The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Onazi

  • Italian court investigating Onazi, Lazio

    Italian court investigating Onazi, Lazio

    Lazio and Eddy Onazi might be sanctioned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) following irregularities discovered in the contract the Nigerian signed with the capital outfit on November 7, 2012.

    The contract renewal signed by the Nigerian is currently being investigated by the Federal Court – National Disciplinary Section.

    And if there was a breach of the regulations, the midfielder, two Lazio officials and Onazi’s former agent, Kevin Fioranelli will face the music.

    The  Sporting Director of the Biancocelesti Igli Tare and Secretary General Armando Calveri have both violated Article 1, paragraph 1, of the CGS in conjunction with Art. 22, paragraph 2, of the rules of agents.

    On the other hand, Eddy Onazi might be punished for using Kevin Fioranelli as his agent when he renewed vows with the club despite the fact that he issued a mandate to another agent.

    Also, there was a breach of conflict of interest after Lazio failed to disclose that Jesse Fioranelli, Kevin’s brother, was an employee of the club when the new contract was signed.

    This is not the first time irregularities have been discovered in a contract that a Nigerian player has with the Serie A side.

    SL10.ng can exclusively report that Emmanuel Sani had earlier claimed that he was forced to join Salernitana and Biel-Bienne on loan after Armando Calveri forged his signature on the contracts.

    Retired Albania international forward, now Sporting Director of Lazio, Igli Tare, later tried to cut a deal with Partizani Tirana to have Emmanuel Sani play for the Albanian club, but he was smart to reject the offer.

  • Eagles camp bubbles

    Eagles camp bubbles

    • As Mikel, Onazi, six others  arrive

    Lunch time in Calabar for the Super Eagles technical crew was a delight yesterday, as camp suddenly upped to 17, with more players expected before training in the evening after only nine players trained in the morning session.

    Head Coach Stephen Keshi and his assistants were grinning from ear to ear as Ahmed Musa, Ogenyi Onazi, Efe Ambrose, Kenneth Omeruo, Juwon Oshaniwa, Sone Aluko, John Mikel Obi and stand-in captain Austin Ejide arrived on time to have lunch with the rest of the team.

    The spirit in the camp  is very buoyant with the arrival of the super stars and Keshi said he expects the best from the players on Saturday in the game against Congo.

    The national team Head Coach also announced that he has decided to replace Vincent Enyeama, who is absent for personal reasons with El Kanemi of Maiduguri first choice keeper, David Obiazor.

  • Contract extension: Onazi in talks with Lazio

    Contract extension: Onazi in talks with Lazio

    According to reports , the agent of  21-year-old midfielder Ogenyi Onazi will be in Rome to talk with Lazio about his new contract.

    Onazi suffered a fractured leg in Nigeria’s defeat to France at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

    The 21-year-old was stretchered off after a tackle from France’s Blaise Matuidi during Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat to Les Bleus in the last-16 tie in Brasilia.

    However, he recently resumed full training and played some friendly matches for the capital side.

    Onazi had confirmed his wishes to stay at the club this season despite being linked with a move to England.

    He has established himself as a key member of the Aquile, and impressed at the World Cup with the Super Eagles.

    As a result he was linked with a move to the Premier League with Liverpool, Everton and Southampton all thought to be keen on the midfielder, however he has downplayed these links.

    Onazi, who is under contract with Lazio until June 2016 , made 29 Serie A appearances for the Biancoceleste in the 2013-2014 season.

  • N215m-a-year demand: Lazio set to agree with Onazi

    N215m-a-year demand: Lazio set to agree with Onazi

    Recuperating Super Eagles midfielder Eddy Onazi is set to be offered a new deal by Serie A outfit Lazio to fend off interest from English Premiership sides.

    Onazi was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool prior to the World cup but of late Sunderland, Everton and Southampton are rumoured to be keen on the services of the 21-year-old.

    He presently earns a meagre  200,000 euros (N43m) per year making him the lowest paid Lazio first team player.

    Calcio Mercato reports that Onazi wants 1m euros (N215m) a year and Lazio president Claudio Lotito has already met with his agent Jonathan Barnet.

    Lazio are ready to pull all the stops to keep the midfielder, who won the Coppa Italia in 2013 and made 29 appearances last season.

    Since making his debut in 2012 he has so far made 45 appearances with two goals, in addition to his 21 caps for Nigeria, where he won the Nations Cup and played all of the country’s games at the World Cup before injury forced him out in the Super Eagles’2-0 loss to France in the round of 16 .

  • Real Madrid contact Onazi over injury

    Real Madrid contact Onazi over injury

    Spanish giants Real Madrid has written to console Nigeria midfielder Ogenyi Onazi over his injury.

    Onazi suffered a fractured ankle when he was stamped on by France midfielder Blaise Matuidi during the round of 16 match between Nigeria and France at the World Cup, kickOffNigeria.com reports.

    In a show of solidarity, Madrid wrote to console the player.

    “We have learned about your serious injury during the game you played against France. On behalf of our president Florentino Perez and those who work for Real Madrid, we’d like to wish you a smooth and speedy recovery,” kickOffNigeria.com quoted Real Madrid official, Emilio Butragueno, as saying in the letter  to the Lazio midfielder.

