The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Milan

  • Jackson set for Bayern loan & Nkunku joins Milan

    Jackson set for Bayern loan & Nkunku joins Milan

    Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is set to join Bayern Munich on loan with an option to buy, while Christopher Nkunku has completed a £36m move to AC Milan.

    France forward Nkunku, 27, has signed a five-year contract with the Serie A side to end his two-year stay at Stamford Bridge.

    The Blues, meanwhile, will receive an initial loan fee of £13m (15m euros) for fellow attacker Jackson, while Bayern have a £56.2m (65m euro) purchase option for the Senegal international.

    Jackson, 24, has already agreed a pre-contract with Bayern and has been given permission to travel to Germany to complete the move, while a sell-on clause has been included in the deal.

    The sale of Nkunku, coupled with Jackson’s impending departure, will further boost Chelsea’s financial position.

    Read Also: Chelsea set £100m price tag on Jackson

    The Blues have raised about £309m this summer from player sales, once add-ons are included, having spent about £277m on new signings.

    Sales are important to Chelsea this summer because of Uefa sanctions – which included a fine of 31m euros (£26.7m)- to maintain a “positive transfer balance” in this window to register new signings for the Champions League.

    Nkunku scored 18 goals and provided five assists in 62 matches for the Blues, having joined from RB Leipzig for about £52m in 2023.

    He played a significant role in Chelsea winning the Club World Cup and Conference League last season.

    BBC

  • Wirtz makes first start as Liverpool lose to Milan

    Wirtz makes first start as Liverpool lose to Milan

    Liverpool’s record signing Florian Wirtz made his first start for his new club as Arne Slot’s side were beaten 4-2 by AC Milan at a sold-out Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.

    However, there was no place for Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz in the Reds squad amid speculation they could leave following the arrival of Hugo Ekitike and the pursuit of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

    Slot said after the game that Nunez missed the match because of injury but Colombia forward Diaz was left out as a result of “speculation on his future”.

    Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish laid a wreath of flowers before kick-off and the players had ‘Diogo J 20’ on their shirts in tribute to their former team-mate Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident as he and his brother Andre Silva drove through the Spanish province of Zamora earlier this month.

    The Premier League champions dominated the opening 10 minutes but it was the Italian side who opened the scoring when a counter-attack ended with Rafael Leao smashing past Alisson Becker.

    Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with a fine curling strike into the top corner of Mike Maignan’s goal from the edge of the box.

    Read Also: Alonso, Wirtz lead Leverkusen’s summer exodus

    England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek restored Milan’s lead early in the second half as the Reds were again caught short at the back and Noah Okafor made it 3-1 with a brilliant finish beyond Liverpool’s new Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

    Cody Gakpo pulled one back in added time with a header from Ibrahima Konate’s pinpoint ball into the box but an awful mix-up between Mamardashvili and Kostas Tsimikas allowed Okafor to net his second.

    Liverpool now travel to Japan and will play Yokohama F. Marinos on Wednesday.

    BBC

  • Milan axed from hosting  2027 UCL Final  

    Milan axed from hosting  2027 UCL Final  

    The 2027 men’s Champions League final will not be played in Milan amid uncertainties over the future of the San Siro stadium, European football’s governing body UEFA  has said.

    “As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, it was decided not to assign the final to Milan,” UEFA said in a statement.

    Read Also: NFF chief  urges Falconets to  win U-20 World Cup

    UEFA added it was reopening “the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025”.

    The 2026 final will be held in Budapest.

    Budapest and Milan were the only candidates for the 2026 and 2027 finals.

  • Europa League: Arsenal, Milan win, as Celtic slump in Salzburg

    A second-string Arsenal enjoyed a 3-0 win in Azerbaijan against Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday while AC Milan beat Greece’s Olympiakos 3-1.

    Eighteen-year-old Emile Smith Rowe, a product of the club’s academy was on target as the Gunners maintained their winning start in the competition.

    Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi also scored for Unai Emery’s side who sit atop Group E with six points.

