The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Champions League.

Two games ban for Jones as UEFA fine Man Utd

Phil Jones has been banned for two matches and Daley Blind fined by UEFA after the Manchester United pair were found guilty of breaching the governing body’s doping regulations after the Europa League final in May.

Jones was charged for “insulting and directing abusive language” towards a doping control officer after he was requested to attend drug testing after the final in Stockholm on May 24, and will now miss the UEFA Super Cup match against Real Madrid next week and United’s first Champions League group stage match in September. He has also been fined €5,000 (£4,475).

It is understood Blind was reluctant to take a test as requested because he wanted to celebrate with his team-mates, whose 2-0 victory over Ajax ensured their qualification for this season’s Champions League. He was fined €5,000 (£4,475)

United have been fined €10,000 (£8,950) over the rule breaches.

The club are understood to be aware of UEFA’s decisions, and have three days to appeal against them. However, they have not yet indicated to UEFA whether they will or not.

July 31, 2017
Kompany: £200m new arrivals fire hunger for trophies

Vincent Kompany believes Manchester City’s new arrivals have restored the trophy-winning hunger to Pep Guardiola’s side.

After finishing a disappointing third in the Premier League last season and crashing out of the Champions League to Monaco at the last-16 stage, City have spent big during the summer window.

Over £200million has been bringing Danilo, Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker and Ederson to the Etihad Stadium and captain Kompany does not expect another trophyless campaign.

But in order to make way for the new signings, City had to wave goodbye to a raft of players who have been good servants over the past few years, including Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov, Gael Clichy and Pablo Zabaleta.

‘We’ve replaced some key players in the team that did a lot of good over the years,’ said the 31-year-old Belgian centre-back in Los Angeles, where City are on their pre-season tour.

‘But the important thing was replacing them with players of equal quality at least – because they’ve been big players for us down the years.

‘It’s good to get some new guys, new faces, who are hungry to win. Everything is there to be achieved for them.

‘Hopefully they will add that spark that we need to be champions again.

‘Bacary, Zaba, Clichy, Kolarov – they were all leaders and had a huge impact at this club.

‘Look at Zaba what made him so popular, the way he was. Look at that when you come into a club like this. If you can bring some of that to your game, the way you approach the game then you’ll always be a success at City.’

After Guardiola suffered the first trophyless season of his managerial career, City have splashed the cash in the transfer market to try and avoid a repeat.

They paid £35m to Benfica for the Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, £45m to Tottenham for Walker, £26.5m to Real Madrid for Danilo and fees of £49.3m and £42.5m respectively to Monaco for Mendy and Bernardo Silva.

And the club are plotting new targets, including Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and the Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe.

But despite all the fresh talent at the club, Guardiola will need Kompany to hold everything together as he has done successfully for almost a decade now.

The Belgian added: ‘Speaking for myself, I’m someone who communicates a lot. I don’t really wait for it to happen, I get out there and pass on the message I think is the most appropriate when I’m on the pitch.

‘I’d do that to anyone I’m playing with so hopefully that will help them find their feet a bit quicker.

‘They are good professionals so you’d expect them to blend in well.

‘I’d say all the senior players have the responsibility to create an environment where these guys can thrive.

City continue their pre-season build-up with an International Champions’ Cup fixture against Real Madrid in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

July 25, 2017
Bonucci mobbed in Milan ahead £35m move

Leonardo Bonucci has arrived in Milan ahead of his shock £35million move from Serie A rivals Juventus.

Masses of fans were ready and waiting outside Casa Milan as the 30-year-old turned up for his medical with the Rossoneri, with some fans having already printed Bonucci’s name upon the famous red and black striped shirt.

The centre back, who has won 70 caps for his country, was a summer transfer target for both Manchester City and Chelsea following a successful seven-year spell in Turin.

Bonucci posed with club insignia before going through the finer details of his transfer

Bonucci, who started his career at Inter, has decided to remain in Serie A and is expected to sign a contract that ties him to the San Siro club until 2022.

The deal comes as a further blow to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, who earlier this month missed out on his strike target Romelu Lukaku.

Conte was looking to add defensive reinforcements to a squad that has already lost the likes of John Terry and Nathan Ake.

