The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Napoli

  • Lukaku dumps Belgium for Napoli until 2025

    Lukaku dumps Belgium for Napoli until 2025

    According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku has informed the Belgian federation that he won’t play for his national team until the new year as he’s entirely focused on his new club.

    Lukaku won’t play for the Belgium national team again in 2024. The striker has reportedly informed his federation that he wants to focus solely on his new club, Napoli, until 2025.

    Lukaku has not been included in the Belgium squad for upcoming Nations League games against Italy and France.

    Read Also: Fans beg NFF not to retain Eguavoen for Super Eagles

    According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lukaku decided not to play international games until the new year as he needed time to settle in at his new club.

    Lukaku joined Antonio Conte’s Napoli on a permanent transfer from Chelsea last summer and has scored two goals in five appearances across all competitions this term, providing three assists.

    The 31-year-old, a former Inter and Roma striker, has 85 goals in 119 appearances with the Belgium national team

  • Osimhen’s deal most difficult of my career, says Ex-Napoli Chief 

    Osimhen’s deal most difficult of my career, says Ex-Napoli Chief 

    Former Napoli sporting director Cristiano Guintoli has said signing Victor Osimhen was the most difficult deal in his career.

    The 25-year-old joined Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2020, with Guintoli, who is now at Juventus facilitating the move.

    Guintoli revealed it took him four months to bring the Nigeria international to Napoli.

    Read Also: Man United, Osimhen  in Europa  duty On DStv, GOtv

    When Corriere della Sera asked Giuntoli, now at Juventus, what was the most difficult deal in his career, he replied: “Perhaps Victor [Osimhen]. It took me four months to bring him to Napoli.”

    The powerful striker joined Galatasaray on loan until the end of the season earlier this month when his release clause at the Stadio Maradona was lowered from €130m to €75m.

    “Maybe he should have been sold earlier, but Aurelio [De Laurentiis, Napoli President] is a wise and intelligent businessman. I owe him so much, and I love him,” Giuntoli stated.

  • Juventus, Napoli and Milan join race for Boniface

    Juventus, Napoli and Milan join race for Boniface

    *Nigerian ace grabbed 16th season’s goal

    Victor Boniface continues to shine for Bayer Leverkusen, as Juventus, Milan and Napoli battle for his €40m signature next summer.

    The Nigeria international will turn 23 on Saturday and is having a remarkable campaign in Germany, scoring 15 goals in 22 competitive games, along with eight assists.

    That includes four goals in just five Europa League matches.

    He was purchased from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in July for €20.5m and his price-tag has already comfortably doubled in just six months.

    Read Also; Christmas 2023: Nearer my God to thee (1)

    The Corriere di Torino suggested that Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli is working on a swoop for next summer at circa €40m.

    Meanwhile, Tuttomercatoweb insisted that Napoli see Boniface as the ideal heir to his fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen, should someone pay the €140m release clause for the Capocannoniere.

    Milan have long been linked with both Boniface and LOSC striker Jonathan David to bolster their attack next season, with Olivier Giroud approaching retirement age.

    Meanwhile, the Nigeria international yesterday scored his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season and 16th in all competitions as he grabbed a goal in Leverkusen’s 4-0 win against Bochum.

    Having watched from the bench as Patrik Schick tore Bochum to pieces in the first half, Boniface pounced within two minutes of entering the pitch – latching on to a Wirtz through ball and bashing the ball into and past Riemann.

  • Napoli sack Garcia and appoint Mazzari as new boss

    Napoli sack Garcia and appoint Mazzari as new boss

    Napoli have sacked head coach Rudi Garcia after 16 games and have replaced him with former manager Walter Mazzarri until the end of the season.

    Frenchman Garcia, 59, was appointed by the Serie A champions in June, but departs with the club 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

    Mazzarri spent one season in the Premier League at Watford in 2016-17 before his contract was terminated.

    The 62-year-old Italian previously managed Napoli from 2009 to 2013.

    Mazzarri delivered the club its first trophy in 20 years when Napoli won the 2012 Copa Italia by beating undefeated league champions Juventus in the final.

    Read Also: Napoli confirms  Nov. 25 return for Osimhen

    A year later, he led them to second in Serie A – the club’s highest league position in over two decades – and secured a Champions League place.

    Garcia was named Napoli boss in the summer after Luciano Spalletti left the club to take time out of the game last season after delivering the club their first league title for 33 years.

    Napoli are currently fourth in table and were beaten by 17th-placed Empoli on Sunday to leave Garcia with a record of eight wins, four draws and four defeats.

