BILLION

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has taken himself off penalty-taking duty for Napoli after a now infamous series of TikToks were posted to the club’s social media channels in recent weeks, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Nigerian had been left furious after two seemingly insulting videos were posted to the club’s TikTok account, one of which had mocked him as begging for a penalty then his miss from the spot in a Serie A match against Bologna at the end of September. The videos caused an uproar for Osimhen and his supporters alike, eventually leading to the departure of one of Napoli’s social media executives. Since the incident, Napoli have played three matches and been awarded penalties in every one of those games, yet Osimhen has not taken any of them. Instead, Piotr Zielinski took on the responsibility against Udinese as well as against Real Madrid in Wednesday night’s Champions League clash at the Maradona. Matteo Politano took the injury-time kick against Lecce in the...

Morocco, Portugal and Spain will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup tournament, world football ru0ling body, FIFA has announced.   According to a statement on FIFA’s website on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the decision was taken by the FIFA Council. “Following extensive consultation with all confederations and given the importance of marking the centenary of the FIFA World Cup the FIFA Council took key decisions in relation to the bidding and hosting of the Centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2030 during its meeting held by videoconference from the Home of FIFA. “In 2030, the FIFA World Cup will unite three continents and six countries, inviting the entire world to join in the celebration of the beautiful game, the Centenary and the FIFA World Cup itself. “The FIFA Council unanimously agreed that the sole candidacy will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, which will host the event in 2030 and qualify automatically from the existing slot allocation su...

Paris Saint-Germain are preparing to launch a second bid of €120m for Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen, according to  PUNCH Sports Extra. The French champions had their initial offer of €100m for Osimhen rejected in June. While the new bid falls short of Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis’ valuation, it still surpasses the offers put forth by other interested clubs. Reports indicate that Napoli value Osimhen at €150 million, a price tag that no other club is currently willing to meet. De Laurentiis, believing PSG to be the only team capable of affording the talented striker, has dismissed other suitors such as Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid, all of whom have expressed interest in acquiring Osimhen’s services. “The only club that could afford Victor Osimhen is Paris Saint-Germain,” De Laurentiis revealed to Mediaset. “If (PSG president) Nasser Al Khelaifi wants to send in a bid around €200 million, we wait and see what happens. I personally think that Vic...

Samuel Eto'o  has reached an agreement to pay a settlement of €90,000 to his daughter Erika Do Rosario Nieves, per EFE (h/t Marca). Miss Erika was legally declared to be Eto'o daughter in 2022 after a legal battle. Since then, the Cameroonian icon was ordered to pay up the backlog of €1400-per-month in child support which he has neglected. However, Eto'o has this week reached an agreement with Erika's lawyers to pay the child support directly to her bank account. Eto'o's daughter wanted the ex-footballer in prison and pushed for a 12-month jail sentence but prosecutors did not go ahead with the case as an agreement was quickly reached between both parties. Eto'o met Erika's mother at a Madrid nightclub in 1998. She got pregnant the same year and gave birth to Erika in 1999. However, Eto'o has neglected the child's upkeep ever since. The Barcelona legend can no longer shy away from his responsibility and has decided to cough up the mon...

Super Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi believes Nigeria has the right mentality and quality to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Recall that Nigeria sealed qualification for the tournament with a game to spare after defeating Sierra Leone 3-2 last month. The Super Eagles have won the tournament three times and were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Tunisia at the last edition of the competition hosted by Cameroon. But in a new interview Awoniyi said that he’s confident Nigeria will be champions again in Ivory Coast.   “I think everyone in the squad is happy; the first stage is to qualify for the AFCON which we did already, then the next stage now is just to try everything possible to win the AFCON, which is the target for the country,” Awoniyi told Channels Television. “The last one was an experience, I was there and we are happy we are there again and of course, we want to go there and we want to win the trophy for sure.”

New Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino said he knows he is already under pressure in his new role, admitting the immediate expectation at Stamford Bridge is to win despite the club’s struggles last season. Pochettino previously enjoyed spells in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham, the latter of which he guided to the Champions League final in 2019 before leaving trophy-less just five months later. He then moved to Bayern Munich which he coached for a year.  Chelsea’s 12th-place finish on 44 points last season was their worst display since 1994 , the club were so bad they employed three managers — Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and interim boss Frank Lampard.   However, Pochettino in his first press conference since he took charge at Stamford Bridge on July 1, said;   “My target is to win, my aim is to win. Play well is our style, philosophy and culture. If you don’t win in a club like Chelsea, you will struggle,” Pochettino said. “With the playe...

