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.
Cristiano covers more Champions League ground than Messi - Uefa
The Real Madrid star has run 1.7 kilometres more per game than his Barcelona rival but both are well short of Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen.
The fight for titles and individual prizes can often be decided by the smallest margins: a metre, or maybe just a centimetre. On Tuesday, Uefa released a report with a player ranking based on the distance run across the four Champions League group matches that have taken place thus far in the 2017/18 campaign. And European football's governing body decided to include a separate comment to highlight the data of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who did not feature in the Top 10.
Cristiano and Messi compared
The Real Madrid and Barcelona stars that have dominated the podium at Uefa's award galas in recent years are shown up significantly by the figures, although it is clear that their styles vary considerably from others listed. The Portuguese forward has covered 36,870 metres in the four games for Los Blancos while the Argentine just 29,802 metres for Barça. With both completing the total 360 minutes involved, that means that Cristiano has covered an average of 1,767m more per game.
De Bruyne and Eriksen top the charts
One of the stand out players of the competition so far has been Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne. And it's not just been the quality of his play that has grabbed the attention but also the 48,052 metres that has accumulated in his legs, more than anyone else. In terms of highest average, however, that goes to another Premier League star. Christian Eriksen has completed an average of 140.5 metres per minute in the three full games he has played for Totteham Hotspur. As a comparison, Cristiano and Messi have covered 102.4 m/min and 82.8 m/min respectively.
Draxler covering the ground
Interestingly, if we eliminate the 200-minute minimum requirement that Uefa stipulated for their report, the player who covered the most distance per minute was Julian Draxler. The PSG midfielder has covered 19,185 metres in 139 minutes of play, an average of 138 m/min.
The fight for titles and individual prizes can often be decided by the smallest margins: a metre, or maybe just a centimetre. On Tuesday, Uefa released a report with a player ranking based on the distance run across the four Champions League group matches that have taken place thus far in the 2017/18 campaign. And European football's governing body decided to include a separate comment to highlight the data of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who did not feature in the Top 10.
Cristiano and Messi compared
The Real Madrid and Barcelona stars that have dominated the podium at Uefa's award galas in recent years are shown up significantly by the figures, although it is clear that their styles vary considerably from others listed. The Portuguese forward has covered 36,870 metres in the four games for Los Blancos while the Argentine just 29,802 metres for Barça. With both completing the total 360 minutes involved, that means that Cristiano has covered an average of 1,767m more per game.
De Bruyne and Eriksen top the charts
One of the stand out players of the competition so far has been Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne. And it's not just been the quality of his play that has grabbed the attention but also the 48,052 metres that has accumulated in his legs, more than anyone else. In terms of highest average, however, that goes to another Premier League star. Christian Eriksen has completed an average of 140.5 metres per minute in the three full games he has played for Totteham Hotspur. As a comparison, Cristiano and Messi have covered 102.4 m/min and 82.8 m/min respectively.
Draxler covering the ground
Interestingly, if we eliminate the 200-minute minimum requirement that Uefa stipulated for their report, the player who covered the most distance per minute was Julian Draxler. The PSG midfielder has covered 19,185 metres in 139 minutes of play, an average of 138 m/min.
Chygrynskiy: Cristiano is not the best in the world because he is selfish
Dmitro Chygrynskiy has recalled his time at Barcelona and admits that he struggled to deal with the demands of playing under such a heavy transfer fee.
With just two appearances in his one year playing for Pep Guardiola's side, he has since moved to Ukrainian sides Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnipro before he landed a transfer to Greek outfit Athens AEK in 2016.
"The 25 million euros that were paid for me put great pressure on me, it was not my real value," he told Cadena Ser.
During the 2009/10 season when the defender was at Camp Nou, Guardiola's men won the LaLiga title and bowed out of the Champions League in the semi-final to Inter, 3-2 on aggregate.
However, Chygrynskiy was amazed by the talents the head coach had at his disposal.
"It was another world, I was surprised by the level of players like [Lionel] Messi or Zlatan [Ibrahimovic]," he added. "I was part of that team that was so impressive."
The Ukrainian only played in two LaLiga matches, making his debut 4-1 win over Athletic Club and his last in the 3-1 victory against Xerez and he remains astonished as to how quickly the Camp Nou crowd can turn.
"I was surprised by how the Camp Nou treated me. I could not understand how the same fans that encouraged me five minutes ago were now the ones shouting at me," explained Chygrynskiy.
Guardiola bought the centre-back to Barcelona in the summer of 2009 and he still has contact with the Spaniard.
"I'm still in touch with him, the last time he called me was to ask me about Douglas Costa," he added.
Asked on who the better player regarding the Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo argument, Chygrynskiy opted for the man he spent a year training with.
"Cristiano is a good scorer, but he is not the best in the world because he is selfish; Messi is different, he always thinks of the team," he said.
With just two appearances in his one year playing for Pep Guardiola's side, he has since moved to Ukrainian sides Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnipro before he landed a transfer to Greek outfit Athens AEK in 2016.
"The 25 million euros that were paid for me put great pressure on me, it was not my real value," he told Cadena Ser.
During the 2009/10 season when the defender was at Camp Nou, Guardiola's men won the LaLiga title and bowed out of the Champions League in the semi-final to Inter, 3-2 on aggregate.
However, Chygrynskiy was amazed by the talents the head coach had at his disposal.
"It was another world, I was surprised by the level of players like [Lionel] Messi or Zlatan [Ibrahimovic]," he added. "I was part of that team that was so impressive."
The Ukrainian only played in two LaLiga matches, making his debut 4-1 win over Athletic Club and his last in the 3-1 victory against Xerez and he remains astonished as to how quickly the Camp Nou crowd can turn.
"I was surprised by how the Camp Nou treated me. I could not understand how the same fans that encouraged me five minutes ago were now the ones shouting at me," explained Chygrynskiy.
Guardiola bought the centre-back to Barcelona in the summer of 2009 and he still has contact with the Spaniard.
"I'm still in touch with him, the last time he called me was to ask me about Douglas Costa," he added.
Asked on who the better player regarding the Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo argument, Chygrynskiy opted for the man he spent a year training with.
"Cristiano is a good scorer, but he is not the best in the world because he is selfish; Messi is different, he always thinks of the team," he said.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly identified Barcelona centre-back Samuel Umtiti as a possible transfer target during the January window.
Mourinho is understood to be considering defensive reinforcements to play alongside Eric Bailly, with £30m summer signing Victor Lindelof yet to start a single Premier League game since his arrival.
Phil Jones has emerged as Mourinho's first choice to partner Bailly, but the Portuguese boss is thought to want another top-class centre-back having not been convinced by Chris Smalling.
Raphael Varane has been United's number one defensive transfer target since Mourinho's arrival, having made his Real Madrid debut under the former Chelsea boss, but United have reportedly now given up hope of signing the France international.
The Mirror reports that the Red Devils have instead turned their attention to Varane's international teammate Umtiti, who has a £53m buyout clause in his contract at Barcelona.
The 23-year-old has established himself as first choice alongside Gerard Pique at Camp Nou, but is understood to be open to a move away unless he is offered improved terms by the Spanish giants.
Umtiti has made 58 appearances across all competitions for Barca, scoring one goal in the process.
How Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo almost became teammates in 2003
We are all privileged to watch Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play. The two are undoubtedly the best footballers the world has ever seen and the debate of who among them is the Greatest Of All Time will never end.
While Messi has been carrying Barcelona for a long time, Cristiano has been doing so at Real Madrid. One thing we have always wanted to see is the two play together once – but sadly that has never happened, not even in a friendly match.
The wish to watch might have become real, way before they even made their mark in the world of football. Just before they started to take the world by a storm, one certain club wanted to sign them both.
That club was none other than Juventus. The Serie A giants were keen on signing both the players as Fabio Capello saw the potential in both to become the best in the world and how right was he!
JUVENTUS' MOVE FOR MESSI:
Juventus first made the move for Messi during a friendly between the Italian side and Barcelona. Just 25 minutes into the game, Capello went to Rijkaard, then Barcelona manager, and asked him to loan the Argentine to the Turin side.
“It's completely true that I asked Rijkaard if he would loan me Messi for Juventus,” said Capello. Barcelona were allowed to play just 3 foreign players in their starting XI and the Juve manager tried to take advantage of it and sign Messi.
“When the play had stopped for a minute I went over to Rijkaard and said: 'You can't play him because you've got three foreigners already. Why don't you let me have him for a year?'” explained the former England manager.
However, Rijkaard rejected the idea of loaning him straight away and one can only imagine what would if he had agreed to send him out. That wasn't the only attempt they made to sign him.
The Old Lady of Turin made a move for him a couple of years later as well but before they could do anything significant, the Calciopoli scandal hit them hard and they were demoted to Serie B. By the time Juventus were back in the Serie A, Messi had established himself and the world was talking about the young Argentine who was very similar to Maradonna.
JUVENTUS' MOVE FOR RONALDO:
While the move for Messi was rejected straight away by Barcelona, Sporting CP were set to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus. The Italian side were on the verge of signing him when Manchester United stole him at the last moment.
Italian agent, Moggi worked on the deal to get Ronaldo on out Sporting Lisbon along with Jorge Mende, who was keen on taking Ronaldo to Italy. Moggi revealed: “On 2003, Mendes was looking to engineer a move for his first great player: Cristiano Ronaldo. He was a kid of 18 who had just made his debut for Sporting and Mendes wanted him to move to Italy.”
Juventus weren't the only club that Ronaldo was offered to. “We tried to help them out and offered him to Parma and Lazio but he was rejected by both. Juventus, on the other hand, said yes and sent us to Lisbon with Mendes to tie up the deal with Sporting.” Moggi went on to explain.
Just as Menged went back to Lisbon and began holding talks with the Portuguese side to get a deal done, Manchester United swooped in. The Red Devils wasted no time and signed the 18-year-old in just half-a-day according to Moggi.
Mignolet: City can be caught
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet believes Premier League leaders Manchester City can be caught.
Earlier this week, Mignolet's Belgium team-mate Thibaut Courtois suggested the runaway Premier League leaders are "a bit unstoppable" at the moment.
But Mignolet disagrees and isn't ruling out an Anfield title challenge.
"City are doing really well at this time," said the 29-year-old. "They've got loads of quality. But like always the Premier League is a long journey, there's a long way to go."
Manchester City are on 31 points after 11 games, 12 more than Liverpool in fifth. Mignolet though thinks the busy winter schedule is key.
"After that win at West Ham we closed the gap [on others]. In the busy winter period anything can happen.
"It's up to us to be challengers and that's what we'll try to do."
Mignolet is no stranger to criticism. He came in for some after Liverpool's heavy defeat at Tottenham last month.
But Jurgen Klopp blamed the result on an all-round bad team performance, and backed Mignolet.
In the two Premier League games since, Liverpool have taken maximum points, scoring seven goals and conceding just one.
Mignolet says the upturn in fortunes follows a team meeting after the Tottenham game.
"We had a discussion all together and I think we have responded well to that."
Mignolet seldom starts for Belgium because of the presence in the squad of Courtois, but he is likely to feature in at least one of the upcoming friendlies against Mexico and Japan.
Another appearance for his country would cap a memorable week. Last Saturday he fulfilled a lifelong ambition by leading Liverpool out as captain in the absence of Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
"I was surprised," said Mignolet. "I was only told an hour before the game.
"It was nice to hear that of course. If you read the list of Liverpool captains it was a great experience and I was proud.
"I am also the only Belgian to captain the club and luckily it brought some luck and we won the game."
Super Eagles Mikel Obi finally reports to camp, Agu out with injury
Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has finally arrived camp ahead of the games against Algeria and Argentina.
The Super Eagles camp in Morocco opened on Sunday, November 5 ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Algeria on Friday, November 10 and the friendly game against Argentina four days later in Russia.
play The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in camp in Morocco ahead of the games against Algeria and Argentina (Twitter/John Ogu)
Skipper Mikel Obi missed the first three days in camp and only arrived on Wednesday, November 8.
No reason has been given for the late arrival of the 30-year-old midfielder who has played in all Super Eagles games so far in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying series.
Meanwhile, there has been another injury in the Super Eagles squad this time to midfielder Mikel Agu who has dropped out of the squad ahead of the games.
play Mikel Agu is out with an injury (Twitter/Super Eagles)
The Super Eagles had a double training session on Wednesday as they finalise tactics and strategy for the games.
They are expected to fly out to Algeria on Thursday ahead of the game on Friday.
Ronaldo to be father of four
Why I won’t have another child – Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has said it would be difficult for him to have another child.
This came as he awaits the arrival of his fourth child.
Ronaldo is already a father of three with Cristiano Jr, twins Eva and Mateo, and another little girl, Alana Martina, with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez on the way.
The Portuguese is expanding his business line with one such businesses being his clothing line, with the most recent release being the CR7 Junior Collection, which the 32-year-old has been promoting alongside his first born.
Speaking with Spanish magazine ¡Hola! to promote the release, Ronaldo took time to speak about his family life and admits that he doesn’t think he will have another child once baby number four is born.
He said, “I don’t see me having the time to have another child. But seeing my family grow is honestly the greatest privilege I’ve ever had. I enjoy every second.
“Fatherhood has taught me things of love that I never knew existed – it has softened me up and given me a new perspective on what really matters in life.”
Ronaldo often posts videos of himself and his son having fun, and the attacker said putting together the new clothing line gave the pair another opportunity to enjoy each other’s company.
“Cristiano Jr. and me really enjoy dressing the same way and we like to go out with the same clothes – the new collection will allow many more parents and sons to do the same thing.
“My son was enthusiastic in the photo shoot. He posed very naturally and I was impressed to see him show off his collection and what he liked,” he said.
Messi slams Ronaldo due to poor form, claims he is ready to win all
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Ronaldo has endured a nightmare start to the season, scoring just one La Liga goal for Real Madrid so far.
There seems to be genuine concern at the Bernabeu that their talisman is finished, with the 32-year-old approaching the twilight years of his career.
And Spanish website Don Balon claims that Lionel Messi thinks Ronaldo will never rediscover the form that has made him such a formidable opponent of the years.
Ronaldo won FIFA’s Player of the Year award last month for his exploits for Los Blancos last term, where he fired them to Spanish and European glory. But the brutal fact is he has looked unworthy of that award based on this season’s performances. He has eight goals across all competitions but Madrid’s domestic plight has coupled with his own.
Barcelona already sit eight points clear of Real Madrid at the summit, with Valencia sandwiched in between. Don Balon say Messi also intends to up his game even further to beat Ronaldo to individual awards next season. The 30-year-old supposedly reckons Ronaldo will be unable to match his own goalscoring exploits, with the Argentina international already having 12 for the current campaign.
But Barcelona’s performances as a team will no doubt determine what awards he scoops in 2018. FIFA’s awards, while intended to be reflective of individual performances, often take how an individual’s team has fared into consideration. Messi was the one exception to the rule back in 2010, where he won the accolade despite Barcelona failing to retain the Champions League, losing out to Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta has backed Messi to break more Barcelona records after making his 600th appearance for the club against Sevilla at the weekend. “Messi’s 600th appearance? It’s a lot of games and it’s very difficult to reach a figure like that,” he said.
“But the 600 games are certainly far below what he’ll end up achieving and hopefully [more appearances] can be accompanied by more trophies.”
Source: Vanguard
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION INTO DIPLOMA IN MUSIC EDUCATION 2017/2018 ACADEMIC SESSION
Application For Admission Into Diploma In Music Education 2017/2018 Academic Session
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION INTO DIPLOMA IN MUSIC EDUCATION 2017/2018 ACADEMIC SESSION
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka hereby invites application from interested candidates for admission into Diploma in Music Education for 2017/2018 academic session.
Registration
Eligible candidates are required to pay a processing fee of five thousand naira (N5, 000.00) through remitta platform at any Commercial Bank.
Registration commences on October 23, 2017 and ends on November 17, 2017 while audition test will be conducted on November 20, 2017.
Procedure:
a) Visit the University of Nigeria website (unn.edu.ng) or our portal (unnportal.edu.ng) log in your phone number to generate and download a payment invoice which contains a remitta number, the invoice will enable you to make payment at any Commercial Bank.
b) With the payment invoice the candidate is requested to pay five thousand (N5, 000.00) naira application fee. Ensure that the invoice number is keyed in appropriately at the Bank and obtain a confirmation slip containing your confirmation number and invoice number.
c)Â Visit the University of Nigeria website (www.unn.edu.ng) or (unnportal.edu.ng) again and login your phone number to confirmation number and invoice number then access and complete the Diploma form on-line.
Chris C. Igbokwe, Esq.
Registrar
COPIED
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