The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Serie A

  • Ronaldo, Serie A set for debut on GOtv

    When the new Italian league season kicks off on August 19, all eyes would be on Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Portugal and reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, who moved from Real Madrid after nine phenomenally successful years. Serie A, as the Italian league is famously called, will debut on all GOtv packages and is making a return to DStv.

    Serie A’s debut on GOtv grants subscribers unrestricted access to games involving the superstar, as all matches of the prestigious competition will be made available live across all GOtv packages at no extra cost. Currently, all matches of LaLiga are available on GOtv MAX. Subscribers also have an opportunity to watch one live match of the English Premier League weekly.

    Ronaldo’s move to Juventus has increased the popularity of Serie A and will make it one of the most watched leagues in the new season. With its reputation as Europe’s most tactical league, all eyes will be on Ronaldo trying to see if he can repeat the freakish goalscoring ratios he posted in England and Spain with Real Madrid.

    His signing by Juventus, according to campaignlive.co.uk, caused the club’s shares to soar by almost 40 per cent. Italian newspaper, Secolo XIX, also noted that the club’s market valuation rose from 665m euros to 815m euros.

  • Football: DStv, GOtv to broadcast Serie A matches live

    SuperSport is set to broadcast the 2018-19 season of Italian Serie A league, this NationSport can report.

    The two parties have signed an agreement to broadcast the league which starts on Sunday, 19th of August, 2018.

    Speaking after the signing, Gideon Khobane, SuperSport Chief Executive, said: “We’ve always prided ourselves on offering viewers the best football from around the world and the return of Serie A to our screens fulfills our promise of an unrivaled football offering.”

    Gaetano Miccichè, president of Serie A, was similarly enthused: “We are very happy with this agreement as it will allow the SuperSport audience to follow all 380 matches of our league. We are certain that the passionate supporters from Sub-Saharan Africa will appreciate all the stars from Serie A.”

    Founded in 1898, and contested by 20 teams, the league is regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world and it is often clouted as the most tactical national league. “MultiChoice Nigeria is excited to continue to bring customers the best international football. This is part of our ongoing commitment to bring more value to our customers.” says John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria.

    SuperSport will be the only place to watch all 380 Serie A matches. Games will be broadcast on both DStv and GOtv.

    The 2017/18 season was exciting and uncertain until the end, thanks to the epic duel between Juventus and Napoli and is a sign of great things to come. The fight for the remaining UEFA Champions League berth was just as enthralling, the challenge between Lazio and Inter Milan settled only in the final minute of the last day of the campaign with Inter Milan ultimately returning to the elite European club competition.

  • UEFA president ‘worried’ over use of VAR at World Cup

    UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin has expressed concern over the decision to employ the video replay system ( VAR ) at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    He also said the technology still needed more testing before it can be considered for use in the Champions League.

    World football governing body, FIFA voted in March to deploy VAR at the June-July tournament in Russia.

    It was only two weeks after its use was approved by IFAB, the organisation responsible for rule changes in the sport.

    “I have some fear for the World Cup, where we will have referees who have never officiated with the VAR,” Ceferin told Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview.

    “I hope there are no scandals or problems,”

    Ceferin has already said that VAR would not be used in the Champions League next season.

    “The Champions League is like a Ferrari or a Porsche: you cannot drive it right away, you need training, offline testing. And everyone has to understand how it works,” he said.

    “It’s too early for VAR. That doesn’t mean we will never have it as the process is inevitable… We’ll have it one day in the Champions League but there’s no rush.”

    VAR is already being used in Serie A, the Bundesliga and Portugal’s Primeira Liga this season, among others.

    Read Also: Klopp predicts fiery UEFA Champions League clash against Manchester City

    IFAB insists it has reduced refereeing mistakes but critics say there has been confusion in a number of matches.

    Goals have been annulled several minutes after being scored — with the teams waiting to restart — and penalties revoked with the ball on the spot.

    Another criticism is that the spectators are not kept informed of what is happening when a decision is reviewed.

    Ceferin said that VAR would not have made any difference in last week’s Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Juventus, where a soft stoppage-time penalty led to the Spanish side advancing 4-3 on aggregate.

    “What would have changed with VAR? Nothing. There are those who have watched it 20 times, I’ve watched it 50, but for half the people it’s a penalty and for the other half, it isn’t.”

    NAN

  • I almost lost sanity after retirement – Totti

    I almost lost sanity after retirement – Totti

    Former Italy striker Francesco Totti on Thursday said accepting the end of a legendary footballing career was tough.

    He told newsmen that “at the beginning, I was talking to myself like a madman, I’m injured, I’m suspended, I’ll be back in a kit soon, though I’ve got used to it now.”

