Monday, 13 November 2017
Nigeria Vs Argentina
Nigeria faces Argentina tomorrow in a friendly match though. This is a match Nigeria looks too play with all priority. The question is will Nigeria perform better compared to previous encounters and emerge as winners or the other way round. The Argentina team we can say are not in good form but is Nigeria strong enough? We'll get the answer in less than a day.. Contributions are highly welcome
Wednesday, 8 November 2017
Pogba expects to make his long-awaited return for Man United after the international break
Paul Pogba expects to make his long-awaited return for Manchester United immediately after the international break.
According to David McDonnell in the Mirror, France star Pogba has missing 12 club games because of a hamstring strain, but could be in the squad for their next match — Newcastle's visit to Old Trafford on November 18.
Without their record £89million signing, Man United have slipped eight points adrift of Premier League leaders and local rivals Manchester City.
Pogba is expected to be integrated into full training next week, with a view to him making his return — probably from the bench — against Rafa Benitez’s Magpies.
Boss Jose Mourinho is desperate to have him match-fit for the Manchester derby at home to high-flying City on December 10 — a game United cannot simply afford to lose.
The Red Devils are already playing catch-up on their Blue neighbours after slipping to defeats at Huddersfield and Chelsea during Pogba’s two-month absence.
They know falling further adrift would virtually signal the end of their title hopes before Christmas.
The 24-year-old midfielder underwent a significant chunk of his rehabilitation in the United States but is now back at United’s Carrington HQ ahead of his imminent return.
Boss Jose Mourinho is desperate to have him match-fit for the Manchester derby at home to high-flying City on December 10 — a game United cannot simply afford to lose.
The Red Devils are already playing catch-up on their Blue neighbours after slipping to defeats at Huddersfield and Chelsea during Pogba’s two-month absence.
They know falling further adrift would virtually signal the end of their title hopes before Christmas.
The 24-year-old midfielder underwent a significant chunk of his rehabilitation in the United States but is now back at United’s Carrington HQ ahead of his imminent return.
Chelsea attacker Hazard: It would be a dream to be trained by Zidane
As is so often the way during an international break, Eden Hazard has spoken to Belgium TV station RTL and has been very open about a number of subjects.
The headline quote on Belgium websites from the Chelsea star is Hazard saying: “It would be a dream to be trained by [Zinedine] Zidane.”
Hazard was his usual relaxed self on Belgium TV ahead of friendly matches against Mexico and Japan.
On the 2018 World Cup, Hazard said: “We are obviously impatient to participate in such a competition, but the most important thing will be to have a good club season before seriously preparing for the World Cup. We want to go as far as possible and do better than last time when we reached the quarter-final. ”
Hazard also spoke about his role as captain of Belgium: “It’s already great to be able to wear the jersey of Belgium and it’s nice to be given this kind of responsibility. Players like Kompany and Vertonghen have worn the armband before me, it means a lot.”
Hazard was asked about his best memory in football: “The double achieved with Lille in 2011 is a very strong moment because nobody expected it, it was really not thought possible.”
The Chelsea playmaker was also asked about two of the best coaches in the world.
On Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane, Hazard said: “Playing under José Mourinho would not bother me, Zinedine Zidane would be a dream to have him as a coach, he was my idol when I was little, I have a lot of respect for him.”
Don’t be surprised to see reports of an Eden Hazard move to Real Madrid or Manchester United in the transfer gossip pages now.
For the record, Eden Hazard is contracted to Chelsea until the end of the 2019/2020 season.
Finally, Hazard was asked about earning big wages at Chelsea: “I do not like to show that I have a lot of money, but that does not stop me from sometimes making me happy.The glitter, it’s not for me.”
Hazard was his usual relaxed self on Belgium TV ahead of friendly matches against Mexico and Japan.
On the 2018 World Cup, Hazard said: “We are obviously impatient to participate in such a competition, but the most important thing will be to have a good club season before seriously preparing for the World Cup. We want to go as far as possible and do better than last time when we reached the quarter-final. ”
Hazard also spoke about his role as captain of Belgium: “It’s already great to be able to wear the jersey of Belgium and it’s nice to be given this kind of responsibility. Players like Kompany and Vertonghen have worn the armband before me, it means a lot.”
Hazard was asked about his best memory in football: “The double achieved with Lille in 2011 is a very strong moment because nobody expected it, it was really not thought possible.”
The Chelsea playmaker was also asked about two of the best coaches in the world.
On Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane, Hazard said: “Playing under José Mourinho would not bother me, Zinedine Zidane would be a dream to have him as a coach, he was my idol when I was little, I have a lot of respect for him.”
Don’t be surprised to see reports of an Eden Hazard move to Real Madrid or Manchester United in the transfer gossip pages now.
For the record, Eden Hazard is contracted to Chelsea until the end of the 2019/2020 season.
Finally, Hazard was asked about earning big wages at Chelsea: “I do not like to show that I have a lot of money, but that does not stop me from sometimes making me happy.The glitter, it’s not for me.”
He might not be scoring, but Cristiano Ronaldo is in top form
Real Madrid emerged from a difficult spell, claiming a comprehensive 3-0 home win over Las Palmas to head into the international break, but Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure.
Such is the nature of the 32-year-old, he was disappointed not to improve his LaLiga scoring record for the season, which has come under scrutiny. But Ronaldo, despite his mood, had played well.
In fact, Ronaldo has been playing well for a while now. The Portuguese has found the net just once in his last four club outings, drawing criticism. But this shows a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Ronaldo's performances.
While many of Real Madrid's team have dipped of late, Ronaldo isn't one of them. That hasn't stopped critics targeting him, though.
Even his own coach reinforced this notion after the win over Las Palmas. "Now Cristiano is getting assists, his bad run will end," said Zidane. "Isco's goal came from a Ronaldo cross. Both Ronaldo and Benzema have been doing the right things on the pitch."
This, of course, was meant as a defence of Ronaldo, but the use of the term 'bad run' might have irked the forward.
Having been defined by his extraordinary goalscoring record it's perhaps unsurprising that Ronaldo's success and failure is decided, in the heads of many, by the number of times he finds the net. At 32, though, the Portuguese is once again reinventing himself to preserve and prolong his career at the top.
In recent years, Ronaldo has turned himself into the ultimate centre forward, leaving behind his days of playing on the wings. He would still occasionally drift wide to pick up the ball, cutting inside to ping a shot on goal, but predominantly, he was the guy on the end of the service rather than the guy providing it.
That hasn't changed, but there has been a shift in the exact nature of Ronaldo's role as a centre forward over the course of the 2017/18 season. He is no longer the guy Real Madrid play to as the focal point of their attack, as he was for the majority of last season. Instead, he is running the channels. He's splitting the subtle difference between focal point and wide operator.
He might revert back again, but for now Ronaldo is stylistically lending himself to being the assist maker more than the goal getter. That was evident in the win over Las Palmas, in which Real Madrid looked more like their old selves. A precedent might have been set for the champions' recovery once the final international break of the year is out of the way and Ronaldo's role is a big part of that.
In fact, given the recent struggles of Karim Benzema, Ronaldo's form should be heralded all the more. The Frenchman is making a habit of fluffing chance after chance, with many of those opportunities put on for him by his Portuguese teammate. All questions made against Ronaldo disappear if Benzema starts firing.
In a toiling team, Ronaldo has been a redeeming factor rather than a symptom of their struggles, as many have attempted to point out.
Of course, as a four-time Ballon d'Or winner, he is held to a higher standard, particularly with his great adversary Lionel Messi carrying Barcelona to a four-point lead at the top of the LaLiga table. Ronaldo, in his role as the face of Real Madrid, must accept the flak.
But the man himself should know that his form hasn't been nowhere near as poor as some have pointed it, even his own coach. Ronaldo might not the goalscorer he was last season, or at any other point of his Real Madrid premiership, but that's not to say he is playing at a lesser level.
While many of Real Madrid's team have dipped of late, Ronaldo isn't one of them. That hasn't stopped critics targeting him, though.
Even his own coach reinforced this notion after the win over Las Palmas. "Now Cristiano is getting assists, his bad run will end," said Zidane. "Isco's goal came from a Ronaldo cross. Both Ronaldo and Benzema have been doing the right things on the pitch."
This, of course, was meant as a defence of Ronaldo, but the use of the term 'bad run' might have irked the forward.
Having been defined by his extraordinary goalscoring record it's perhaps unsurprising that Ronaldo's success and failure is decided, in the heads of many, by the number of times he finds the net. At 32, though, the Portuguese is once again reinventing himself to preserve and prolong his career at the top.
In recent years, Ronaldo has turned himself into the ultimate centre forward, leaving behind his days of playing on the wings. He would still occasionally drift wide to pick up the ball, cutting inside to ping a shot on goal, but predominantly, he was the guy on the end of the service rather than the guy providing it.
