Maurizio Sarri has been named new coach of Juventus on Sunday after his exit from Chelsea following a troubled single campaign in London.
Sarri returns to Italy on a three-year deal just a season after leaving Napoli for Stamford Bridge, where he failed to garner fan support despite winning the Europa League and returning the Blues to the Champions League thanks to a third-placed finish in the Premier League.
“Maurizio Sarri has returned to Italy, where he has coached for the majority of his career. And from today, he will take over the reins at Juventus with a contract until June 30, 2022,” Juventus said in a statement.
The Europa League win last month was Sarri’s first major trophy as a coach, but he will be expected to deliver far more in Turin.
Juventus have won Serie A for the past eight seasons, denying Sarri’s former club Napoli in the process.
However, Massimiliano Allegri left at the end of the campaign after failing to guide the Italian giants to Champions League glory despite the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last year.
With Ronaldo now 34, winning the Italian giants’ first Champions League title since 1996 will be Sarri’s top priority.
Chelsea, meanwhile, must now turn their attentions to hiring an 11th permanent manager of Roman Abramovich’s reign in charge of the club.
“In talks we had following the Europa League final, Maurizio made it clear how strongly he desired to return to his native country, explaining that his reasons for wanting to return to work in Italy were significant,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said in a statement.
Chelsea are expected to try and lure the club’s record goalscorer Frank Lampard back to Stamford Bridge.
Lampard has had just one full season in club management at Derby County, who he led to the final of the Championship playoffs.
Nigeria U-16 football team popularly known as Future Eagles wrapped up their international dream cup adventure with a 2-1 to Romania this Sunday.
The future Eagles team started the tournament which is hosted in Japan with a 3-1 win over Mexico last Wednesday, before losing second game 4-1 to the host Nations two days back.
However, the team failed to respond to the defeat they suffered in the hands of the Japanese , as they put in uninspired performance against the Europeans in the early hours of Sunday.
The future Eagles team is now expected to return to the shore of Nigeria in the coming days and are expected to graduate to the U-17.
Super Eagles Head Coach Gernot Rohr has explained his decision to leave out Kelechi Iheanacho for the 2019 AFCON, describing it as “objective” because the player was “low on confidence”.
Nigerian Captain John Mikel Obi has revealed that he is thinking of going into business after quitting the sports that brought him fame and wealth.
The former Chelsea midfielder will lead the Super Eagles to the African Cup of Nations in Egypt, which he also stated might be his last for the country, after making his debut in the tournament back in 2006.
Speaking ahead the Super Eagles warm up game with the TerrengaLions of Senegal, Mikel said: ‘“Life after football? I don’t know if I will still be in the game, I have a lot of things going on. I like to do business, I’m a business guy so I don’t know if I will have time to be in the game.
“I love the game but who knows, maybe one day, I might come back to the game but at this point, after football, I am not thinking about being in the game.”
Mikel also added that this may be his last Africa Cup of Nations appearance for Nigeria since he made the Super Eagles debut in August 2005 in an international friendly game against Libya.
“I do not know but I think it may be (my last AFCON). I like to go every year and see how I feel. Obviously, the young players are coming, I think before the next one comes around again I will be 34 or so.
I think this will probably be my last AFCON but I’m not 100 percent sure yet. I have given so much to this nation and at some point, you have to let go. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I will leave when I feel the time is right. Let’s hope we can make it count.”
Mikel will be hoping to lead Nigeria to her fourth African Cup of Nations glory when the tournament kicks off in five days time in Egypt.
Nigeria is placed in Group B against Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar, with the Eagles’ opening game against Burundi slated to hold at the Alexandria Stadium on June 22.
Brighton and Hove Albion center-back Leon Balogun say he hopes to play in next FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2020 and UEFA Champions league before he call it quit the game.
The defender, who will also make his African Cup of Nations debut in Egypt added that he started having feeling for Nigeria after donning the green and white jersey of the Nation.
“I only started to have a proper feel for Nigeria when I started to play for them. I think it’s known now that I hadn’t been there before I played for the national team. It always humbles me as well.
“I would still love to play the Champions League. That is just one of my dreams. And if I’m still fit enough, I would love to play the next World Cup for Nigeria.
And then I would be fine to go to say farewell football. And then I would be fine to go to say farewell football. That’s me, then after that, I don’t know. I might stay in sport but I’m not sure yet.
Balogun endured a difficult time with Brighton last season, as he was hardly considered for a game.
The 30-year-old defender will battle in form Kenneth Omeruo for starting place in the Eagles defense when they kick off their African Cup of Nations adventure in Egypt.
Mikel Obi’s return to the Super Eagles was perhaps not through the backdoor after all, despite his one-year hiatus from the team – he was still hot commodity.
Super Eagles Head Coach Gernot Rohr explained that Mikel’s experience was an invaluable asset and “everybody wanted him back”.
The Eagles captain did not play a single game in the AFCON 2019 qualifiers; infamously ruling himself out after Nigeria’s world cup campaign in Russia.
But, Rohr insists his captain was warmly welcomed back by teammates and he is already proving to be a catalyst especially on the pitch as well as off it, in the team.
“I see the experience of Obi Mikel, everybody wanted him to come back.
“He has been well received by the group again like he had always been with us and so it was also important to reintegrate Obi Mikel; it was done very well and he showed that he is on the way to being very fit.”
Mikel Obi’s return to the Super Eagles was perhaps not through the backdoor after all, despite his one-year hiatus from the team – he was still hot commodity.
Since the World Cup in Russia, Super Eagles Head Coach Gernot Rohr have shuffled and shared minutes between his three goalkeeper, however, the German admits he’s undecided who his number choice for the AFCON will be.
Since the World Cup in Russia, Super Eagles Head Coach Gernot Rohr have shuffled and shared minutes between his three goalkeepers, however, the German admits he’s undecided who his number choice for the AFCON will be.
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