Spanish goalkeeper, David de Gea has confirmed he is leaving Manchester United after 12 years at the club.   The goalkeeper, 32,  joined United from Atlético Madrid for £17m in 2011 and went on to make 545 appearances, keeping a club-record 190 clean sheets in the process. “I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years,” De Gea said in a statement. “We’ve achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club.   During his time at Old Trafford, De Gea won the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League, and two Carabao Cups but his position has been under heavy scrutiny since the arrival of Erik ten Hag last summer.   De Gea still won the Premier League’s Golden Glove for keeping most clean sheets last season, though, and will not be short of suitors. “I took incredible pride every time I pulled on this shirt, to lead the team, to represent this institution, the biggest club in the world was...

Kylian Mbappe has been told he must sign a new contract if he wants to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.   According to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the club will not allow the superstar France striker to walk away on a free transfer in 12 months' time.   Mbappe, who has long been linked with Liverpool and Real Madrid in recent years, recently told the club he will not be triggering the one-year extension in his contract.   That means the top goalscorer at the 2022 World Cup will be a free agent next summer unless PSG cash in on his services.   Speaking at a press conference to introduce Luis Enrique as the club's new manager following the sacking of Christophe Galtier, said: that they “want Mbappe to stay” but he “can’t leave for free”. “We want him to stay but he can’t leave for free,” Al-Khelaifi told reporters. “It was our oral agreement and he had expressed it publicly in an interview. So it’s not debatable. And I was really shocked to learn that he intended to ...

Manchester United have completed the signing of Mason Mount from Chelsea for an initial £55m.   The overall fee for England international midfielder Mount could rise to £60m depending on success and appearances over several seasons.   The 24-year-old has signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford that runs until the summer of 2028 and has the option to be extended by a further year.   Mount becomes United's first summer signing and the transfer br ings his 18-year association with Chelsea, during which he won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, to an end.   Mount, who will wear United's iconic No 7 shirt, said: "It's never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.     "Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I'm joining, and I can't wait to be part of this group's drive to win major trophies. ...

Inter Miami CF president, Jorge Mas, has stated that bringing superstar, Lionel Messi to the American Major League Soccer club took three years of negotiations. Messi confirmed this month that he will join Inter Miami as a free agent following his two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi, 36, planned returning to Barcelona, which he left in 2021 owing largely to its financial crisis. He also turned down a lucrative agreement from Saudi Arabia’s PIF fund to join Al-Hilal. Mas has now revealed how the negotiations occured.   “In 2019 [when Messi was still at Barcelona], we started thinking about how we could bring him,” Mas told Spanish newspaper El Pais via ABC News. “I spent three years on it, a year-and-a-half [working] very intensely. There were many conversations with [Messi’s father and agent] Jorge. [Inter Miami co-owner] David [Beckham] talked to Leo, only about football issues, because he was a player.” Messi, will reportedly sign a contract extension with Inter...

Tottenham winger, Son Heung-min has bizarrely become one year younger after South Korea changed their traditional age-counting methods.   The law was originally passed in December, after strong campaigning from newly elected Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, it was put into effect on Wednesday, June 28.   The original method to deduce a Korean's age included the gestation period for all babies, meaning they were all counted as one-years-old at birth. In addition, every Korean would then become a year older on January 1st - even those who were born in December.  For Son, while his age will change in his homeland of South Korea, nothing will be different in the UK.   Born on July 8, 1992, the forward has always been classified by the international method since moving to England and therefore will remain as a 30-year-old.   Tottenham's registration of the player will also not change, with the club only needing to provide an accurate date of birth as oppos...

Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone has joked that players having sex just four times a month cannot feature in his teams. The 53-year-old Argentinian has been in charge of Atletico Madrid since 2011, led his team to a third-place finish in LaLiga this season, with one game to play.  In an interview with Cadena COPE, Simeone discussed some of the pressing issues for Atletico, including the return of Joao Felix from Chelsea, and his own future at the club.     In the extensive chat, Simeone revealed the bizarre claim after the presenter cited a study that the average Spaniard has sex 56 times a year. Simeone replied: 'How many? 56... 56 a year... How many are a month? Four a month? Four a month no... 'With four times a month you can't play in my team.'  This response caused uproarious laughter in the COPE studio.  When the interviewers pressed Simeone for a more realistic number, he replied: 'Fifteen a month? I'm not going to say... but we have a g...

