influence of overseas
shareholders is stripping the country`s sport of its identity, but
Usmanov, Britain`s richest man with a personal fortune of 13 billion
pounds, has stressed that foreign ownership is only criticised when
clubs are not successful.
Usmanov has also repeated his public
desire to take full control of Arsenal, if the club`s majority
shareholder, American Stan Kroenke, decides to sell his stake in the
Emirates Stadium outfit, the report said.
Non-English
benefactors, including all of those sides currently occupying the top
six places in the table, own half of the top flight`s teams, the report
added.
ANI ------------ ZEENEWS.com
The Red Devils boss says he is keeping an open
mind, but insists there is no point discussing Leighton Baines if
Everton decide not to sell him
David Moyes says Manchester United will be pragmatic in the January transfer window, insisting they will not panic buy.
The
Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for Everton left-back
Leighton Baines, while there have been reports of bids for Andres
Iniesta, Miralem Pjanic and Marco Reus as the club look to bolster their
midfield.
However, Moyes is adamant United would only make a
move in January if they felt a player was right for the club and fit a
certain profile.
When asked if the club would conduct any business in January, Moyes
told reporters: "Only if the right players are available and they fit
into exactly what we want.
"We would like to but as always there
is never any guarantee. If they’re [Everton] determined to hold on to
[Baines] then he won’t be going anywhere and it’s worthless asking any
questions."
Ryan Giggs turned 40 on Friday and Moyes had positive
words for the Welshman. Asked where Giggs ranks in a list of Premier
League greats, Moyes added: "Undoubtedly at the top because of his
longevity.
"He’s played for one club, the amount of games, what
he’s done in Europe, what he’s done in the Premier League. Every season
you can look at Ryan Giggs moments.
"What he’s done is terrific,
he’s an example to young players, how you should dedicate yourself
throughout your career, and also to players in their mid-30s who think
they’re coming to the end, but if you look after yourself and train well
you can go on for longer."
Moyes also revealed that talks over a new contract would be delayed until nearer the end of this campaign.
"I
think when you get to that stage I think it’s late decisions at the end
of the season," he said. "It’s how you feel, what your body is telling
you." --------------- goal.com
The former Super Falcons tactician has expressed
his preference for the Chelsea midfielder as the country's most
outstanding player of 2013
EXCLUSIVE By Kolade Oni
Former Super Falcons head coach Ismaila Mabo has tipped John Mikel Obi to win the Goal Nigeria Player of the Year award, insisting the Super Eagles' midfielder pipped his compatriot, Vincent Enyeama to the award from his own standpoint.
Mabo was the first Nigerian coach till date to lead the country's
senior female team to the quarter final of the World Cup after the
heroics of his team at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup hosted by the
United States.
In a chat with Goal, the former international revealed that Mikel was exceptional in 2013 and so deserves to be Nigeria's best this year.
Though it took him time to finally decide his choice as the country's
shinning light in 2013, Mabo noted that Mikel had a slight edge over
Enyeama and so should be recognised as the one for the award.
Mabo also listed other Eagles stars whom he reckoned have had a
fantastic year for their club and country but he said the experience of
Mikel and Enyeama made them stand out as Nigeria's best exports to
Europe this year.
"Who am I going to pick now? It is a very difficult one for me but I
feel Mikel should get the award ahead of Enyeama,” Mabo told Goal.
Both have been outstanding for both club and Nigeria but to me, Mikel
has been more productive for the country. He has won several titles
with Chelsea and also led Nigeria to the pinnacle of African football
when we won the AFCON in South Africa," he said. ------------- goal.com
'It was difficult to send Zidane off' - World Cup final referee discusses headbutt
Horacio Elizondo has no regrets about giving the
footballing legend a red card, an incident which he insists was not the
most important moment in his career
EXCLUSIVE By Nicholas Mirelman
The
referee who gave Zinedine Zidane his marching orders for headbutting
Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final says the decision was
difficult but not the most important moment in his career.
Horacio Elizondo took charge of the clash between France and Italy seven years ago, which saw les Bleus' skipper provoked by the Azzurri defender, to which his violent reaction provoked a red card in extra-time.
France
survived with a man down until the penalty shoot-out, in which Italy
conquered the 1998 champions, but the official does not think that his
decision to send off Zidane was the most pivotal in his career.
"[I
am remembered] for the sending off as it was the World Cup final and
because of the importance of the player, who was the captain of France
and the best player in the world," Elizondo, who also took charge of the
opening match of the tournament between Germany and Costa Rice, told Goal.
"It was a difficult decision to send him off, but one cannot fail to recognise that the right decision was made.
"Soon
there will have been two World Cups since then, but everyone still asks
me about that moment. It was a very significant event, but not the most
important decision I made in my career."
Zidane is currently
part of Real Madrid's coaching staff, having worked behind the scenes
for the club in the years following his retirement from playing
football. ------------- goal.com
The 69-year-old has revealed that he will resign from his position in the near future, signalling the end of an era at San siro
Adriano Galliani has announced that he plans to stand down as AC Milan CEO after the Serie A side's final Champions League group game, at home to Ajax on December 11.
