The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chelsea

  • Chelsea to Connect Fans to Free Wifi at Stamford Bridge

    Chelsea to Connect Fans to Free Wifi at Stamford Bridge

    Ericsson has been unveiled as the internet connectivity partner for Stamford Bridge – Chelsea Football Club’s home stadium in Fulham, London.

    Free Wi-Fi coverage will be provided via the Small Cell as a Service connected venue business model whereby Ericsson designs, builds and operates the network on the customer’s behalf.

    As a result, Chelsea FC will be able to provide fans throughout the stadium with a richer experience that enables them to interact digitally with each other, the club, friends and family.

    In winning their fifth Premier League title in 2016/2017, Chelsea FC sold out every home match day at Stamford Bridge.

    Many fans used their smartphones to share photos and videos via social media, often stretching cellular networks to the limit. To ensure visitors can enjoy a seamless digital experience, Ericsson will design, build and operate a carrier-grade Wi-Fi access network and then manage it on Chelsea FC’s behalf.

    Chris Townsend, Chelsea FC commercial director, says: “We look forward to a rich partnership with Ericsson which will directly assist the thousands of fans who come regularly to Stamford Bridge. Ericsson leads the way in providing innovative digital solutions and we welcome them to the Chelsea family.”

    Arun Bansal, senior vice president, Europe & Latin America, Ericsson, says: “Our research indicates that people want to use their digital devices wherever they go – and the urge to connect is even greater at a Chelsea FC home game. Through this partnership, we will ensure the connectivity at Stamford Bridge matches the quality of the football and look forward to exploring further options that will enable Chelsea FC to take the digital experience to the next level.”

    Small Cell as a Service supports service providers’ cellular go-to-market models, enables businesses to monetize Wi-Fi, provides a business case for network build-out and improves end-user experience. In 2015, Legia Warsaw became the first football club in Europe to sign a Small Cell as a Service contract with Ericsson. In 2016, Ericsson became the connectivity partner for the Ricoh Arena stadium in Coventry, England, home to Aviva Premiership rugby team Wasps and Wasps Netball.

    Through four weeks of football mania in Brazil in 2014, the Nordic World Ski Championships in Sweden in 2015, the 2016 European football tournament in France, and the 2016 summer sports event in Rio, Ericsson ensured the networks kept pace with the fans. Click here to read how we connect the most popular venues around the world.

  • Chelsea confirm Alvaro Morata agreement

    Chelsea confirm Alvaro Morata agreement

     

    CHELSEA have announced they have an agreement in place for Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata

    The Spanish side have released a statement thanking the 24-year-old for his service at the Bernabeu.

    It read: “The club wishes to express its thanks for the dedication, professionalism and exemplary conduct displayed by the player over the years, spanning his time in our academy right through to his spell as a member of the first-team squad.”

    Morata helped Real to La Liga and Champions League glory last season but will now test himself in the Premier League.

    Chelsea have been chasing a striker all summer after Antonio Conte told Diego Costa he was surplus to requirements at the club.

    Romelu Lukaku was said to be the Blues’ top target but the Belgian opted to join Manchester United instead.

    Morata will become Chelsea’s fourth summer signing after Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Willy Caballero.

    The Blues are currently on their pre-season tour of the Far East.

    When they return they will start the new campaign against Arsenal at Wembley in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 6.

  • Chelsea seal £40m Tiemoue Bakayoko deal

    Chelsea seal £40m Tiemoue Bakayoko deal

    Chelsea have confirmed the signing of midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco on a five-year deal.

    The 22-year-old starred in Monaco’s run to the Champions League semifinals and Ligue 1 title win last season.

    Chelsea confirmed the France international will wear the No 14 shirt this season at Stamford Bridge.

    Bakayoko told the club website:  ‘I am very happy to be here and to join this great team. I have grown up watching Chelsea. Signing was the natural thing for me because it is a club I loved very much in my childhood.

    ‘I am now looking forward to evolving under this fantastic coach and alongside so many great team-mates.’

    Bakayoko rose to prominence last season as Monaco pipped PSG to the French league title, and reached the last four of the Champions League, beating Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund en route.

    The fee is believed to be £40million for a player who will partner international team mate N’Golo Kante in the engine room of the Premier League champions.

    He will wear the No 14 shirt and has signed a five-year contract after the £40m transfer

    While Kante will provide the destructive and energetic side to midfield play, Chelsea will look to Bakayoko for more expansive passing, as well being a physical presence.

    Bakayoko had his Blues medical on Friday after the fee was finally agreed between Chelsea and Monaco, with Antonio Conte delighted to have secured a major signing before their pre-season tour of China and Singapore.

    The midfielder had been linked with Manchester United – who successfully hijacked Chelsea’s attempts to sign Romelu Lukaku – so the confirmation of Bakayoko will be a source of relief to the club as well as happiness.

    He had been a long term target for Chelsea, but knee surgery at the end of last campaign meant the deal took longer to complete than desired.

