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Showing posts from October, 2017

‘Chelsea Needs more Bodies in Midfield' - Frank Lampard Advises Antonio Conte to Make Key Tactical Change against Roma

Frank Lampard has told Antonio Conte to revert to the gameplan which saw Chelsea overcome Atletico Madrid when they face Roma in the Champions League tonight. The Premier League champions will hope to solidify their position in Group C when they meet the same opposition who were unlucky to be held to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.  Conte has largely stuck with the 3-4-3 formation which brought his side so much success last season but Lampard believes it is imperative he packs the midfield against the Serie A side, in much the same way he did against Atletico last month. On that night Cesc Fabregas, Timeoue Bakayoko and N’Golo Kante dominated the middle of the park, contributing to a 2-1 victory that represented Chelsea’s most complete performance of the season so far. Kante’s likely return from a three-week injury-enforced absence will come as a welcome boost to his manager who was forced to deploy David Luiz in midfield against Roma in the reverse

Harry Kane Could Play against Real Madrid, Claims Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino claims Harry Kane has a chance of featuring against Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Tottenham striker missed Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford with a minor hamstring injury. Kane played an instrumental role in helping his side record a morale-boosting draw at the Bernabeu a fortnight ago which further boosted his side’s hopes of qualifying from Group H. The 24-year-old trained with his teammates ahead of tomorrow’s glamour tie at Wembley and Pochettino was cautiously optimistic his star man could play a part. ‘We are really confident,’ said the Spurs boss. ‘Maybe it’s possible but I don’t want to say 100% as we have one more day. Yesterday and today was good though.’

Spanish Footballer Gets Ten Stitches to His Penis after Freak Collision

If there’s one place you don’t want to be getting stitches, it’s probably on your penis – and that’s the unfortunate fate one Argentine footballer suffered this weekend. Albacete defender Mariano Bittolo was involved in a freak collision with one of his team-mates, which saw his sensitive meat requiring urgent attention during a 0-0 Spanish Segnda division draw with SD Huesca. No players scored on the pitch on Saturday, and it’s unlikely Bittolo will be scoring off it in the immediate future after fellow Albacete star Roman Zozulya’s studs scraped down his member and cut it open as the pair jumped near each other in their own penalty area. Bittolo was seen rolling around in agony and pounding the floor in sheer pain before being immediately substituted off. Club doctor Eduardo Rodriguez told Spanish newspaper Marca that he required TEN stitches to mini-Bittolo after the unfortunate 82nd minute collision. It’s not expected that the 27-year-old will miss any matches as a resul

'The Season is still Long' - Eden Hazard Confident Chelsea can Catch Manchester City in the Premier League

Eden Hazard believes Chelsea are still capable of winning the Premier League title this season. Antonio Conte’s champions are sitting down in fourth, nine points adrift of league leaders Manchester City, but Hazard thinks injuries and bad form can see Pep Guadiola’s side loosen their grip. The Blues have returned to winning ways in recent weeks, following three matches on the bounce without a victory, and head into Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Roma full of confidence.  Asked about Chelsea’s title chances this term, Hazard said: ‘The season is long, you never know what is going to happen. ‘They [Manchester City] are top of the league and play well, they score a lot of goals. ‘But you never know injury, bad form – so will so we will see. We want to be at the top of the league at the end of the season, we have a lot of games to play so we will see at the end.’ The Belgian forward insists he’s back to full fitness after sustaining an ankle injury earlier in th

Real Madrid Treated Me Like a Kid - Chelsea Star Alvaro Morata Regrets Leaving Juventus for Madrid