Despite reports in Italy this week suggesting that Bonucci was on the verge of leaving Turin to join AC Milan, the defender’s agent had suggested that no deal was imminent.

‘There are no feelings at the moment,’ he had said, as reported by the website Calciomercato.com. ‘We just have to wait.’

The defender had been a target for Premier League sides such as Chelsea and Manchester City

But the defender is now set to leave Juventus for a side that finished five places and 28 points behind the Serie A champions.

Bonucci will have to make do without Champions League football, for the coming season at least. But his future at Juventus has been uncertain for some time following a bust-up with manager Massimiliano Allegri in Februrary.

He will now become the latest in a string of signings by Milan this summer. Under their new Chinese owners, the sleeping Italian giants have already spent more than £100million on new recruits in this window as they look to regain their place at the top table of European football.

July 14, 2017
Gunners reconvene for pre-season training

Arsenal stars were put through their paces on Tuesday afternoon as they started preparation for the new Premier League season.

Just over five weeks after ending the previous campaign by lifting the FA Cup courtesy of Aaron Ramsey’s header in a 2-1 victory over

rivals Chelsea, the players were back at their training centre in London Colney, ready to do it all over again.

Taking the session was Arsene Wenger, who put an end to stories about his immediate future at the beginning of the summer by putting

pen to paper on a new two-year deal.

There was also a new face among the ranks, as defender Sead Kolasinac met up with his team-mates for the first time since moving from Schalke on a free transfer.

While Wenger and Kolasinac have sorted their futures this summer, Mesut Ozil is still in limbo as to where he will be come September.

The Germany international is yet to sign a new contract with the Gunners and is the subject of interest from clubs on the continent.

However, Ozil was still present and correct on the first day of training, and seemed to be in high spirits as he joked with Spaniard Lucas Perez.

There appeared a good mood across the camp, which may in part have been down to events away from the camera, with Alexander Lacazette

undergoing a medical at the base around the same time.

Arsenal are set to break their club record to land the Lyon striker, an addition that will fuel confidence among the current crop of players that the lack of Champions League football this season won’t stifle the club’s ambition.

One star who may take some convincing is Alexis Sanchez, who is still on holiday having only just finished international duties with Chile at the Confederations Cup.

The winger is thought to want to leave the Emirates this summer given the lack of top level European football, but the club have not given up hope of persuading their man to sign a new deal.

With Shkodran Mustafi also missing having just lifted the Confederations Cup with Germany, Per Mertesacker was the only one of Ozil’s compatriots at training, as he warmed up alongside Theo Walcott.

Arsenal will head to Australia to start their pre-season, with Wenger’s side set to take on Sydney next Thursday, before meeting Western Sydney Warriors two days later.

They’ll also face Bayern Munich and Chelsea in China before returning home to host the annual Emirates Cup, where they will face Benfica and Sevilla.

They will then officially get the season up and running as they take on Chelsea once more in the traditional curtain-raiser, the Community Shield on Sunday, August 6.

July 4, 2017
Germany’s Emre Can, not scared of Ronaldo

Facing Cristiano Ronaldo in the final of the Confederations Cup would hold no fear for Germany midfielder Emre Can.

Joachim Low’s world champions meet Mexico in Thursday’s semi-final in Sochi, with Ronaldo and Euro 2016 winners Portugal taking on Chile a day earlier in Kazan.

The Real Madrid superstar has scored twice in three games in Russia, while being voted man of the match by supporters in each of Portugal’s group matches.

He is prolonging a trophy hunt that yielded LaLiga and Champions League glory in 2016-17 – including five goals across both legs of the quarter-final against Bayern Munich – but Liverpool’s Can would welcome the challenge of taking on the former Manchester United favourite.

“Nobody is scared of Ronaldo,” he said. “Obviously he is a world-class player, but nobody is afraid of him.”

Mexico might at least be a little apprehensive over facing Julian Draxler, who has responded to taking on the captaincy of an experimental Germany squad in Russia by turning in a string of dazzling displays.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger has been granted liberal licence to roam across the midfield and forward positions by Low and created 10 clear goalscoring opportunities during the group stages – more than any other player.

He also weighed in by converting a penalty in the opening 3-2 win over Australia and Can has been impressed by how his fellow 23-year-old has led a side lacking experience at international level.