  • Chelsea gets chance to sign Aubameyang for £70m

    Chelsea gets chance to sign Aubameyang for £70m

    Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for £70m, according to Sky sources.

    AC Milan are already in talks with Dortmund over a deal for Aubameyang, while Paris Saint-Germain are also interested, but no official offers have yet been made.

    The Blues missed out on the signing of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United and have now turned their attentions to other targets, including Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata.

    Antonio Conte is keen to strengthen his attacking options ahead of the new Premier League season having told Diego Costa that he is surplus to requirements.

    Aubameyang started his career at Milan, but never made a first-team appearance for the club, instead spending time out on loan.

    The Gabon international, who scored 42 goals for club and country last season, has also received offers from the Chinese Super League, including Tianjin Quanjian.

    But any CSL club attempting to secure a deal for Aubameyang however faces a race against time with the Chinese transfer window coming to a close on Friday.

    The 28-year-old joined Dortmund from Saint-Etienne in 2013 and has scored 85 Bundesliga goals in 128 appearances.

    He has three years left on his current contract at Dortmund.

  • Chelsea youngster Aina joins Hull on loan

    Chelsea youngster Aina joins Hull on loan

    Nigeria and Chelsea youngster Ola Aina has joined Hull City on loan for the 2017-18 season.

    The 20 year old is the first player to make what is likely to become a well-troden path from stamford Bridge to Humberside, with new Hull boss leonid Slutsky known to be keen to capitalise on his good relationship with the Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

    Their friendship is expected to lead to more Chelsea youth products heading to the KCOM Stadium during the close season.

    Aina who spent eight years with the  Chelsea youth team for eight years before moving to the senior department in 2015, described his current loan move as another opportunity to further showcase his skills.

    “I’m very excited to be here and it is the start of a new chapter in my career,” Aina told Hull’s official website.

    “It’s my first loan move away from Chelsea and I just want to hit the ground running.

    “I’m looking forward to getting to know all of my new team-mates during the training camp in Portugal.”

    Aina has made six senior appearances for Chelsea and recently pledged his international allegiance to Nigeria, having previously represented England at youth level.

  • Omeruo gears up for new season

    Omeruo gears up for new season

     

    Super Eagles ace kenneth Omeruo will be hoping to finally enjoy a sojourn with English premier league side Chelsea when the new season gets underway next month.  The 23 year who has been a journey man following series of loan assignments returned to parent club Chelsea after  a till season end sojourn with Alanyaspor where he made 26 appearances. The Nigerian international joined teammates at the Cobham training base for the first full day of pre-season on Monday – and manager Antonio Conte joined in as they began preparations for the defence of their Premier League title.

    The 47-year-old took part in a gruelling opening session alongside members of his squad as they again look to set the pace during the upcoming season.

    Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Pedro and Willian were among those put through their paces on Monday, while young players including Lucas Piazon, Andreas Christensen, Jake Clarke-Salter and Kenneth Ommeruo also joined in the session.

    Some players were however absent from the pre-season session, including controversial striker Diego Costa.

    The Spain international forward was given additional time off as he looks to seal a move away from Stamford Bridge back to his former club Atletico Madrid.

    New signing Antonio Rudiger was another player who did not take part in the session. The defender has also been given an extended lay-off as he looks to recover from Germany’s Confederations Cup win in time for the new season.

    Injured forward Eden Hazard, meanwhile, was back at Cobham but he trained separately from his team-mates as he continues to recover from a broken ankle that is set to keep him out until September.

    Chelsea starlet Ruben Loftus-Cheek was also among the Chelsea squad members who trained alongside their manager on Monday, despite reports linking him with a move to London rivals Crystal Palace.

    The Premier League champions begin the new season with the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday August 6 at Wembley.

  • Chelsea agree £34.2m Rudiger deal with Roma

    Chelsea agree £34.2m Rudiger deal with Roma

     

    Chelsea and Roma have agreed a fee of £30.7million plus another £3.5m in add-ons for Antonio Rudiger.

    The Germany international is in talks with the Blues ahead of his proposed move.

    Chelsea are hoping to wrap up a deal to strengthen Antonio Conte’s defensive options after the manager’s initial transfer frustration this summer.

    The progress on the Rudiger deal comes as a boost after Conte’s pursuit of other top targets Virgil van Dijk of Southampton and Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci proved difficult.

    The Germany international, who played a key role in last week’s Confederations Cup triumph for his country, wants to leave Italy’s Serie A after suffering racist abuse in the season just finished.

    Rudiger was subjected to racial taunts from Lazio fans in the Rome derby back in March, so much so that the stadium announcer had to plea for calm.

    And in December of last year, Lazio left back Senad Lulic sparked outrage in with racial remarks about Rudiger following Roma’s 2-0 win.

    Lulic said: ‘Two years ago, he was selling socks and belts in Stuttgart. Now he acts like he’s some phenomenon.

    Lazio were forced to apologise for Lulic’s comments at the time, but Rudiger was left upset after being repeatedly targeted. He now wants to move to England.