Chelsea stricker Alvaro Morata wishes he had never left Juventus to rejoin Real Madrid after claiming that Zinedine Zidane's side treated him like a kid. Morata, 25, moved to Juventus during the summer of 2014 after being restricted to a secondary role by Carlo Ancelotti during the 2013-2014 campaign. The Spain international won the Serie A title twice with Juventus and reached the Champions League final in 2015 after scoring two goals against Real in the semi-final. In the summer of 2016 Los Blancos decided to activate a buy-back clause included in his sale to the Italian giants. Upon his return, Morata scored 15 goals under Zidane's leadership to help Real to win both the Champions League and La Liga title last season. However, it had previously emerged that the Spaniard wanted to leave Real again after having grown frustrated with Zidane due to his continued faith in Karim Benzema. "[I returned to Real Madrid] because there were contractual agreements to

Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique to Miss Barcelona Champions League Match against Olympiakos

Andres Iniesta will miss the Champions League trip to Olympiakos on Tuesday night with the Barcelona captain remaining on the sidelines alongside Arda Turan, Aleix Vidal, Ousmane Dembele and Rafinha Alcantara. Gerard Pique is also out due to suspension but Thomas Vermaelen and Javier Mascherano have returned to Ernesto Valverde's 20-man travelling squad after both centre-backs missed the 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday [28 October] due to injury and illness. Furthermore, the Barcelona boss has also promoted goalkeeper Adrian Ortola and 19-year-old midfielder Carles Aleña from the second team to complete his squad. "For this match, the Barça coach will not be able to count on the suspended Gerard Piqué or the injured Ousmane Dembélé, Rafinha, Aleix Vidal, Arda and Iniesta" the Catalans confirmed in the club official website. "However, Vermaelen's medical discharge has been received and Mascherano (without medical discharge) travels, as do

Yaya Toure Vows to Bring Champions League Trophy to Manchester City

Yaya Toure has vowed to win the Champions League with Manchester City, insisting he has unfinished business in Europe. The Ivorian won European football's biggest prize in 2009, when Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in Rome, before swapping Catalonia for the blue half of Manchester at the end of the following season. Since arriving at the Etihad, the 34-year-old has epitomised City's transformation from also-rans toPremier League heavyweights, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups. However, City's domestic success is yet to be translated onto the continental stage, with the Citizens yet to get past the semifinal stage in the Champions League, after losing 1-0 on aggregate against Real Madrid two seasons ago. Pep Guardiola's first campaign in charge, meanwhile, ended with the Citizens knocked out in the quarter finals by Monaco and Toure is desperate to win the competition again. "I want the Champions League again - so

Stan Kroenke Defends Board's Decision to Extend Arsene Wenger's Contract, Claims It's the Right Decision

Arsenal majority stakeholder Stan Kroenke has explained his reasons for retaining Arsene Wenger last season, when he was given a two-year extension, despite the Gunners ending up fifth in the league, their lowest finish in over two decades. The fans were up in arms over the decision but Kroenke decided to persist with him, saying the easy call would have been to sack the Frenchman. The Premier League's longest-serving manager was under a lot of scrutiny at the Emirates Stadium, with questions being raised about whether he remains the right man to lead the club, sparking a civil war between the Gunners' supporters. While they finished 18 points behind league winners Chelsea, the club ended the campaign by winning a record 13th FA Cup title after beating Antonio Conte's side at Wembley. The victory made Wenger the most successful manager in the competition's history. He has not started the 2017/18 season very well though, with the Gunners taking only one po

THE TWO WORLD MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYERS - Are Neymar and Kylian Mbappe so Far Justifying Their Price Tags

PSG is unbeaten and has scored 43 goals in 13 games overall, yet the mood seems surprisingly quizzical ahead of Friday's home match against Nice. Both players were heavily criticized following in 2-2 draw at Marseille last weekend, which allowed second-place Monaco the defending champion to close PSG's lead to four points after 10 league games. Mbappe didn't make any impact up front and omitted to track back whenever Marseille broke on the counterattack. Neymar did score his seventh league goal since joining from Barcelona, but his red card gave Marseille the chance to dominate late. It was the Brazil forward's fifth red card since breaking into the Santos team in 2009 and, not for the first time, resulted from a petulant reaction. And it almost proved costly. For the second straight league game, PSG needed an injury-time goal  this time from top scorer Edinson Cavani. Criticism of Neymar this week centered on his lack of composure, his reluctance to tr

Liverpool Star Georginio Wijnaldum Fit Enough to Face Huddersfield Town While Saido Mane Remains Injured

Liverpool have been handed a massive injury boost as star midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum will be fit to face Huddersfield Town on 28 October. The former Newcastle United man missed the Reds' 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Jurgen Klopp confirmed in his pre-match interview that the Dutch international had picked up a knock a day before the clash against Spurs. Wijnaldum was in "too much pain" prompting the former Borussia Dortmund manager to leave him out of the squad to face Tottenham last weekend. James Milner started in the midfield, alongside Emre Can and Jordan Henderson against the north London club. According to the Liverpool Echo, the midfielder has responded well to treatment in the last 48 hours. He was given permission to return to full training and joined the rest of the squad on Wednesday. The Dutchman came through unscratched after the last training session. The Merseyside club will take on David Wagner's side in the Premier Lea

Antonio Conte Praises Michy Batshuayi’s Progressive Performance, Claims He may Play with Two Strikers

Antonio Conte admits he found it difficult to deal with Michy Batshuayi last season but insists he is now able to count on the striker. Following his £33 million arrival from Marseille, Batshuayi started only one Premier League game in his first campaign at Chelsea. This season, Batshuayi has been given more chances to impress and has scored seven goals in 10 appearances so far. And Conte is impressed at the rate the Belgian striker is learning to adapt to Chelsea’s system. ‘Michy is improving a lot, especially under a tactical aspect,’ said the Italian. ‘He is working very well and understanding what I want from him. He’s improving a lot. I am very happy. Tonight he didn’t score but he played very well. ‘I don’t judge a striker if he scores or not scores, I judge my players on the performance and Michy is improving a lot. He has a lot of room for improvement. ‘Last season was difficult for him but it was also difficult for me. ‘Now he’s ready to start and come out and d

Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly Back at Manchester United’s Training Ground ahead of Tottenham Clash

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was back at the club’s training ground today ahead of the Red Devils’ clash with Tottenham Hotspur. The Frenchman has been sidelined since early September after sustaining a hamstring injury against Basel in the Champions League. Pogba had hoped to return in time to face Swansea City in the League Cup on Tuesday but United have opted to treat the midfielder’s injury conservatively and will not rush him back. The 24-year-old has been working hard in Miami, Florida to get back to full fitness but Jesse Lingard uploaded a video onto Instagram today that confirmed Pogba was back in Manchester. Pogba was seen moving freely in the corridors of United’s Carrington training ground as United prepare to take on Mauricio Pochettino’s side at the Theatre of Dreams. Meanwhile, Eric Bailly has also returned to full team training after being sidelined for a month. Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford picked up knocks in Tuesday’s 2-0 win but were also p

Phil Jones Included in United Squad to Face Swansea City in Carbao Cup while Eric Bailly still Misses Out

Manchester United defender Phil Jones has travelled with the squad to face Swansea City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at the Liberty Stadium on 24 October. The England international was forced off the pitch in his side's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Huddersfield Town on Saturday. He was replaced by summer signing Victor Lindelof, whose error allowed David Wagner's side to take a 2-0 lead after the first half. According to the Manchester Evening News, Jones was flown with the squad and his inclusion for the trip to face Swansea will come as a welcome boost for United's next league tie against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. The centre-back and Eric Bailly have been a rock in the heart of the Red Devils' back four. Earlier reports suggested the Ivory Coast international could return to action against Paul Clement's side. However, Bailly, who has been sidelined since the last international break, has not travelled with the squad. Bailly joins g