“He’s been a very good leader. He’s not the loudest guy, but on the pitch I think you could see his quality in the three games,” said Can.

“He is talking to the players, he wants to help and I think he has a lot of experience. He is doing it very well.

“You can see he always wants the ball, always wants to create something on the pitch.

“He wants to score always and you can see that in every game.”

Arsenal centre-back Shkodran Mustafi is expected to return to Germany’s backline after being rested for the 3-1 victory against Cameroon last time out and is also a member of the Draxler fan club, suggesting his team-mate could soon enter the “superstar” bracket Ronaldo has made his own for so long.

“He is a really, really good and talented player. He’s young as well and I think he’s got a really bright future ahead of him,” said Mustafi.

“In football, you never know what’s happening. Talent only is not always enough, but I think that he has the character, he has the talent and the head to be the superstar, for sure.”

June 27, 2017
Arsenal launch 2017-18 home kit ahead of new season

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have given Arsenal fans fresh hope they may stay at the club despite major doubts over their futures, after the duo played a major role in the launch of the new kit.

The Gunners, who have missed out on Champions League football for the first time in two decades, unveiled their new home shirts during an event at Kings Cross Station on Wednesday morning.

Club legends Robert Pires and Martin Keown were on hand to unveil the new red home shirts, again manufactured by Puma, but Sanchez and Ozil were both prominent in the kit’s online launch.

While speculation continues to surround the futures of Arsenal’s star duo, as they both enter the final year of their contracts, they took part in the photoshoot to launch their new look.

This year’s look includes the Gunners’ iconic red shirts with white sleeves, while the home kit will feature a ‘smart but functional’ collar for the first time since 2006. The collar’s slightly darker red is taken from the club’s crest.

Arsenal’s famous cannon has been featured on the club’s shirts for 50 years and, to celebrate that milestone, it has been added to reverse of the new home kit, below the collar.

Bellerin and Giroud will both be looking to help Arsenal return to the Champions League while wearing their new kit

This is the fourth season of Puma shirts for Arsenal, with main sponsor Fly Emirates featuring again featuring on the front, as it has since 2006.

Petr Cech also helped launch the club’s new goalkeeper kit, with the Czech stopper’s new outfit including two shades of green, with a lighter tone on the sleeves.

The event at Kings Cross, described by the club as an ‘activation’, gives fans the chance to have their first look at the new design and have their picture taken alongside the FA Cup, which the club won in May.

While Sanchez and Ozil have already been pictured in Arsenal’s new shirt, fans and team-mates alike will be hoping the duo are able to take to the field in the new strip when the season begins.

Sanchez has been linked with Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, and has made it clear to his club he has a desire to fight for major silverware as well as £300,000-per-week wage demands.

The Chilean’s German team-mate, Shkodran Mustafi, is desperate for him to stay at the club: He told Bild: ‘He is an extraordinary player, for me one of the best in the world. I have experienced few players who are as hungry as him.

‘As soon as he is on the ball, everyone knows something can happen.’

June 21, 2017
UCL victory: Wike to establish Real Madrid Football Academy in Rivers

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has stated that a Real Madrid Football Academy will be established in the state to groom international soccer talents.

L-R: Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Former Attorney General, Hon Frank Ohwor, Former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus and PDP Chieftain; Prince Emma Anyanwu during the celebration of Real Madrid Champions League Victory

Speaking at the Government House Port Harcourt on Tuesday night during a victory party he hosted for Real Madrid Fans to celebrate the club’s Champions League Trophy, Governor Wike informed that he has opened discussions with the club management to actualize this goal.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (4th Right) his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike (3rd Right) and others during the celebration of Real Madrid Champions League Victory.

He said football, apart from being a source of entertainment globally, has proven to be a veritable empowerment tool.

On the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff, Governor Wike said though most people did not give Real Madrid a chance to lift the trophy, the club displayed its resilience and discipline as it went ahead to create history.

The governor said that in today’s world club football, Real Madrid Football club has a competitive edge over other clubs.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (m) and others during the celebration of Real Madrid Champions League Victory

The celebration party which took place at the new Government House, Port Harcourt Amphitheatre attracted Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Government Officials and Party Leaders.

The event was laced with music provided by Popular Rivers Gospel Musician, Sensational Dele, jokes, banters and celebratory songs.

Most of the officials at the celebration wore jerseys and insignia of Real Madrid Football club.

June 7, 2017
No cheap legs on the pitch in Champions league final

It is battle for supremacy as Real Madrid tackle Juventus in today’s UEFA Champions league final. It is different stoke for the two teams. While Real madrid are gunning for their 12th title, Juve are hoping to increase their tally which and for Buffon an excellent opportunity to enjoy the glory. What is the sum total in cost of the players on the pitch today. Certainly these are no light weight players;

Real Madrid’s Champions League squad is worth over €200 million more than that of their opponents in Saturday’s Champions League final, Juventus.

While most pundits agree that there is little to choose between the two clubs in a sporting sense, it is clear from the value of their respective panels that los Blancos are operating a different financial level to the Bianconeri.

The reigning champions’ 25-strong squad was assembled at a cost of €638.2 million and features the second and third most expensive players of all time in Gareth Bale (€100.8m) and Cristiano Ronaldo (€94m).

Bale, of course, is unlikely to be fit enough to start in his native Cardiff and is expected to be joined on the bench by €80m man James Rodriguez, underlining the incredible strength in depth available to Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

While Juve’s squad is worth ‘only’ €422.03m in terms of overall transfer fees (which, it is worth noting, were calculated by including previous loan fees and bonuses), the Italian champions have a couple of big-money signings of their own.

Indeed, Gonzalo Higuain was signed from Napoli for €90m, while captain Gianluigi Buffon remains the most expensive goalkeeper in history – which is staggering given he arrived in Turin from Parma 16 years ago.

The Italian’s €53m now looks like a bargain and it is worth pointing out that Juve’s recent resurgence can be attributed to the shrewd work done in the transfer market by CEO Beppe Marotta and sporting director Fabio Paratici.

Juve’s famed ‘BBC’ defence was acquired for a grand total of €23.6m, which is less than Madrid spent on either Danilo or Fabio Coentrao

Still, it is worth noting that Madrid have made a couple of prudent signings themselves in recent years, most notably Dani Carvajal and Marcelo, both of whom were bought for €6.5m.

Even the relatively small amounts of money spent on the likes of Keylor Navas (€10m), Raphael Varane (€10m), Toni Kroos (€30m), Isco (€30m) and Luka Modric (€35m) represent excellent pieces of business, given what they have contributed to Real’s recent triumphs.

The fact remains that Real have always spent big in pursuit of success and they will be hoping that their colossal outlay on this current crop of superstars will once again pay dividends.

Will that happen? Only time and in fact few hours will tell.

June 3, 2017
Champions League: Sustaining transformational power of global football

FOOTBALL is rapidly witnessing a transformation all over the world, with a massive global audience on social media and television. This confirms the UEFA Champions League final’s status as the world’s most watched annual sporting event. An estimated global television audience of 180 million in over 200 territories tuned in to see FC Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1 in Berlin, growing by 18 per cent from the 2014 final of Real Madrid – Atletico Madrid. Successfully engaging football fans all over the world on Twitter and Facebook during match nights, Heineken has given the Champions League an enticing social media appeal.

There were 108 million tweets about the 2016 final during the evening of the game, with 500 million engagements on Facebook during the 2015/2016 season, while it was watched by more than 165 million people across 200 countries. It is indisputable that since the Heineken-UEFA partnership, the Champions League has grown to become the biggest sporting event in the world, arguably beating the FIFA World Cup. It has grown from being just a football competition to an experience that connects football fans every night, and across media platforms.

Through this amazing football experience, Heineken has inspired fans to put everything into watching the game with friends, enjoy Heineken beer and experience the greatest Champions league football moments. Heineken is using its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League to promote its brand essence and motivate the youths to explore opportunities presented by the game. In February 2017, Heineken delighted football fans and beer consumers all over the world by announcing a three-year extension to its current agreement with UEFA to sponsor the UEFA Champions League. The new agreement means Heineken continues as a major partner of the world’s most prestigious club football competition until the end of the 2021 season- a partnership that also includes the UEFA Super Cup 2018, 2019 and 2020. For over a decade, Heineken has successfully sponsored the UEFA Champions League, delivering memorable and unique fan experiences to 4.2 billion people in over 220 countries.

Since 2007, the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken has visited over 35 countries in Africa, Asia, North and South America. With these series of engagements, Heineken has provided amazing opportunities for fans globally to touch the trophy and experience the feelings of champions without being registered as professional football players in Europe. In Nigeria, football is a unifying factor – providing neutral meeting grounds for football fans and Heineken consumers regardless of gender, education, social level, political affiliation or ideology. Most importantly, with the Heineken Champions Planet, Champions League match nights have fostered new relationships, strengthened friendships and created conversations globally. At the start of this season’s UEFA Champions League, Heineken launched “The Prep Talk”, a campaign that sees Jose Mourinho, a two-time UEFA Champions League winning manager deliver a passionate address to fans across the globe, urging them to be a part of every match night no matter where they are or their times zones.

This phase of the campaign marked the 11thyear of Heineken’s sponsorship of the tournament with global and regional versions of the campaign film shared online and broadcast on television. Currently, the video has received over 50 million YouTube views and beamed across 90 countries globally. Senior Director, Global Heineken brand at Heineken, Gianluca Di Tondo said: “Preparing for UEFA Champions League match night makes the experience even better. With a little bit of thought and effort, fans and their friends will have a greater experience. Sometimes a little inspiration is needed, and who better to motivate them to ‘Champion the Match’ than Jose Mourinho.” In April, the brand also announced a partnership with Jose Mourinho for “No More Excuses” – a campaign to remind and incentivise fans to be part of the UEFA Champions League match nights. Fans’ excuses for not connecting during match nights are addressed and selected participants with relatable reasons are rewarded.

This way, Heineken has created a synergy between the brand, the global football fans and the UEFA Champions League. The firm had during the kick-off of the UEFA Champions League Season 2016/2017 with group viewing by football fans and wants the youths to not only watch the game, but explore the opportunities that come with it. The UEFA Champions League is a premium football event featuring quality players. The best of the team across Europe play in the Champions League. Heineken is working on how to get more businesses involved in the game in the interest of the economy.

The firm’s retail outlets have partnership with DSTV to ensure that the broadcast is done in a way that everybody can access it. It is also to ensure that more people have access to the viewing the game in a legal way. The youth is connecting to the Heineken brand. Basically, the brand is telling consumers not to just watch Champions League, we are also telling them to champion the match. Consumers should prepare with their friends, have a plan and enjoy themselves. They should go to Champions League viewing centres not just to go and watch the match, but to say that they have had an experience with their friends. •Okosisi, a sports enthusiast and brand analyst, lives in Lagos.

June 3, 2017
Nadal hoping for birthday present from Real Madrid

Rafael Nadal will spend his birthday glued to the television in Paris, hoping Real Madrid can give him the perfect present in the Champions League final.

Nadal turns 30 on Saturday and will have a rest day after cruising through his third round clash at the French Open with a stunning 6-0 6-1 6-0 win over Nikoloz Basilashvili.

His sensational victory amid thunderstorms at Roland Garros means he will be able to relax and enjoy his birthday – when not required on the practice courts – and, more importantly, follow his beloved Madrid.

Zinedine Zidane’s side face Juventus in the Champions League final in Cardiff and Nadal has already blocked out his calendar to ensure he does not miss a single kick.

“Tomorrow is a special day because it is my birthday, it is good news to have another birthday here,” he said in his on-court interview.

“And tomorrow at 2045 (local time), I’m going to be in front of the TV for sure, supporting my team.

“I hope Real Madrid wins another title, but it’s going to be tough.”

Nadal will not be able to celebrate too much should Madrid win, though, given he will face fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round on Sunday.

Real Madrid are gunning for their 12th Champions League title and Nadal is not prepared to miss any second of the battle against Juventus en-route the glory. On paper Juve are underdogs in the encounter having won the title only twice in 1961 and 1962 while finishing six times as runners up in 1973, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2015.

Nadal who is a die-hard Madrid fan is on his part gunning for his 10th French Open and is sure to get extra boost should Madrid lift the trophy once more just a day before he takes on fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round. Nadal last won the French Open in 2014.

June 2, 2017