    Conte knows Rudiger well given his vast knowledge of Serie A and explored a swoop for the central defender – who can also play right back – last summer before pushing ahead in the current window.

    Chelsea are struggling to find agreement with Juventus over Alex Sandro but have asked about Real Madrid full back Danilo who is also a Juventus target.

  • Chelsea to sign 16-year-old defender Ampadu

    Chelsea to sign 16-year-old defender Ampadu

     

    Chelsea are set to complete the signing of 16-year-old defender Ethan Ampadu, with the Premier League champions negotiating a fee with Exeter City.

    Wales-born Ampadu made 13 appearances for Exeter last season but the teenager was free to discuss terms with other clubs.

    Exeter have confirmed talks with Chelsea are ongoing, although a tribunal may be required to decide the fee paid for the teenager, who made his debut for the League Two side at the age of 15.

    “Everyone at Exeter City fully supports Ethan’s decision to sign for Chelsea,” Exeter manager Paul Tisdale said. “He had many options available to him and has decided that Chelsea provides him with the best opportunity to develop the next step of his career. We wish him the very best of luck.”

  • Chelsea launches new home and away kit

    Chelsea launches new home and away kit

     

     

    Chelsea have officially unveiled their new home and away strips for the 2017-18 season, with the Premier League champions launching the first set of Nike kits in their illustrious 112-year history.

    The Blues ended their kit sponsorship deal with adidas in May after the pair decided to terminate their current deal early, cutting all ties with the German sportswear giant after an 11-year partnership.

    The west London outfit are proud to now be sponsored by Nike, who bought adidas’ previous contract worth up to £30million-a-season six years early, while Chelsea’s £200million sponsorship deal with Yokohama Tyres continues to offer the main feature across the centre of the shirts.

    The new home kit has a minimalist aesthetic but the stylish blue shirt has a modern feel, accompanied by traditional blue shorts with white stripes on the flanks and white socks.

    The strip is also rooted in the club’s history, with an integral part of the creation involving the designers taking an original shirt from the 1970s and ensuring the blue was a perfect match for the club’s specific shade.

    The shirt comes with all the latest breathable material with the Nike AeroSwift technology used to ensure maximum comfort to optimize performance.

    Fans of the shirt can look forward to the finer details upon purchasing either an authentic or replica version, with the round neckline including a white trim with ‘CHELSEA’ knitted into the back of the neck.

    ‘THE BLUES’ is written inside the cuff of the right sleeve and the left sleeve is adorned with ‘EST. 1905’, referencing the year of the club’s formation.

    The away kit provides another classic offering, with the all white strip containing elements of silver to resemble the unprecedented success the club has enjoyed since the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era.

    As with the home kit, Chelsea specific references are included in the fabric, with the v-neck shirt containing a fusion of technology and the club’s rich heritage.

    Blue is the secondary colour which adorns the strip which was also modelled by Gary Cahill with white socks.

  • Hulk gets CFA hammer over OScar ban protest

    Hulk gets CFA hammer over OScar ban protest

     

    Hulk has been banned for two Chinese Super League matches after the Brazilian protested against an eight-game suspension handed to compatriot and Shanghai SIPG team-mate Oscar, while the team’s coach Andre Villas-Boas has been given a two-match stadium ban.

    Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar was hit with the lengthy ban after sparking a mass brawl in his side’s 1-1 draw with Guangzhou R&F by appearing to deliberately blast the ball at opponents twice in quick succession.

    Guangzhou’s Li Tixiang and Shanghai’s Fu Huan were sent off after players from both sides clashed but Oscar initially escaped punishment, only to be later banned by the Chinese Football Association (CFA).

    Hulk and his team-mate Wu Lei were pictured wearing t-shirts in support of Oscar after SIPG beat Henan Jianye 4-1 on Sunday.

    The t-shirt worn by Hulk featured the slogan “nothing to do, nothing to say”, echoing clothing worn by Oscar last week, while Wu’s shirt read “nothing to do”.

    The pair were subsequently handed two-match bans and each handed fines of RMB50000 ($7,375) by the CFA, with Villas-Boas docked RMB16000 ($2,360) for “inappropriate comments on social media”.

    Although the CFA did not specify which post had landed Villas-Boas in trouble, the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss had written on Instagram: “355 career games; 5 years in the English Premier League; 47 appearances for Brazil; 70 goals. ZERO RED CARDS!!! 8 games suspended.”

    The CFA said Hulk and Wu’s conduct had “affected the environment of the Chinese Super League in an inappropriate manner and caused adverse affects [on the league].

    “Victory is the result every participant pursues but it can never be at the cost of sacrificing football order and disrupting football rules,” a CFA statement read. “Respect the rules, referees, fans, opponents and the game.

    “The CFA will keep strictly punishing all violations of rules and discipline and hope that all clubs, officials and players can maintain order.”

    Bans for Hulk, Wu and Villas-Boas will be a blow to SIPG’s title hopes, with the team sitting second in the CSL table after 14 matches, four points behind reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande.