You asked for it and this is our response – Dr. Larry Izamoje
April 10, 2017
President of the Nigeria Referees’ Association, Tade Azeez says sending people to Kano is like sending them to their graves, in reaction to the violence that broke out after Pillars lost 1-0 to Akwa United in their matchday 18 league game on Sunday.
Enugu Rangers Coach, Chukwuma Agbo has described recent developments at the club as emotional after he was confirmed as Imama Amapakabo’s replacement.
Following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Zesco United in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup play-off in Enugu, Team Manager, Amobi Ezeaku has reassured fans that the team will make amends in the reverse fixture in Zambia.
As the ‘Wenger Out Bandwagon’ keeps increasing the club’s second-highest shareholder Alisher Usmanov believes Arsene Wenger should begin the process of finding his successor.
Wenger, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, has spent almost 21 years as manager of the club and has yet to announce whether he will remain at the helm of affairs beyond the end of the current campaign.
“Some continuity is needed,” Usmanov said in comments reported by Bloomberg.
“This includes the need to prepare a successor for Wenger, but in a very respectful way.
“I can suggest that Wenger himself can prepare a successor.”
“I do not think that the coach alone is to be blamed for what is happening,” Usmanov said.
“I personally, unfortunately, am fully isolated from decision making in the club.
“All the responsibility for the fate of the club rests with the main shareholder.”
According to Sky Sports, Merseyside Police confirmed earlier on Monday that they were making enquiries into a video which emerged on social media and showed a person resembling Barkley being punched in a Liverpool bar.
The CCTV video showed him speaking to another man before he then appeared to be punched in the face and quickly disappeared out of shot.
A statement read: “We can confirm that Ross was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a stranger who approached him on Sunday evening.”
“Merseyside Police is aware of footage online reportedly showing an assault in a bar in Liverpool city centre,” read a statement.
“No report of an assault has been received but officers are making enquiries to establish the circumstances of the incident.”
EPL Report: Moses Shines in Chelsea Win, Success Gets Watford Start…Iheanacho, Musa feature
Victor Moses returned to the Chelsea FC line up after two matches on the sidelines with a Calf Muscle strain.
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben believes his team should be confident ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal first leg at home to Real Madrid, while los blancos midfielder Kroos says the fixture could be a final of the competition.
The two heavyweights will meet at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday and then six days later at the Santiago Bernabeu, with this being their 11th knockout meeting in the history of the Continental competions (European Cup and Champions League), making it the most played fixture in UEFA club competition.
Familiar faces for both teams are not few, with Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti having spent two years as Madrid boss between 2013 and 2015, Robben having a stinct as a Madridsta from 2007 to 2009 and Kroos being a Bayern player between 2007 and 2014.
Speaking to AS, Robben said it would be important for Bayern to “impose their style of play” on the game from the outset.
“It is difficult, they are one of the best teams in the world, with world-class players,” Robben said. “It will be important to start the game confidently and with passion on the pitch, and try and impose our own style of play. It is about going out to win the game from the first moment. We have reasons to be confident, although at the same time we must be humble. We need to begin the game with passion, aggression and show that we want to win from the first moment.”
“We have just beaten a big opponent [in Dortmund] which of course gives us confidence,” he said. “We created many chances and enjoyed ourselves on the pitch. I feel that we are ready for Madrid.”
Robben added that Madrid’s victory when the teams met three years ago in the Champions League semifinals, including a 4-0 win in the second leg, would not be a factor this year.
“Not at all, that is all passed and is not important anymore,” he said. “We are only interested in the future. We are playing to reach the semifinals against a team of the size of Real Madrid and our objective is to progress. Nothing else interests us.”
Meanwhile Kroos, who came through the ranks at Bayern and played 130 Bundesliga games for the club, told Madrid’s official website that he was looking forward to taking on many of his friends and former teammates.
“I know the players there better than anyone and it will be a special tie, but I don’t have any other big feelings towards it,” he said. “I always keep up with how Bayern are doing. There are still many of the same players there. We are all looking forward to these games both my friends at Bayern Munich and I. They will be two fantastic games. This tie could easily be the Champions League final.”
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho became the Premier League’s highest-scoring Brazilian.
The 24-year-old came off the bench to score the important equaliser as his side recovered from a goal down to win 2-1 at Stoke.
It was his 30th top-flight goal and put him one clear of former Middlesbrough attacker Juninho.
Countryman Roberto Firmino, who scored the winner, is only 10 goals behind after 61 matches compared to his compatriot’s 131, but Coutinho plans to add many more having already equalled his best Premier League season tally of nine with seven games still to go.
“I am happy for that. I want to keep going to keep scoring and helping my team and keep learning from my manager,” said Coutinho, who only joined up with the squad on the morning of the match day after losing three kilograms in three days because of illness.
“[The club] asked me to stay at home because I was not feeling well but I wanted to be here.
“I wanted to be involved with the team. The manager decided [to put him on the bench] because I was not 100 percent.”