Liverpool Did Not Follow Jurgen Klopp's Instructions against Tottenham, Says Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho has slammed the Reds for not following Jurgen Klopp's defensive instructions which saw them get obliterated 4-1 against Tottenham Hotspur atWembley. Dejan Lovren was blamed for the first two goals which the Reds conceded in the opening 20 minutes of the game. The Croatian centre-back lost track of Harry Kane for the opener before a misjudged header on the halfway line allowed Son Heung-min to double Spurs' lead. Klopp responded by taking off Lovren and replacing him with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain around the half-hour mark, but the goals continued to flow as Dele Alli and Kane struck either side of half time to drive Spurs level on points withManchester United and only three behind Manchester City in the race for the title. Coutinho did not have the best of games by his standards and was well denied by saves from HugoLloris as the Reds tried to force their way into the game. Liverpool have taken only one point from their last two g

'I Don't Believe it is True' - Former Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli Blasts Reports of Dressing Room Unrest at Chelsea

Former Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli says he is surprised by reports that Blues players are unhappy with current boss Antonio Conte's training methods. The Times reported last week that some Chelsea players were dissatisfied with Conte's physically demanding training schedule and were concerned that the heavy workload wasexacerbating the squad's injury problems. The defending Premier League champions have made a stuttering start to the season and were on a three-game winless run before they came from behind to beat Watford 4-2 at Stamford Bridge on 21 October. Vialli, who was the first Italian to manage in the Premier League, doubted if the reports of dressing room unrest at his former club were true and urged Blues players to stick with Conte's methods after his compatriot's hugely successful first season in English football. "Yes, I'm shocked because you have a side that came seventh two years ago and then you've got an Italian manage

Cristiano Ronaldo Beats Lionel Messi and Neymar to FIFA Best Player Award

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the Best Men’s Player at the FIFA Football Awards after beating rivals Lionel Messi and Neymar to the illustrious prize. The Real Madrid and Portugal superstar, 32, has enjoyed another sensational year, scoring 45 goals in 48 appearances and winning the Champions League and La Liga during the 2016-17 campaign. Ronaldo won the inaugural award in January and defended his crown at Monday evening’s event held at the London Palladium. Messi, for his part, contributed 49 goals and 11 assists in 50 appearances in 2017 for Barcelona and Argentina but was once again overlooked as Ronaldo took home the award. The third nominee was Neymar, who became the most expensive player in the world when he joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. Ronaldo said: ‘Thank you a lot for this, I have to mention Lionel and Neymar for being here. I want to thank the Real Madrid supporters, my team-mates, my coach, my president… they all support me throughout the year so

United Do Not Have the Attacking Quality of Manchester City and Tottenham, Say Huddersfield Forward

Huddersfield Town forward Tom Ince believes that Manchester United lack the fluidity of their title rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City as the Red Devils succumbed to their first league defeat of the season against the newly promoted side. Errors from Juan Mata and Victor Lindelof led to the Terriers establishing a 2-0 lead in the first half at the John Smith's Stadium, with Marcus Rashford scoring a late consolation goal for the visitors. Jose Mourinho was fuming at the performance and stated that the team had to collectively take responsibility for the upset. The loss leaves them five points behind leaders City and level on points with Tottenham, who pulverised Liverpool 4-1 on Sunday (22 October). Ince believes that United are a top-level side who can put any team to the sword but do not have the attacking prowess of their title rivals and are very slow in the build-up. "Listen, the manager knows that toe-to-toe we can't deal with Manchester United,&

Monaco Starlet Kylian Mbappe Beats Ousmane Dembele and Gabriel Jesuns to Golden Boy Award

The France forward Kylian Mbappé has won the Golden Boy award for the best young player in Europe, fending off competition from Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembélé and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. The French teenager had a breakthrough season at Monaco last term, scoring 26 goals in 44 appearances, before completing a loan move to the Parc des Princes ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.  Mbappe has hit the ground running at PSG, scoring four goals and providing four assists in his opening 11 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants. Mbappé won by an overwhelming 291 votes, with Dembélé coming second on 149. Manchester United’s Rashford was third and Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus fourth. Italian outlet Tuttosport announced the winner on Monday morning and the France international won by a landslide with 291 votes. Barca’s summer signing Dembele came second after receiving 149 votes. Golden Boy top 10 1 Kylian Mbappé (PSG, on loan from Monaco) 2 Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona)