    Milan trailed to a Miguel Angel Guerrero goal at the San Siro but a late flurry of goals ensured victory for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.

    Patrick Cutrone scored twice for the Italians and Argentine Gonzalo Higuain was also on target as Group F side Milan also made it two wins out of two.

    RB Salzburg came back from a goal down to beat Scotland’s Celtic 3-1 in Austria.

    Odsonne Edouard’s cool finish put Celtic in front in the second minute but Munas Dabbur and Takumi Minamino scored after the break.

    Celtic’s James Forrest was sent off after a foul in the area and Dabbur slotted home the resulting penalty to put the game beyond Brendan Rodgers’ side.

    Substitute Lucas Alario scored a brace for Bayer Leverkusen in their 4-2 win over Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.

    Last year’s runners-up Marseille are in action later against Cypriot side Apollon as are Sevilla, winners of the competition three times between 2013 and 2016, and Chelsea. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Berlusconi calls French president’s older wife ‘a beautiful mum’

    Berlusconi calls French president’s older wife ‘a beautiful mum’

    Gaffe-prone former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has joked about the nearly 25-year age gap between French President Emmanuel Macron and his older wife, calling her the leader’s “beautiful mum.”

    “We have a 39-year-old guy [as French president] with, however, good work experiences, and, above all, with a beautiful mum who has taken him by the arm ever since he was a boy,” Berlusconi said late Monday during a campaign event in Monza, near Milan.

    Brigitte Macron is 64, while the French president is 39.

    They started an affair when she was Macron’s high school teacher.

    Berlusconi’s girlfriend Francesca Pascale is 49 years his junior.

    The former premier was also tried for soliciting sex from a minor in the so-called bunga bunga affair, but was acquitted for lack of evidence.

    Berlusconi may however face another trial on charges of bribing defence witnesses in the case.

  • Singapore Airlines catches fire after emergency landing

    Singapore Airlines catches fire after emergency landing

    A Singapore Airlines plane that was forced to make an emergency landing due to engine problems caught fire on a runway in Singapore early on Monday, the airline said in a statement.

    The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft had departed Singapore’s Changi Airport around 2:05 am on Monday for Milan, but was forced to turn around after the pilot detected an engine problem during the flight.

    A gasoline-like smell could be detected in the cabin, passenger Lee Bee-Yee said.

    “The pilot then informed us there was a leak and that the plane would have to turn back to Changi Airport as it did not have enough fuel for the journey,” Lee said.

    “The right engine caught fire after touchdown at about 6:50 am.

    “The blaze on the runway was quite fierce and we waited for around two or three minutes before the fire engines arrived,” Lee said.

    The fire was put out by emergency services at the airport, and no injuries were reported among the 222 passengers and 19 crew members on board, the airline said in a statement.

  • JUSTIN BIEBER WINS BIG AS WORLD MUSIC STARS CONVERGE ON MILAN FOR MTV EMA

    JUSTIN BIEBER WINS BIG AS WORLD MUSIC STARS CONVERGE ON MILAN FOR MTV EMA

    IT was the first day of winter, and although the weather set the clock back by one hour, MTV EMA, which took place in Milan, Italy, last Sunday threw up memories that are sure to linger on.

    The Mediolanum Forum, venue of the awards show was turbo charged, beginning with the glamorous red carpet at 19:00 through to the actual awards ceremony which kicked off at 21:00, ending with the thrills of spectacular performances and rewards that saw Pop singer, Justin Bieber clinching five laurels. It was the highest received by an individual at the show.

    World music stars had converged on Milan for the EMAs, savouring every bit of the spotlight as the show went down, delivering at fever pitch, a potpourri of music, dance, arts and fashion.

    Not only was the show broadcast across MTV’s global network of more than 60 channels reaching nearly 700 million households around the world, this year’s show made history as the first global award show broadcast entire event in virtual reality, allowing viewers around the world direct access via the MTV EMA app.