That hasn't changed, but there has been a shift in the exact nature of Ronaldo's role as a centre forward over the course of the 2017/18 season. He is no longer the guy Real Madrid play to as the focal point of their attack, as he was for the majority of last season. Instead, he is running the channels. He's splitting the subtle difference between focal point and wide operator.
He might revert back again, but for now Ronaldo is stylistically lending himself to being the assist maker more than the goal getter. That was evident in the win over Las Palmas, in which Real Madrid looked more like their old selves. A precedent might have been set for the champions' recovery once the final international break of the year is out of the way and Ronaldo's role is a big part of that.
In fact, given the recent struggles of Karim Benzema, Ronaldo's form should be heralded all the more. The Frenchman is making a habit of fluffing chance after chance, with many of those opportunities put on for him by his Portuguese teammate. All questions made against Ronaldo disappear if Benzema starts firing.
In a toiling team, Ronaldo has been a redeeming factor rather than a symptom of their struggles, as many have attempted to point out.
Of course, as a four-time Ballon d'Or winner, he is held to a higher standard, particularly with his great adversary Lionel Messi carrying Barcelona to a four-point lead at the top of the LaLiga table. Ronaldo, in his role as the face of Real Madrid, must accept the flak.
But the man himself should know that his form hasn't been nowhere near as poor as some have pointed it, even his own coach. Ronaldo might not the goalscorer he was last season, or at any other point of his Real Madrid premiership, but that's not to say he is playing at a lesser level.
5 most powerful agents in world football
Here is a look at some of the most powerful and influential agents in world football
Finances of professional football clubs have increased drastically over the last few years thanks to some bumper TV deals. European soccer stars are some the highest-paid athletes in the world. European club football has reached a stage where agents can demand virtually any amount of money from the club if they own a quality player.
These days agents play a role not just in facilitating a deal but also in deciding where the future of a player lies. Neymar deal during the summer of 2013 redefined the role of agents in football.
Neymar's father made a staggering €50 million from that deal and Barcelona had no option but to oblige to his demands. The same happened when Pogba moved from Juventus to Manchester United and when Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.
These powerful agents determine their own fee and clubs/managers have to agree to that if they want to make the deal happen.
Let's see some of the most powerful agents in football:
5. Volker Struth
Volker is a German soccer agent and represents some of the biggest stars in German football and the Bundesliga. He brokered one of the toughest deal in 2014 when he successfully negotiated Toni Kroos' move away from Bayern Munich, the biggest club in German football.
Throughout his career, he has orchestrated some big deals like the one that took Marco Reus from Borussia Monchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund. He was also the one who identified Mario Goetze and made him the most expensive German player of all time, when he masterminded his move to Bayern Munich.
Throughout his career, he has negotiated some of the greatest deals for his clients, and is one of the most influential agents in football.
Total number of clients: 88
Marquee Clients: Toni Kroos, Marco Reus, Benedikt Höwedes, Ömer Toprak, Gonzalo Castro.
Commission earned so far in 2017: $34.3 million.
4. Mino Raiola
The Italian-born Dutchman started his trade in the late 1990s. his first big deal saw him secure Pavel Nedved's move from Sparta Prague to Lazio, and then a move to Juventus.
He came to limelight when he recruited Zlatan Ibrahimovic when he was in Ajax. He was the chief architect behind Zlatan's move from Ajax to Juventus and then to Barcelona, Inter, PSG, and United.
Raiola not only secured Paul Pogba's £1.5 million move to Juventus in 2012 but also played a key role in his return to Manchester United in 2016, earning himself a fee of £41 million.
He also masterminded Romelu Lukaku's and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's moves to Manchester United. He is a master at getting the best possible deals for his clients and is one of the best negotiators in world football at the moment. He may not have too many clients, but he has some world-class players.
Sir Alex Ferguson quoted him in his book saying - "There are one or two football agents I simply do not like, and Mino Raiola...is one of them,"
Total number of clients: 55
Marquee Clients: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Blaise Matuidi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marco Verratti.
Commission earned so far in 2017: $43.5 million
3.Jonathan Barnett
Chairman of the Stellar group, Jonathan Barnett, aged 67, is one of the most influential and powerful football agents in the world and manages some of the world football's biggest stars. The stellar group manages around 500 clients, which is not restricted to footballers.