Manchester United Interest Unsettled Eric Dier, Says Tottenham Manager

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Manchester United's attempts to sign Eric Dier had a negative impact on the England international's performances last season. Dier, 23, was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window but the move failed to materialise, with Spurs adamant that the versatile defender would not be sold at any price. Pochettino said United made their initial approach for Dier last season and revealed that he was unhappy with Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho for having a post-match conversation with the defender after Spurs' defeat at Old Trafford in December 2016. "Mourinho and I had finished our interviews at Old Trafford and the players were doing their warm-down on the pitch," Pochettino wrote in the Daily Mail. "When Jose was done with the press, he stood by the entrance to the tunnel and regarded the returning players. "He greeted Moussa Sissoko and hugged Dier. They

Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte Admits He Was Lucky against Watford, Praises Willian, Batshuayi and Zappacosta

Antonio Conte hailed the contributions of Davide Zappacosta, Willian and Michy Batshuayi as amazing after Chelsea came from behind to beat Watford 4-2 at Stamford Bridge. The Premier League champions appeared to be heading for a fourth consecutive game without a win in all competitions when Roberto Pereyra fired the visitors ahead four minutes into the second half. But a brace from Batshuayi, who replaced Alvaro Morata on the hour mark, and a header from Cesar Azpilicueta ensured Chelsea got back to winning ways and Conte was quick to praise the performance of the Belgium international striker as well as his fellow substitutes Zappacosta and Willian. ‘Amazing,’ said Conte of his three replacements who changed the course of the game. ‘Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. every coach during a game it is important to understand the situation to change. ‘I am pleased for Michy, he scored two goals but his impact during the game was amazing. That was the same for Willian an

Everton Sacked Ronald Koeman after Heavy Defeat to Arsenal

Everton have sacked embattled manager Ronald Koeman after the club's dreadful recent run of form continued with a humiliating 5-2 home Premier League drubbing by Arsenal on Sunday that saw them slip into the relegation zone. In an official statement released via their official club website on Monday afternoon, the Toffees said: "Everton Football Club can confirm that Ronald Koeman has left the club. "Chairman Bill Kenwright, the board of directors and major shareholder Farhad Moshiri would all like to express their gratitude to Ronald for the service he has given to the club over the past 16 months and for guiding the club to seventh place in last season's Premier League campaign." Not only have results been poor but the manner of recent performances. This month has seen Everton beaten 2-1 by Lyon in the Europa League, draw with Brighton and lose at home to Burnley. In a statement the club said: ‘Everton can confirm that Ronald Koeman has left the club

Arsene Wenger Lauds Arsenal Squad Depth with Youth Team Players Set to Return for Carabao Cup

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger praised the quality of his squad depth after Arsenal's 5-2 win over Everton on Sunday after the manager made 10 changes to the side that won in the Europa League on Thursday. The French coach played a team mixed with youth and experience in Serbia against Red Star Belgrade and came away with a hard fought win, but reverted to the regular first-team XI for the trip to Goodison Park on Sunday. The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny, Granit Xhaka and Alexandre Lacazette among others returned to the starting lineup while Petr Cech was the only constant between the Europa League team and the team on Sunday. Arsenal put on a clinical show to dispatch Ronald Koeman's team and the likes of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi, who played against Red Star, were unused substitutes. Wenger remains unconcerned about the quality of his squad depth but warned that cohesion between the players on the pitch is most import

Cesc Fabregas is Chelsea's only Fit Midfielder to Face Watford Admits Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte has suggested that Cesc Fabregas could be the only Chelsea midfielder available to face Watford on Saturday after admitting that he faces "many doubts" to select his starting line-up due to the number of injuries in his squad. Fabregas formed the midfield alongside David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko during the 3-3 draw with AS Roma on Wednesday night as Conte opted to select a 3-5-2 formation with three midfielders to stop the Serie A side. However, the Brazilian had to be replaced by Pedro in the 57th minute due to a calf problem while Conte revealed that Bakayoko also picked up a groin issue during the game and only played the full 90 minutes due the lack of options at his disposal. The Chelsea manager didn't provide a specific update on the duo during the press conference but when asked whether Fabregas could be the only midfielder fit to face Watford, he admitted: "It could be." "Honestly at the moment I can tell nothing about

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Could Make Man United Return this Year, Says Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho is confident Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be available for Manchester United before the end of the year. The Swedish striker - who has been regularly updating his Instagram followers of his rehabilitation from a knee injury - has this week begun doing some very light ball work with the club's coaching staff at Carrington. Ibrahimovic signed a new one-year deal at United on August 24 after the first serious injury of his career cut short a stellar first season at Old Trafford earlier this year. The player's doctor Freddie Fu has warned against rushing his return and United boss Jose Mourinho had previously suggested he will not play for the club in January but has reassessed that prediction. "(Paul) Pogba is not here I don't know when he will be back," he said. "Zlatan is working under our control here as I would expect. He is working so, so hard but he won't be back in the next week or the next couple of weeks. "He nee

Injury Boosr for Antonio Conte as Danny Drinkwater Finally Returns to Full Training with Chelsea First-team

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has received a welcome injury boost after summer signing Danny Drinkwater finally took part in training with the rest of the first-team squad. The £35m arrival from Leicester City is yet to make his debut for the club, having been ruled out of action with a calf injury picked up before he moved to west London. Since then, Chelsea’s squad has been ravaged by injury, with Alvaro Morata, N’Golo Kante and Victor Moses all picking up hamstring injuries amid concerns over Conte’s training methods. Kante will definitely miss the weekend the weekend clash at home to Watford, with Conte picking a midfield three of David Luiz, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas in his absence against Roma. But neither Luiz nor Bakayoko were spotted in training on Thursday, with Chelsea posting a video on their YouTube account on Friday morning, with some reports suggesting they are carrying niggles. At least Conte will soon be able to call on Drinkwater, with the England int

Chelsea Should Close Their Academy, Phil Neville Blasts

Phil Neville has branded Chelsea’s youth policy a ‘disgrace’ and believes the club should close their academy. Following Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, Antonio Conte admitted that he was struggling to cope with his dwindling squad size due to injuries to key players. But Neville feels Conte should place his trust in Chelsea’s youth players instead of allowing them to leave on loan. ‘They have to go out on loan because Conte’s coming out saying they’ve only got 11 players,’ Neville told BBC Five Live. ‘If you were the Under-23s manager, or part of the squad that played in the Champions League Youth League today, you’d be thinking: ‘I’ve got no future at this football club’. ‘If he’s saying they’ve only got 11 players… [players should be saying] ‘give me a chance’. ‘That’s what [Ruben] Loftus-Cheek, [Nathaniel] Chalobah, Lewis Baker and all these players who are playing for England’s youth teams and winning tournaments for Chelse

The Forgotten Arsenal Man Mathieu Debuchy to Make First Arsenal Appearance in 11 Months against Red Star Belgrade

Right-back Mathieu Debuchy will make his first senior competitive Arsenal appearance in almost 11 months on Thursday night as the Gunners travel to Serbia for their latest Europa League Group H fixture against Red Star Belgrade. Debuchy has become something of a forgotten figure at the Emirates Stadium after returning from a loan stint at Bordeaux and playing just 16 minutes of Premier League football in 2016-17 before suffering a hamstring injury during the 3-1 win over Bournemouth. The 32-year-old was widely expected to depart Arsenal during the summer transfer window. However, he eventually stayed in north London after a proposed return to France collapsed when OGC Nice, reportedly put off by his wage demands, opted to sign Christophe Jallet from Lyon. Newly-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion also lodged an enquiry for Debuchy in the run-up to deadline day, with Arsene Wenger apparently willing to let his compatriot depart for nothing. Yet a move to the south coast never

CAF President Ahmad Questions Latest FIFA Rankings, Says Nigeria is the Best in Africa

Despite FIFA rankings suggesting that Tunisia is number one in Africa, the Confederation of African Football president Ahmad says Nigeria remain the best in the continent. The CAF boss has aimed a tiny veiled dig at the recently released FIFA rankings which placed the Super Eagles as the fifth best football nation in Africa. In the October rankings, FIFA has ranked Nigeria behind the Carthage Eagles, Egypt, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo, although they moved three places in the global ratings from 44 to 41 in the world. Speaking in Lagos after a meeting with football stakeholders, Ahmad said Gernot Rohr's men are the strongest from Africa going to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. “No doubt, Nigeria is the strongest African team going to Russia and we expect so much from the Super Eagles," said Ahmad. "Amaju (Pinnick) has been spot-on in at least two major decisions this year: to support the change at CAF and to get the Nigerian fraternity to work

Antonio Conte Hits Back at Mourinho after Chelsea Draw with Roma, Warns Him to Stop Talking about Chelsea

Antonio Conte has told Jose Mourinho to stop talking about Chelsea after the Manchester United boss suggested the Italian was "crying" about his injury situation. Mourinho, speaking after United's 1-0 win in Lisbon on Wednesday night, did not name names but it was clear he was thinking of his former club Chelsea and Conte, his successor as boss, when he talked of other managers who "cry and cry and cry" about injuries. And, when the subject was broached after Chelsea's 3-3 draw with Roma, Conte retaliated. "A lot of time Mourinho has to see what happens at Chelsea," Conte said. "A lot of time, also last season. I think he has to think about his team and stop... to look at himself, not the others." Chelsea are already without N'Golo Kante, Victor Moses (both hamstring) and Danny Drinkwater (calf). And David Luiz suffered a calf injury against Roma which could make him doubtful for Saturday's clash with Watford, w

Chelsea Could Sign Radja Nainggolan Next Summer as the Belgian Claims He's Opened to Premier League Switch

Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan refused to close the door on a future move to the Premier League following his side’s excellent display against Chelsea on Wednesday. The Italians drew 3-3 in west London to remain just two points adrift of Chelsea in the group, and will hope to overtake them when they face off in Rome in two weeks. Had Antonio Conte got his wish, Nainggolan – who the coach described as ‘one of the best midfielders in the world’ – might have been playing in blue, though it could still happen in the future. Speaking to reporters about finally playing at Stamford Bridge, he said: ‘Yeah, good atmosphere. ‘Thank you [to Conte] for the words, but at the end of the day we’re playing against each other and I have to do my job. ‘I think he’s a really good coach because his results over the past few years speak for themselves. ‘But in the end I have to do what I have to do, and that’s playing for Roma and giving the maximum for Roma. Probed again if he would still

Former Chelsea Boss Slams Chelsea Summer Signing Tiemoue Bakayoko after Poor Performance against Roma

Glenn Hoddle was desperately unimpressed with Tiemoue Bakayoko’s performance in Chelsea’s 3-3 home draw with Roma and believes the summer signing has yet to show ‘what he’s got’ at Stamford Bridge. The former Chelsea and England boss is still struggling to get to grips with the Blues’ decision to sell Nemanja Matic to Premier League rivals Manchester United and is not yet convinced by his replacement.  Antonio Conte’s side were nowhere near their best as they threw away a two-goal lead courtesy of David Luiz and Eden Hazard, with Aleksandar Kolarov and Edin Dzeko pegging them back. Hazard salvaged a late point to keep Chelsea top of Group C but it was a less than impressive display from the English champions. And Hoddle took aim at Bakayoko for his lack of impact on the pitch. ‘Bakayoko’s another one who has to come into the fray – he’s got to do more for me,’ Hoddle told BT Sport after the game. ‘He’s come over with a reputation, I’m not sure quite yet what he’s got. ‘He’s