  • Napoli coach downplays Osimhen’s absence

    Napoli coach downplays Osimhen’s absence

    • Nigerian set for contract review amid Liverpool  rumours

    Coach Rudi Garcia has boasted that even in the absence of Victor Osimhen, Napoli will parade a deadly strike force.

    Napoli won 3-1 at Hellas Verona Saturday without their Nigerian striker, who will miss at least a month due to a hamstring injury suffered on Super Eagles duty.

    Giacomo Raspadori led the Napoli attack in Osimhen’s absence.

     “‘Jack’ (Raspadori) is good at tying the team together, and gives us the opportunity to balance the midfield,” coach Rudi Garcia told DAZN. “We are lucky to have Victor Osimhen, Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone in this squad.

     “It is better not to have any injuries, but I was calm because I know that we still have a lot of quality in the attack.”

    Napoli have recorded 17 points in the opening nine rounds of Serie A to occupy fifth place in the standings

    Yet  amid target by Liverpool, Osimhen is reportedly set to review a contract offer from Napoli.

    Read Also: Napoli denies frosty relationship with Osimhen

    Osimhen’s future has been the subject of much scrutiny recently. With less than two years now left on his current deal, there have been rumours that he could soon leave Naples.

    To that end, Liverpool have been one of the clubs heavily linked with a move with  claims in the Italian press at the weekend  that the Nigerian has already agreed a contract with the Reds.

    But journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some quotes from Napoli director Mauro Meluso on X (formerly Twitter) that Osimhen is taking his time to decide on his future, there’s nothing out of the ordinary.

     “The president will meet with Victor’s agent to discuss that in the next weeks,” says the director. “It’s also normal for Osimhen to take some time in order to think about the contract proposal we made.”

  • Victor Osimhen pulls down Napoli-related photos from Instagram

    Victor Osimhen pulls down Napoli-related photos from Instagram

    The Napoli football saga involving striker Victor Osimhen has taken another turn with the Nigerian taking down all Napoli-related pictures on his Instagram page. 

    This move follows the posting and deletion of a TikTok video that made fun of Osimhen for missing a crucial penalty.

    The TikTok video shared on Napoli’s official TikTok profile, quickly ignited a firestorm of criticism.

    The video made light of Osimhen’s penalty miss, a moment of frustration during Napoli’s challenging season.

    The controversy intensified when Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, denounced the video as “unacceptable.”

    This incident has added fuel to the already turbulent relationship between the player and his club.

    In response to the TikTok video and the mounting controversies, Victor Osimhen is reportedly contemplating legal action against his own club.

    Read Also: Napoli coach praises Osimhen over Braga win

    His agent Roberto Calenda made a formal statement which reads:

    “What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable.

    “A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted.

    “A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news”.

    “We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor”.

  • Arsenal goalkeeper Ospina seals £5m Napoli switch

    Arsenal and Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina has completed a permanent move to Serie A with Napoli, the English club confirmed on Thursday.

    Ospina, 30, joined Napoli on a loan deal at the start of the 2018-19 season after finding his first-team opportunities with the Gunners further limited by the arrival of Bernd Leno.

    And after making 24 appearances for the Italians in his first campaign Ospina, who represented his nation in this summer’s Copa America before being eliminated by Chile in the quarter-finals, will remain at San Paolo in a transfer reportedly worth £5 million ($6.3m).

    “Goalkeeper David Ospina has joined Napoli on a permanent transfer, following a season on loan at the Serie A side,” a statement published on Arsenal’s official website revealed.

    Read Also: Arsenal to pocket N42billion in Europa final triumph

    “David joined us from Nice in 2014 after six seasons in Ligue 1, and made 70 appearances during his time with us.

    “He was our goalkeeper in the 2017 Emirates FA Cup final win over Chelsea, and was also in the squad for the 2015 FA Cup final victory over Aston Villa.

    “With 98 international appearances, David is the most capped goalkeeper in Colombia’s history and also represented his country at two World Cups – in 2014 and 2018.

    “We would like to thank David for his contribution to the club and everyone at Arsenal wishes him the best for his future.”

    Goal.com

  • Napoli to rival Inter Milan for Lukaku

    Napoli wants to beat Inter Milan to the signing of Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku this summer.

    Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday that the Red Devils are willing to sell the Belgian, but only if their £80million valuation is met.

    La Gazzetta dello Sport now claims that Napoli will make an ambitious bid to land Lukaku ahead of their Serie A rivals. The Italian newspaper says that Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti wants to pay around £62m for the former Everton star, which is well below the figure United are looking for.