    Totti said he struggled with switching off from a routine of “waking up early, having breakfast and then going to training, like a machine.

    “Now I have to plan my days. The impact has not been easy, though I still train every day to let off a bit of steam and to stay fit.

    “If I let myself go, I’ll go up to 300 kilogrammes, for now, I’ve put on at most a couple.”

    The 41-year-old hung up his boots in May, breaking down in tears after a 3-2 home win against Genoa that sealed his 25-year playing career with Roma, his boyhood club.

    Read also:  Pallotta – Totti to be technical director

    He has no regrets at turning down offers from Real Madrid, the Emirates and the United States.

    “I would have made lots of money, but I would have ruined a 25-year-old love affair with Roma,’’ he said.

    Totti said that out of current stars he prefers Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, and singled out tennis champion Roger Federer as his sporting hero, who “does not even sweat when he plays.”

    If Roma, currently in fourth position, do not win the league this season, Totti said he fancied Serie A leaders Napoli, because he liked the idea of the Scudetto going to a southern Italian club.

    He also said that starting out a new career as a coach was not a “priority now,” aside from following the football career of his 12-year-old son, Cristian.

    “I let him do his thing and I don’t say anything to him. In about three or four years, I’ll see what he’s truly made of,’’ Totti said.

    NAN

  • I don’t feel I’m worth €100m’- Belotti

    I don’t feel I’m worth €100m’- Belotti

    Torino forward Andrea Belotti has admitted he does not think he is worth the €100 million asking price his club have set for him.

    The Serie A side previously revealed they had turned down a bid from Arsenal for the striker, and demand that any potential suitor pay a massive fee to price him from Turin.

    Despite scoring 25 goals for Torino this season and leading the race for Serie A’s top scorer, Belotti has played down his proposed fee.

    “I honestly do not feel that I am worth so much,” the 23-year-old told Tiki Taka. “In football, however, the figures have increased dramatically, and the values of the players have gone through the roof.”

    Belotti is neck-and-neck with Roma’s Edin Dzeko on 25 goals this season, with Mauro Icardi and Gonzalo Higuain also close behind as Serie A enters its final weeks.

    The Torino forward is hopeful he can beat Dzeko to the top scorer award but is taking nothing for granted.

    “Its hard duel with striker Edin Dzeko and Mauro Icardi, they both can score two or three goals per game,” the Italy international said.

  • Nwankwo eyes more after Serie A first goal

    Nwankwo eyes more after Serie A first goal

    NIGERIA youngster Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo popularly called Simy is relishing the prospect of scoring more goals after his first for FC Crotone in the high profile Italian Serie A.

    Simy made the switch from Portugal to Italy in the summer after he best every other striker in the ProLiga by emerging top scorer with 22 goals last season but his first in Serie A was long in coming   until last Monday when he fired home albeit in a 3-1 loss to Atalanta.

    “Scoring the first goal is good for my confidence though we lost 3-1 to Atalanta,” the 24-year old told The Nation.

    FC Crotone who are making their debut in the Serie A are perched on the bottom of the table with just one point from six matches but Simy has taken some positives from the mess: “The truth is that I have been working hard since I joined Crotone and hard work continues; the lost to Atalanta gives it (first goal) a sour taste but it’s good I’ve got my first goal.”

    Crotone will be away to Cagliari today and Simy will expected continues his hunt for goals.

  • StarTimes acquires Serie A broadcast rights

    As the 2015 Barclays Premier League comes into full swing, digital-TV operator, StarTimes has promised television viewers more excitement with an exclusive viewing of the Serie A.

    Shortly after announcing the acquisition of broadcasting rights for the German Bundesliga, the content provider, last week announced that it has also acquired the rights to the Italian league.

    Making the announcement, StarTimes’ president, Mr Pang Xinxin said there is nothing better than giving television viewers “the excitement of a gorgeous feast, a combination of Bundelsiga and Serie A.”

    According to him, football fans are not only given the right to see the fur of the leopards like Alexander Meier and Thomas Muller during the Bundelsiga season, but also robust football teams like Juventus and Milan of Serie A more clearly than ever.

    “The cooperation between StarTimes and two of the most brilliant leagues have strategically crucial meanings of breaking the ice in terms of the current sports broadcasting field,” he said.

    Pang, who says he is being occupied in promoting digitalisation in Africa as an enthusiastic football fan, revealed; “2015 also sees the energetic efforts made by StarTimes to have more fantastic football matches in digital signal of great quality.”

    According to him, with featured content platform with 320 authorized channels consisting of news, movies, series, sports, entertainment, children’s programs, fashion, religion among others, the company’s vision is “to enable every African family to afford and enjoy digital TV.”