Quote:Super Eagles To Play Algeria, Tunisia In October Friendly Games 

Reigning African champions Algeria have replaced Cote d’Ivoire as the opponents of the Super Eagles in the first of two international friendly matches arranged by the Nigeria Football Federation to be played in Austria in October, Completesports.com reports.

The NFF disclosed this in a statement published on their website on Friday.

Tunisia, rated number two in Africa and 26th in the world, will be the Super Eagles’ second opponents at the Jacques Lemans Arena on 13th October.


The matches fall within the FIFA window for international matches and have been approved by world football –governing body, FIFA and CAF.


The Federation Ivorienne de Football, on 22nd September sent to the NFF a letter regretting their inability to send a team to Austria for the game as earlier agreed, citing “internal problems.”

However, Algeria immediately accepted to face the Super Eagles on 9th October at the Jacques Lemans Arena.

This followed a phone call from President of the NFF, Amaju Melvin Pinnick to his Algerian opposite number, Kheireddine Zetchi.

“We have permission from our government to travel from Algeria to Austria and our country has reopened international flights. We also would like to confirm that FIFA match agent Me Jairo Pachon is authorised to carry on all the required work and planning in Austria in order to stage this event,” wrote Mohamed Saad, General Secretary of the Federation Algerienne de Football.

The clash in Austria next month would be the fourth between the Super Eagles and the Fennecs in three years.

Both teams were in the same qualifying pool for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with the Eagles trouncing the Fennecs 3-1 in Uyo before a 1-1 draw in Constantine that mattered little as Nigeria already booked a ticket to Russia before that final-day encounter.

The two teams were again squared off in the semi final of last year’s African Cup of Nations in Egypt, with the North Africans edging it 2-1 from a free-kick just outside the box at the death by Riyad Mahrez.

They went on to defeat Senegal 1-0 in the final to clinch their second continental title.

On Friday, the NFF commended the Embassy of Austria in Nigeria for the dispatch with which the embassy attended to technical and backroom staff of the Super Eagles who are heading to Austria for the two games. All the officials have been issued their visas to travel.

Midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo, who has only recently arrived in Turkey from Spain to join top club Galatasaray, has already been issued his visa to enter Austria.

https://www.completesports.com/super-eagles-now-to-play-algeria-tunisia-in-october-friendly-games/

Werner unhappy with Chelsea’s performance after 3-3 draw with West Brom


 
on
 September 27, 2020



Chelsea striker, Timo Werner, has said he is “absolutely unhappy” with the team’s performance, following their 3-3 draw with West Brom on Saturday.

But Chelsea battled back after the break and goals from Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi handed them a lifeline, before Tammy Abraham scored the equalizer in injury time.

Werner is still searching for his first Premier League goal since moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer and the German striker says he has mixed emotions following the draw against West Brom.

He wrote on Instagram: “We never give up Chelsea! Absolutely unhappy with our performance but great fighting spirit.”

EPL: Lampard to sign Declan Rice for £40m after 3-3 draw with West Brom


 
on
 September 27, 2020



Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, is eager to sign West Ham’s Declan Rice before the transfer window closes next week, the UK Sun reports.

EPL: I will not give FA my money – Mourinho reacts to 1-1 draw with Newcastle

 
on
 September 27, 2020



Tottenham Hotspur manager, Jose Mourinho, on Sunday expressed anger following his team’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle.

EPL: Gareth Bale sends warning to “enemy” Arsenal after rejoining Tottenham


 
on
 September 28, 2020



Gareth Bale has sent a warning message to Arsenal following his move back to Tottenham.

Quote:[b]Eric Dier Leaves Pitch During Chelsea Match To Use The Toilet, Mourinho Follows 

Jose Mourinho will have chased after many players in his managerial career - but surely never for the reason he sprinted after Eric Dier on Tuesday.[/b]

In the 77th minute of Tottenham's Carabao Cup tie against Chelsea, with Spurs 1-0 down, defender Dier suddenly raced off the pitch and headed straight down the tunnel.

Manager Mourinho set off in hot pursuit and TV cameras inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium showed the manager disappearing into the changing room seconds after the defender.

So what could possibly have prompted Dier to leave the field with just over 10 minutes remaining in a cup tie his team were losing?

"Everyone can imagine!" a grinning Dier said after the game.

"I am OK but that was a first for me. There was nothing I could do about it and when you've got to go, you've got to go. Some things you can't stop.

"I don't know if Jose understood what I was doing to begin with. I told Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Toby Alderweireld as I was going off, I simply had to go.

"I was struggling with stomach cramps, it had got too bad."

Duly relieved, Dier emerged back on to the pitch a couple of minutes later, followed by Mourinho, who was also a little less frantic.

Dier added: "Jose wasn't happy but there was nothing I could do about it, nature was calling."

Fortunately for Dier, team-mate Erik Lamela equalised with seven minutes left and his side progressed on penalties.

Dier, who missed a penalty as Spurs were knocked out by Chelsea in a shootout in the 2019 semi-finals of this competition, was the first home player to step up for the spot-kicks and he coolly converted.

'I understood what was happening - I went to try to make it happen faster' - Mourinho
The victory meant the manager was in a much better mood to talk about the toilet incident afterwards.

"What happened to Eric Dier is not normal, I have to praise him in a special way," said Mourinho.

"It should be forbidden for a player to play two games in 48 hours at this level [after he played against Newcastle on Sunday]. What he did is not human to do.

"He had to go - he had no choice. Maybe it is a normal thing when you are completely dehydrated, which is the case. I had to put pressure on him to get back but he is a great example for everybody."

Spurs played Newcastle on Sunday and Chelsea on Tuesday, but continue their arduous fixture schedule by facing Maccabi Haifa in the Europa League on Thursday followed by a trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

Mourinho said: "When Dier went off I understood immediately what was happening, I went there to try to make it happen faster, to put pressure on him.

"It is a consequence of his physical state, he had no energy in his muscles. I don't want to believe that we have another week like this one.

"If the authorities don't care about players, I care."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54349817

Quote:Tottenham Beat Chelsea On Penalties To Progress In League Cup 


Tottenham Beat Chelsea on Penalties To Progress in League Cup

Mason Mount missed the final spot-kick as Tottenham beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties to progress to the quarter-finals of the League Cup after a 1-1 draw.

Timo Werner’s first goal for Chelsea put Frank Lampard’s men in command against a much-changed Tottenham team playing the second of four games in eight days.

But Erik Lamela deservedly levelled for Spurs seven minutes from time and new Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to stop Eric Dier, Lamela, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane scoring from the spot.

Tammy Abraham, Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Emerson also converted their penalties as the first nine of the shootout were successful.

But Mount’s effort clipped the post to the delight of the watching Gareth Bale, who could be fit to feature in the last eight with the quarter-finals not till late December.

Mourinho claimed the fixture pile up gave him no choice but to prioritise Thursday’s Europa League tie against Maccabi Haifa given the financial incentive on offer for the club.

But despite making nine changes, he named a strong side, including captain Hugo Lloris, club record signing Tanguy Ndombele and new signing Sergio Reguilon on his debut.

Chelsea also handed a debut to Mendy and the early signs from the Frenchman were encouraging that he can solve the Blues’ problem position.

Lampard made eight changes, but Werner was one of those retained from the 3-3 draw at West Brom on Saturday and he took the opportunity to get his first goal for the club after a big money move from RB Leipzig.

Reguilon was twice at fault in the build up as he gifted possession to Azpilicueta and then dived in trying to block the Spaniard’s cross, which allowed the Chelsea captain to pick out Werner at the edge of the box to arrow a shot into the bottom corner.

Tottenham responded well to going behind as only a last-ditch intervention from Kurt Zouma denied Gedson Fernandes an equaliser.

Lampard had won his previous three meetings against his former manager Mourinho and the tensions between the two flared during the first-half as they exchanged angry words on the touchline.

On the field, Spurs were the better side as Mendy made important saves from Lamela and Reguilon either side of half-time.

Mourinho showed his intent by introducing Harry Kane from the bench with 20 minutes to go.

Moments later the Portuguese was marching down the tunnel after Dier as the defender made a dash to the dressing room before quickly returning.

Chelsea did not make the most of a brief period with an extra man as Callum Hudson-Odoi fired over and Werner’s fierce effort was saved by Lloris.

And the visitors were punished seven minutes from time when Lamela slotted home at the far post from Reguilon’s cross to send the game to a shootout and ultimately Spurs into the last eight

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.france24.com/en/20200929-tottenham-make-light-of-heavy-schedule-to-beat-chelsea-on-penalties

Quote:Ruben Dias has completed a £62 million ($79m) move to Manchester City, signing a six-year deal after having impressed with Portuguese giants Benfica.
Nicolas Otamendi has also completed a move in the opposite direction to Benficain a deal worth £14m ($17m).
Dias, 23, who could cost a further £3.3m with add-ons, says he cannot wait to work with City boss Pep Guardiola, a man he believes can improve his all-round game.

*“To have the opportunity to join a club like Manchester City is fantastic for me and one I couldn’t turn down,” he said.

“Their success speaks for itself. They have been the dominant team in Englandover the last few years, playing an attacking brand of football which I feel suits my own game.

“It is really exciting to be part of such a talented squad and to play for a world-class manager like Pep Guardiola, who has a proven track record of developing young players like myself.
“I believe I can improve here, at a club whose ambitions match my own and I will give everything to be successful and win titles.”
Dias is City's third signing of the transfer window following deals for fellow centre-back Nathan Ake and winger Ferran Torres and ends a long wait to replace former captain Vincent Kompany, who left in May 2019.

The defender, who could make his debut at Leeds on Saturday, won the Portuguese title with Benfica after coming through the Portugalclub’s academy and says both sides share the same desire to win trophies.

“The competition is different and here the opponents will be a level higher, but the mentality of the club is the same, it is win or win,” he said.
“I am a player that loves to win, a player for the team, for the fans, a player that loves this family spirit which I've felt a lot since I have been here.
“I am an aggressive player and I love what I do. I love the game and without getting into too much detail, because it is something you will see when I start playing, the most important thing to say is I love to win and that is the thing you most need to know about me.”

Dias has won 19 caps for Portugal and will join up with international team-mates Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo at the Etihad Stadium.
“We have been in touch, not just this year but for the last two years perhaps,” he added.
“Obviously, the talks were amazing because you only hear amazing things about the club and about the environment.
“When the word came, I was just really happy to be able to join.”

A new centre-back has been City's priority all summer, with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Sevilla's Jules Kounde and Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez among alternatives considered.
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain believes they have got the right man having watched Dias's progress for the past two years.

“Ruben is a player we have admired for some time and we have been impressed with how he has progressed at Benfica,” Begiristain said.
“He has developed into a real leader and as a defender, he has all the attributes we are looking for. He is strong in the air, good in one vs one situations and technically he is very good, so we are confident he can thrive in our system.
“He is another talented addition to the squad and someone who is only going to get better working under Pep.”

https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/dias-says-he-could-not-turn-down-man-city-after-completing/ekybqla2v767176rwkbwrbpnv

Eden Hazard is out of Real Madrid squad due to a muscular injury in the right leg.

'After the tests carried out today for Eden Hazard by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he was diagnosed with a muscle injury in his right leg.'

'Hazard could be out for 3 to 4 weeks.'

Source: https://twitter.com/realmadrid/status/1311279709326651393?s=19

Champions League: Chelsea, Barcelona, Man Utd discover group stage opponents [Full draw]


 
on
 October 1, 2020


The draw for the Champions League group stages conducted in Nyon, Switzerland on Thursday has been released.

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of United States international defender Sergino Dest from Ajax.

The deal sees the Catalan club pay an initial transfer fee of 21 million euros, plus a potential 5m euros more in add-ons.

Bayern Munich had emerged as contenders in the market, but Barcelona's tight relationship with Ajax saw the right-back move to the Camp Nou.
What attracted the Blaugrana to the 19-year-old was his attacking qualities, registering two goals and six assists last season.

Dest arrives to replace Nelson Semedo, who recently departed for Wolves, in Ronald Koeman's squad.

The teenager, who insisted on joining Barcelona this month, can play either as a right-back or a left-back.

Born to an American father and Dutch mother, Dest earned his first cap for the US national team in 2019.

Source: https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona_es/status/1311657131175747585?s=19

LaLiga: Koeman reacts as 10-man Barcelona beat Celta Vigo


 
on
 October 2, 2020



Barcelona manager, Ronald Koeman, has insisted his team is better than what people think, following their 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday night.

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Hoffenheim defender, Kevin Akpouma chooses between Nigeria, Germany


 
on
 October 2, 2020



Hoffenheim defender, Kevin Akpoguma, has switched his allegiance to the Nigerian national team.

Carabao Cup: Arteta reacts to Arsenal drawing Man City in quarter-finals

 
on
 October 2, 2020



Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has reacted to the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw, which will see his team host Manchester City in December.

Carabao Cup quarter-final draws confirmed [Full fixtures]


 October 1, 2020



The draw for the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup was conducted on Thursday night.