    Read Also: Sanchez, Lukaku and Matic enjoy sunset in Dubai

    Lukaku is said to prefer a move to Inter over Napoli, with both clubs able to offer him Champions League football next season. The ex-Chelsea forward is keen to link up with new boss Antonio Conte at the San Siro as he plans a big summer overhaul of his squad.

    La Gazzetta dello Sport also claims that the Italian has been given the go-ahead to sign Roma striker Edin Dzeko and that he is in pole position to land Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella.

    If Conte gets the green light to sign Lukaku too, United will turn their attention to Frankfurt forward Sebastien Haller.

    The 24-year-old target man has been scouted by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s staff, although he is one of a number of attacking players on United’s radar.

  • Magnificent Lacazette free-kick sends Arsenal into Europa League semi-finals

    A magnificent Alexandre Lacazette free-kick sent Arsenal into the 2018/2019 UEFA Europa League semi-finals with a comfortable 1-0 win away to a toothless Napoli on Thursday.

    Arsenal’s win ended Serie A’s interest in European competition this season.

    The Frenchman struck in the 36th minute to earn Arsenal a tie against Valencia.

    Napoli were trailing 2-0 from the first leg, and they were threatening to take control of the game.

    Carlo Ancelotti’s team lost their way after that.

    Arsenal were then able to sit out the second half to reach the semi-finals for the second season in a row with a 3-0 aggregate win.

    In a lively opening half hour, Napoli threatened to make a breakthrough as Jose Callejon’s effort was saved by Petr Cech’s legs.

    Arkadiusz Milik also had a goal chalked off for offside.

    The Pole should have put Napoli ahead minutes later when compatriot Piotr Zielinski’s cross found him unmarked in the penalty area, but he headed wide.

    Arsenal also lost Aaron Ramsey to an apparent hamstring problem.

    But just as it seemed things were going against them, they went ahead as Lacazette curled his free-kick around a poorly-organised wall from 25 metres.

    Arsenal should have wrapped up the game four minutes into the second half.

    But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with only Alex Meret to beat, placed his shot too near the goalkeeper.

    The second half petered out after that as Arsenal sat back and Napoli enjoyed most of the possession but did little with it.

    Lorenzo Insigne shot weakly at Cech after getting clear of the Arsenal defence and was immediately substituted.

    It was a decision which infuriated the forward who watched the rest of the match on the touchline with his arms folded.

    Fabian Ruiz summed up their evening by firing their last chance wildly over the crossbar in stoppage time.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Ranieri’s problems mount as Napoli whip Roma 4-1

    Napoli ripped AS Roma’s defence to shreds as they handed the hosts an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A on Sunday.

    The defeat piled on the problems for recently-appointed coach Claudio Ranieri.

    Roma began the game in fifth place with a chance to move within a point of fourth-placed AC Milan, who lost 1-0 at Sampdoria on Saturday.

    But, instead, they dropped to sixth after Atalanta won 3-1 at Parma to overtake them.

    Arkadiusz Milik put Napoli ahead after two minutes, cleverly controlling Simone Verdi’s chipped pass with his heel and then swiveling to fire past Robin Olsen.

    Having dominated the first half, with another Milik goal chalked off for offside, Napoli were pegged back in stoppage time when Patrik Schick was fouled by goalkeeper Alex Meret.

    Diego Perotti slotted home the penalty kick.

    Yet Roma were left reeling by two quick goals after the break as they slumped to a second defeat in Ranieri’s three games in charge.

    Jose Callejon’s low cross slipped under Olsen’s hand to leave Dries Mertens with a tap-in at the far post in the 50th minute.

    Then, Fabian Ruiz burst down the left and set up Verdi for the third five minutes later.

    Substitute Amin Younes added the fourth, scoring at the second attempt after Roma failed to clear a corner kick.

    Second-placed Napoli stayed 15 points behind runaway leaders Juventus, who beat Empoli 1-0 on Saturday.

    AC Milan, in the lowest of the UEFA Champions League slots, have 51 points, followed by Atalanta (48) and Roma (47).

    Ranieri returned for a second stint at the club to replace Eusebio Di Francesco.

    Di Francesco was fired after a 3-0 derby defeat to Lazio was followed by UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of FC Porto.

    “It’s difficult, but we are working hard and trying to do our best,” said Ranieri. “The others run faster and harder and get to the ball first. Do I regret taking the job? Never.”

    Atalanta fell behind to an early Gervinho goal at Parma.

    But Mario Pasalic levelled midway through the first half and two goals in the last 15 minutes from striker Duvan Zapata gave them the points.

    The Colombian took his season’s tally to 19, level with Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and two behind leading scorer Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria.(Reuters/NAN)