He engineered Gareth Bale's record-breaking £86 million transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid which earned him £14 million in commission. He also doctored Luke Shaw's Manchester United move and Gylfi Sigurdsson move from Swansea to Everton in 2017.
He also manages some of the young talents in world football like Timothy Fosu-Mensah. He is 7th in the list of Forbe's "The World's Most Powerful Sports Agents 2017". One of the interesting facts is that Jonathan Barnett's first client was legendary Cricket superstar, Brian Lara
Total number of clients: 116
Marquee Clients: Gareth Bale, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Adrien Silva, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Joe Hart
Commission earned so far in 2017: $53.4 million
2.Jorge Mendes
Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes was football's first super-agent and recognized as "FIFA's Agent of the Year" three times in his career. He was also named "Best Agent of the Year" at the Globe Soccer Awards six consecutive times, from 2010 to 2015.
He came into the limelight when he engineered Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Sporting to Manchester United in 2003, and then the £80 million world record move from United to Real Madrid in 2009. He is also the one who brought Jose Mourinho to the English Premier League when he brokered Mourinho's move from Porto to Chelsea.
Mendes orchestrated some of the biggest deals in world football. James Rodríguez to Real Madrid, Diego Costa to Chelsea.and Angel Di María to Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo's words on Mendes tells how good and professional he is: “Jorge’s greatest virtues are that he is honest, sincere and professional...Nobody works as much as he does...he’s number one without a doubt.”
Total number of clients: 102
Marquee Clients: Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria, James Rodriguez, Diego Costa, Bernardo Silva, Jose Mourinho
Commission earned so far in 2017: $76.9 million
1. Constantin Dumitrascu
Constantin Dumitrascu heads the Mondial Sports Management group based out of Germany. He manages some of the most exciting talents in world football.
He orchestrated Edison Cavani's €64 million move from Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain, N'Golo Kante's move from Leicester City to Chelsea, Nemanja Matic's move from Chelsea to Manchester United and many more.
Forbes magazine lists him above Jorge Mendes and Mino Raiola as the No.1 football agent in the world in terms of commission earned in 2017. It goes on to say, Dumitrascu is a quiet negotiator and prefers a business-like approach to looking after the welfare of his clients.
Total number of clients: 87
Marquee Clients: Edinson Cavani, Philippe Coutinho, Douglas Costa, Nemanja Matic, Dimitri Payet, N'Golo Kante, Raphael Varane, Olivier Giroud
Commission earned so far in 2017: $107.8 million.
Finances of professional football clubs have increased drastically over the last few years thanks to some bumper TV deals. European soccer stars are some the highest-paid athletes in the world. European club football has reached a stage where agents can demand virtually any amount of money from the club if they own a quality player.
These days agents play a role not just in facilitating a deal but also in deciding where the future of a player lies. Neymar deal during the summer of 2013 redefined the role of agents in football.
Neymar's father made a staggering €50 million from that deal and Barcelona had no option but to oblige to his demands. The same happened when Pogba moved from Juventus to Manchester United and when Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.
These powerful agents determine their own fee and clubs/managers have to agree to that if they want to make the deal happen.
Let's see some of the most powerful agents in football:
5. Volker Struth
Volker is a German soccer agent and represents some of the biggest stars in German football and the Bundesliga. He brokered one of the toughest deal in 2014 when he successfully negotiated Toni Kroos' move away from Bayern Munich, the biggest club in German football.
Throughout his career, he has orchestrated some big deals like the one that took Marco Reus from Borussia Monchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund. He was also the one who identified Mario Goetze and made him the most expensive German player of all time, when he masterminded his move to Bayern Munich.
Throughout his career, he has negotiated some of the greatest deals for his clients, and is one of the most influential agents in football.
Total number of clients: 88
Marquee Clients: Toni Kroos, Marco Reus, Benedikt Höwedes, Ömer Toprak, Gonzalo Castro.
Commission earned so far in 2017: $34.3 million.
4. Mino Raiola
The Italian-born Dutchman started his trade in the late 1990s. his first big deal saw him secure Pavel Nedved's move from Sparta Prague to Lazio, and then a move to Juventus.
He came to limelight when he recruited Zlatan Ibrahimovic when he was in Ajax. He was the chief architect behind Zlatan's move from Ajax to Juventus and then to Barcelona, Inter, PSG, and United.
Raiola not only secured Paul Pogba's £1.5 million move to Juventus in 2012 but also played a key role in his return to Manchester United in 2016, earning himself a fee of £41 million.
He also masterminded Romelu Lukaku's and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's moves to Manchester United. He is a master at getting the best possible deals for his clients and is one of the best negotiators in world football at the moment. He may not have too many clients, but he has some world-class players.
Sir Alex Ferguson quoted him in his book saying - "There are one or two football agents I simply do not like, and Mino Raiola...is one of them,"
Total number of clients: 55
Marquee Clients: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Blaise Matuidi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marco Verratti.
Commission earned so far in 2017: $43.5 million
3.Jonathan Barnett
Chairman of the Stellar group, Jonathan Barnett, aged 67, is one of the most influential and powerful football agents in the world and manages some of the world football's biggest stars. The stellar group manages around 500 clients, which is not restricted to footballers.
He engineered Gareth Bale's record-breaking £86 million transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid which earned him £14 million in commission. He also doctored Luke Shaw's Manchester United move and Gylfi Sigurdsson move from Swansea to Everton in 2017.
He also manages some of the young talents in world football like Timothy Fosu-Mensah. He is 7th in the list of Forbe's "The World's Most Powerful Sports Agents 2017". One of the interesting facts is that Jonathan Barnett's first client was legendary Cricket superstar, Brian Lara
Total number of clients: 116
Marquee Clients: Gareth Bale, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Adrien Silva, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Joe Hart
Commission earned so far in 2017: $53.4 million
2.Jorge Mendes
Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes was football's first super-agent and recognized as "FIFA's Agent of the Year" three times in his career. He was also named "Best Agent of the Year" at the Globe Soccer Awards six consecutive times, from 2010 to 2015.
He came into the limelight when he engineered Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Sporting to Manchester United in 2003, and then the £80 million world record move from United to Real Madrid in 2009. He is also the one who brought Jose Mourinho to the English Premier League when he brokered Mourinho's move from Porto to Chelsea.
Mendes orchestrated some of the biggest deals in world football. James Rodríguez to Real Madrid, Diego Costa to Chelsea.and Angel Di María to Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo's words on Mendes tells how good and professional he is: “Jorge’s greatest virtues are that he is honest, sincere and professional...Nobody works as much as he does...he’s number one without a doubt.”
Total number of clients: 102
Marquee Clients: Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria, James Rodriguez, Diego Costa, Bernardo Silva, Jose Mourinho
Commission earned so far in 2017: $76.9 million
1. Constantin Dumitrascu
Constantin Dumitrascu heads the Mondial Sports Management group based out of Germany. He manages some of the most exciting talents in world football.
He orchestrated Edison Cavani's €64 million move from Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain, N'Golo Kante's move from Leicester City to Chelsea, Nemanja Matic's move from Chelsea to Manchester United and many more.
Forbes magazine lists him above Jorge Mendes and Mino Raiola as the No.1 football agent in the world in terms of commission earned in 2017. It goes on to say, Dumitrascu is a quiet negotiator and prefers a business-like approach to looking after the welfare of his clients.
Total number of clients: 87
Marquee Clients: Edinson Cavani, Philippe Coutinho, Douglas Costa, Nemanja Matic, Dimitri Payet, N'Golo Kante, Raphael Varane, Olivier Giroud
Commission earned so far in 2017: $107.8 million.
Ramos: The door is open for Neymar at Real Madrid
The Spanish defender heaped praise on Paris Saint-Germain's star forward amid talk of sensational move to the Spanish capital
Sergio Ramos said the door is open for former Barcelona star Neymar to swap Paris Saint-Germain for Spanish and European champions Real Madrid.
Neymar joined Ligue 1 giants PSG in a world-record deal worth €222 million in August but there is already talk of unrest with the Brazil international.
According to reports, Neymar is unhappy with life under PSG head coach Unai Emery, prompting speculation of a sensational switch to La Liga and Champions League titleholders Madrid.
Asked about Neymar, Madrid captain Ramos told Cadena Ser : "I like to have the best and it's clear Neymar is one of them.
"Maybe it was easier for him to go to PSG, instead of directly to Real Madrid.
"They are personal decisions, you never know what can happen because football goes around a lot.
"I already have the door open for him if he wants to come. I also have a good relationship with him."
Neymar has scored seven goals in eight Ligue 1 games this season to help PSG move four points clear of reigning French champions Monaco during the international break.
He has also netted four goals in the Champions League to lead PSG through to the last 16 with two matchdays remaining.
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