    “As a former professional footballer, I know you are going through a difficult time but I’m utterly convinced that eventually, you’ll be back to full fitness to help your team achieve its goals next season.”

    Onazi has since returned to light training and is expected to join the rest of the Lazio squad for pre-season.

  • Mikel defends Matuidi’s ‘horror’ tackle on Onazi

    Mikel defends Matuidi’s ‘horror’ tackle on Onazi

    Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi, said a yellow card was the fair punishment for Blaise Matuidi for his tackle on Ogenyi Onazi.

    The Frenchman’s ill-timed challenge left the Nigerian midfielder with a fractured ankle, which required a cast and is expected to keep him out of action for at least six weeks.

    But despite widespread condemnation from home and strong words from Argentina’s legend Diego Maradona, Mikel has risen to the defence of the French international, saying Matuidi is not a dirty player.”

    “I don’t think he did it deliberately.

    “They were both going for the ball, but Onazi was faster and got there first, and then Matuidi caught him. It was a mistake, “Mikel told KickOffNigeria.com,

    “I feel sorry for Onazi because the injury looked very serious and he had to miss the rest of the game. Maybe things would have been different if he had continued playing, I don’t know.

    “But I think the yellow card was enough punishment for him.”

  • I never asked FIFA to ban Matuidi — Onazi

    I never asked FIFA to ban Matuidi — Onazi

    Super Eagles midfielder Eddy Onazi has said he never asked  FIFA to ban France international Blaise Matuidi for injuring him when both countries met in the second round of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

    “I never granted any interview calling for FIFA to sanction Blaise Matuidi. I was unfortunate to be at the wrong end. It could have been him,” the former My People FC starlet said on his official Twitter page.

    The Nigeria international also revealed that he did not suffer any fracture but only sprained his ankle, and he has confirmed as much through the same medium.

    “Contrary to what you have read, I didn’t suffer any fracture. Fortunately, it was a sprain,”  Onazi added.

    The central midfielder is reportedly on the radar of teams in England, and is available for a transfer fee in the region of eight million Euros.

  • Matuidi on Onazi: It was an accident

    Matuidi on Onazi: It was an accident

    France midfielder Blaise Matuidi will not change the way he plays even after narrowly avoiding being sent off in their World Cup last-16 game against Nigeria.

    Many feel Matuidi’s rash challenge on Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi,  was deserving of a red card, but the midfielder only receieved a yellow card, while FIFA announced they will not sanction the 27-year-old any further.

    “That’s the only way i know how to play, I can’t change or alter it at this stage of my career, I will never intentional go all out to injure anybody and what happen between me and Onazi was an accident, which made me feel bad.”

    Speaking on today’s game against Germany, the Paris Saint-Germain midfield man said both teams have equal opportunities of winning the quarter final tie.

    “On that evening on Friday there are no favourites. We will make it hard for them and we want to advance.”

  • Onazi out for two months

    Onazi out for two months

    Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi could face a lengthy spell of at least eight weeks on the sideline following an injury he suffered in Monday’s game against France at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

    The Lazio midfielder broke his tibia and fibula from the horror tackle of France midfielder, Blaise Matuidi in a second-round match which Nigeria lost 2-0.

    There has been no official word from the Nigerian camp as the team left Brazil on Tuesday, a day after crashing out of the World Cup, supersport.com says.

    But Coach Stephen Keshi said after the match on Monday that Onazi will be “out now probably for weeks.”

    “I am not happy with the officiating because Onazi, on two occasions, had a very bad tackle and nothing was done. He is out now probably for weeks,” Keshi said at the post-match conference in Brasilia on Monday.

    John Obi Mikel also felt that Onazi had suffered a broken ankle from the tackle.

    “There were some heavy challenges and I think Onazi has broken his ankle. Challenges like the one that took him out are bad but it was a 50-50, he just miscalculated,” Mikel said.

    Onazi now has the lower part of his left leg in a cast in the wake of Matuidi’s challenge.

    But the Frenchman has apologised to Onazi in the aftermath of his tackle.

    “I had no fear of being sent off. I’m sorry I didn’t want to hurt Onazi. I am very sad, I’m not a bad player. I even went in the locker room of Nigeria to apologise,” said Matuidi.

    Onazi earlier on Tuesday took to the micro-blogging website, Twitter, to say he has accepted Matuidi’s apology.

    “Hello Blaise Matuidi thanks for the support and for concern. Let the game go on,” he wrote via his Twitter account.

  • Yobo, Onazi preach concentration

    Yobo, Onazi preach concentration

    Super Eagles Skipper,Joseph Yobo, who has rediscovered his old self in the team has been speaking, charging up the players ahead of the World Cup tourney in Brazil.

    Lazio of Italy midfield gem, Ogenyo Onazi, has also been talking up the commitment of the Super Eagles.

    Yobo said he was delighted to have been picked by the technical crew, and is demanding for total concentration from his teammates.

    “We have to give our all in the tourney because in future people will ask when you were playing what did you achieve.We have won the Nations Cup, now is the time to aim for the big one.

    Onazi, who spoke in a similar vein, said the Super Eagles will be the surprise package at Mundial 2014.

    “They say we have not been scoring many goals but these are preparatory games, when we come to the tournament they will see the real Nigerian national team.

    The team trained only once in the afternoon on Friday at the stadium where the game against the United States will be played tonight.