    Although Bieber was up for six awards, he picked five as against rivals like Taylor Swift with nine nominations. And if anyone expected the artiste to break down in tears as he did at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in August, he did not betray his emotions this time. Bieber won Best Male Performer, Best Collaboration, Best Look, Biggest Fans and Best Canadian Act.

    “It’s been a long couple of years. I just feel it’s awesome to be recognised for my music,” he said.

    The ovation was loudest for the artiste who performed his single “What Do You Mean?” at the show.

    Taylor Swift who was absent at the show picked one award from her nine nominations – Best Song for Bad Blood, featuring Kendrick Lamar. Rihanna won Best Female Performer while Nicki Minaj won Best Hip hop. One Direction won for Best Pop Group while Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won Best Video.

    In the Worldwide Act category, Tanzanian artiste Diamond Platnumz was pronounced winner of the Africa/India contest. The singer defeated Indian star Priyanka Chopra to be rated tops across the two continents.

    The artiste who spoke to The Nation during the red carpet session was optimistic he would win, saying African music has evolved with so much impact that is difficult to ignore.

    “I really hope to make Africa proud tonight,” said Platinum, who only weeks ago took the shine at the All African a Music Magazine Awards, AFRIMMA, in Dallas, Texas, United States, where he won the African Artiste of The Year, East African Artist e of the Year, Best Inspirational Song of the Year and Best Dance of the Year.

    “It’s so exciting to see African artistes taking their rightful place on the MTV EMA stage with their peers from around the world. This is a huge achievement for Diamond and a win for both him and African contemporary music, and we send our warmest congratulations to him,” said Alex Okosi, SVP & MD, VIMN Africa.

    Co-hosted by Ed Sheeran and Ruby Rose, Sheeran who also performed with Rudimental on their hit Lay It on Me, took home two awards – Best Live Act and Best World Stage out of four nominations

    It was altogether an epic outing as Pharrell Williams closed the show with a rousing rendition of his Freedom, after which guests converged for an After Party.

    The memory of 2015 EMAs wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that Duran Duran, the chart-topping 1980s band, comprising Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor were honoured with the first-ever MTV video visionary award for music video pioneers. Duran Duran, according to the organizers, were deserving of this award for their strong visual presence and for influencing a generation of musicians with some of the best pioneering music videos of all time.

    “Music lovers around the world, when we started, there was us and MTV, and we blazed a trail and we were there for each other,” Simon Le Bon told the crowd.

    The previous night, a welcome concert took the city by storm, featuring Duran Duran who showed the stuff. The ecstatic crowd at the Piazza Duomo formed the momentary judges of a show that turned out to be just more than a welcome concert.

    But the spirit of the night did not only fall on Duran Duran, the five-man band that headlined and chauffeured the show to its climax. The show’s take off was as powerful as its landing, with UK singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding who quickened fans’ into the dance mood as millions trooped to the Piazza Duomo that chilly night. Goulding played familiar tunes, hitting the right part of the audience who went at the signature note. It was an energetic performance back-to-back before she finally took a bow. And when Italian superstar Marco Mengoni took over the microphone, the homeboy band brought the crowd back to their roots, enthralling even the visitors with rhythm and stagecraft. Music buffs couldn’t have asked for more, clapping and cheering as each performance faded.

    Milan hosted the show for the second time since 1998, thus it was apparent the city leveraged on the success of the previous edition. The show itself has lasted 22 years, with Italy getting the hosting right for the third time, having also held in Rome in 2004.

  • OAP Fade Ogunro captured in the Milan fever

    OAP Fade Ogunro captured in the Milan fever

    About 60 hours to the much expected MTV Europe Music Awards, EMA, which took place at the Mediolanum Forum, Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, Italy, the city was abuzz with a buildup of activities that depict the popularity of the EMA among the governments and people of Europe.

    From indoor showcases via dedicated TV channels to street corners, the glitz of the show held sway, increasing the people’s expectations for the awards show yesterday.

    Downtown Porto Genova, where the ‘MTV Street’ is located captures some of these scenarios with pomp and circumstance.

    The MTV Breaks is one of the fun activities that have set the people bubbling with excitement and given the city a festive ambiance.

    With what looks like an early Christmas, so many talents are expressed through graphic designs, merchandises, props, and electronic materials, coming from the fresh talents that entered for the MTV Breaks challenge. They include digital correspondents, graphic designers, Make-up artists and photographers.

    Interestingly, MTV is wielding so much around music, and every artist, every fan of the arts is finding a place for their creative expression.

    Interestingly, these designs are bringing extra verve to the EMA, with test runs that are already trending.

    Nigerian celebrity OAP, Fade Ogunro and her South African counterpart, Thendo were captured around some of the MTV Street fun moments in Porto Genova.

  • Guitar Hero Live debut at MTV EMA

    Guitar Hero Live debut at MTV EMA

    If addiction to soccer and combat video games brings fans closer to the real deal, then, more and more musicians would be born around the world with the creation of Guitar Hero Live, a new virtual show, launched Friday in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia – the musical game came with a first hand showcase in Milan, Italy, where the 2015 MTV EMA is creating so much buzz ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony.

    Creators of the new video game brand; Jamie Jackson, Creative Director/Co-Studio Head and Jonathan Napiek, Development Director, took journalists through their creative journey, with Jackson playing the freestyle game with exciting dexterity.

    The virtual show, a perfect blend of rhythm and audience reaction, rocks a full band stage with believable and enchanting performances.

    An improvement on the existing Rock Band 4, Guitar Hero, according to those familiar with rhythm games, offers new and refreshing challenge.

    Developed by FreeStyleGames, makers of the DJ Hero series, Guitar Hero Live is expected to generate new reactions from fans in days to come.

    Although am illusion, the live-action video gives the player some sense of reality, as it relays different audience reactions to the player’s ‘kicks’.

    The live unveiling took place Friday evening, as part of the MTV Breaks Workshop in the Standing Room located on the ‘MTV Street’ in Porto Genova, Milan

  • Jovetic makes it double as Man City thrash Milan

    Manchester City put in a commanding performance to down Milan 5-1 in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

    A Stevan Jovetic brace, along with goals to Scott Sinclair, Jesus Navas and Kelechi Iheanacho saw the Premier League champions to a comfortable victory at Heinz Field in the International Champions Cup.

    City were two goals to the good after just 14 minutes courtesy of goals from Jovetic and Sinclair.

    Things got worse for new Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi courtesy of two more quick-fire goals from Navas and Iheanacho before the half-hour mark.

    A ragged Milan side were able to pull a goal back before the interval through Sulley Muntari before heavy rain and thunderstorms delayed the start of the second half.

    After the extended break, Jovetic doubled his tally for the match in the 58th minute to cap a fine performance.

    Jovetic opened the scoring after 12 minutes when he finished off a pacy attack by slipping home Navas’ through ball at the near post.

    Just two minutes later, Sinclair – another of City’s peripheral figures last term – reminded Pellegrini of his quality with an expertly-angled finish from inside the area.

    Navas got in on the action soon after as City’s early onslaught continued with the Spaniard’s acrobatic effort finding its way past Milan goalkeeper Michael Agazzi courtesy of a deflection off Andrea Poli.

    Amid further hapless Milan defending, 17-year-old Nigerian prospect Iheanacho added a fourth with a poked effort from outside the area.

    Muntari salvaged something from the half shortly before the interval but Inzaghi was left with food for thought, having seen his side outplayed.

    After being substituted in at half-time, Mario Balotelli made his mark on the contest – tucking away what he thought was Milan’s second before being denied by the offside flag

    Jovetic reinstated City’s four-goal lead prior to the hour mark, when he combined with Aleksandar Kolarov on the left.

    The Montenegro international played a ball out to Kolarov, who played a pass back in for the striker, and he cleverly chipped an on-rushing Milan defender before finishing with his left foot.

    The result made it two defeats from as many games for Milan in the International Champions Cup, while Italy’s three clubs involved in the United States-based tournament have registered three defeats and one win from four fixtures.