The 69-year-old had come under fire in recent months following the Rossoneri's
disappointing start to the season and a number of reports had already
suggested that he was ready to throw in the towel after falling out with
board member Barbara Berlusconi, daughter of club owner Silvio.
Galliani
has now confirmed that he will indeed resign, although he has voiced
his frustration with the way things have gone in the past few weeks.
"I
will resign in the next few days, probably after the match against
Ajax," Galliani told reporters on Friday. "I will leave the club either
with or without compensation.
"I understand that there comes a
moment where it's time for change, but not like this. My reputation has
been damaged. This should have been treated a bit more delicately.
"I don't know yet how my future will look like. I will take some time off first and then I will make a decision."
Galliani
had been Milan CEO ever since 1986 and saw the San Siro giants win five
European Cups during his tenure, as well as eight Serie A titles. ---------------- goal.com
David Moyes hails Giggs as `excellent example for all young players`
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 10:18
London: Manchester United manager David Moyes has praised the `longevity` of Ryan Giggs, who recently turned 40.
According to SportsMole.co.uk, Moyes
pointed out that any youngsters learning the game needed only look at
Giggs`s career, which he says can keep going as long as he wants because
of his professional attitude.
Moyes said that Giggs was
undoubtedly at the top because of his longevity and the time that he has
played for just one club, the amount of games he has played in Europe
and in the Premier League.
Giggs has been a member of the United first team for 23 years, the report said.
ANI ---------------- ZEENEWS.com
London:
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has admitted that he is a bit gutted
about comments made by Sir Alex Ferguson claiming that he is not a top,
top player and revealed that the former Manchester United manager once
tried to sign him.
According to SportsMole.co.uk, the
former United manager, who retired at the end of last season, made the
remark in his new autobiography.
While Gerrard initially stated
that he would not lose sleep over the comments, the midfielder has said
that he felt a bit gutted, the report said.
Gerrard said that he
is a huge fan of Ferguson but was gutted by his remarks and even
revealed that the former Old Trafford manager tried to sign him in early
2002, 2003.
Gerrard will captain Liverpool for Sunday`s Premier League clash against Hull City , the report added.
ANI ---------- ZEENEWS.com
Giggs reveals The Stone Roses` music is his favourite pre-match motivator
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 11:18
London:
Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs has revealed that Mancunian band
The Stone Roses is his favourite pre-match motivator.
According to Metro.co.uk, the
Welshman is celebrating his 40th birthday today and in conjunction with
Spotify, has released his pre-match playlist, which includes the likes
of Calvin Harris and Coldplay, as well as The Stone Roses.
He said that he also likes classics like Happy Mondays` Step On, Oasis` Supersonic and Stereophonic`s Dakota.
Some
of Giggs` choices don`t seem overly `motivational` but with the
midfielder still going strong, they`ve clearly not done him any harm
over the years, the report said.
ANI ----------------- ZEENEWS.com
Mourinho asks Lukaku to `explain` move to Everton from Chelsea
Last Updated: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 11:30
London:
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has hit out at Romelu Lukaku by claiming
that the striker has not revealed why he left the Blues for Everton on
loan.
According to SportsMole.co.uk, the
West London outfit allowed the Belgium international to leave Stamford
Bridge for Merseyside on deadline day in the summer.
Since then,
the 20-year-old, who recently admitted that he has not spoken to
Mourinho in two months, has scored seven goals so far this season, the
report said.
The manager said that Lukaku is a young boy who
likes to speak but the only thing he did not say is why he went to
Everton on loan.
The Blues are preparing to take on Southampton on Sunday, the report said.
ANI ------------------ ZEENEWS.com
Ibrahimovic equals Champions League group stage goal record
By Miles Chambers
The Swede's strike against Olympiakos was his
eighth in five games this season, moving him level with Ruud van
Nistelrooy, Hernan Crespo, Filippo Inzaghi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The
Swede netted just seven minutes into PSG's Group C clash with
Olympiakos at Parc des Princes, turning in from close range after
Gregory van der Wiel's low cross.
It was Ibrahimovic's eight goal
of the 2013-14 group stages, thus equalling the record held by Ruud van
Nistelrooy (2004-5), Hernan Crespo (2002-03), Filippo Inzaghi (2002-03)
and Cristiano Ronaldo (2013-14).
The 32-year-old's previous
seven goals in Europe this season were spread across three games: the
forward struck twice in a 3-0 home win over Benfica, four times against
Anderlecht in Belgium and once in the return fixture.
Excluding qualification rounds, Ibrahimovic now has 39 goals in the Champions League, putting him 11th on the all-time list.
The
ex-Juventus, Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter man is also the only
player in the top 50 to have played for more than five teams. ------------- goal.com
COUNT ON US | Lamptey (2nd from right) can only fall on his old friends in trying times like this