Manchester United could offer captain Harry Maguire to Chelsea as part of a player-plus-cash deal to bring Mason Mount to Old Trafford.   The Man United captain has slid down the pecking order in recent seasons, and is now considered fourth choice centre back behind Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.   The Red Devils are set to pay the defender around £10million to leave the club this summer, as revealed by Mail Sport, with the out-of-favour player still under contract for another two years.   Now, reports from The Sun have suggested that he could form part of a player-plus-cash deal to bring Mount to Old Trafford.   Mount has yet to agree to a new contract at Chelsea, despite offers from the Blues, and with his deal up in 2024 is likely to depart this summer.   The England midfielder has drawn huge interest from across the Premier League's top clubs, with United and Liverpool  favourites to land his signature for next term.

Manchester United have reportedly entered the final stage to complete the signing of Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan.   It’s understood that a deal in the region of £43million plus add-ons is set to be completed this week once Onana has agreed personal terms.   Insiders say negotiations are entering the final stage and they do not anticipate any problems in the 27-year-old keeper teaming up with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. Ten Hag made a push for Onana after deciding that David de Gea’s ability with the ball at his feet simply wasn’t up to what United require if they are going to play out from the back next season.   De Gea became a free agent on June 30 and confirmed over the weekend that he is leaving the club after 12 years.   Onana will likely become United’s new No.1 after the club triggered a 12-month extension in Tom Heaton’s contract to keep the keeper as back-up for another season. 

1991 Ballon D'or winner and German football legend, Lothar Matthaus has bought Ghana Premier League football club, Accra Lions FC. The former Germany captain was announced as a co-owner of the club on Tuesday, May 23. He reportedly bought the club alongside two other partners; Ghana striker Frank Acheampong and football agent Oliver König. The trio were unveiled by the club at a brief ceremony in Accra  “Of course it’s a business model. Ghana has always had huge potential in terms of talent, and you can see that in the national team,” Matthaus said, as quoted by Bild. “We want to bring young players to Europe in a serious way and already well-trained. That’s why we’re also investing in the training ground here.”  Accra Lions remain one of the most exciting clubs in Ghana and are in their second season of promotion to the Ghanaian premier league.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr coach has claimed the forward will 'go back to Europe' before retiring from football.    The superstar player only secured a move to the Saudi Arabian side last month in a big money deal.    Now his own coach Rudi Garcia has suggested that the five-time Ballon d'or winner will have one final stint in Europe before hanging up his boots.   According to SPORT, Al-Nassr head coach Garcia said: 'Cristiano Ronaldo is a positive addition as he helps disperse defenders.    The 58-year-old manager added: 'He's [Ronaldo] one of the best players in the world. He won't finish his career at Al-Nassr, he'll go back to Europe.'   Garcia disclosed this after the side's 3-1 defeat to Al Ittihad in the semi-finals of the Arabian Super Cup, where Ronaldo failed to get on the scoresheet.   The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is yet to score for the club in th...

Roma manager, Jose Mourinho believes Victor Osimhen is on the same level with former Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba.   Osimhen scored a superb goal as Napoli defeated Roma 2-1 on Sunday night January 29, to extend their lead at the top of the table to 13 points.   Speaking at a press conference after the game on Sunday night, Mourinho was asked about the comparison between Osimhen and Drogba.   “He is of the same level as Drogba, but Didier didn’t dive,” replied Mourinho.   “If Victor changes, then okay. I’d buy him if I was at a club with a lot of money. However, if he does go to England one day, he needs to change, because in Italy they put up with this sort of behaviour, whereas in the Premier League, they’d come down hard on him.”   Osimhen is currently the leading scorer in Serie A with 14 goals from 16 matches.   His compatriot, Ademola Lookman is second with 12 goals.

Manchester United have reportedly retained its position as the Premier League's most valuable club, with a valuation of £ 4.8 billion [$5.95b].    According to a study by Sportico, Manchester United's valuation of £4.8billion left them at the summit of the list.   United's rivals Liverpool and Man City were second and third respectively with valuations of £3.8billion [$4.71b] and £3.5billion [$4.43b].   Current Premier League leaders Arsenal moved up a spot with their value of £2.9billion [$3.6b], while Chelsea were left in the fifth with £2.8billion [$3.47b].   Between 2021 and 2023, it was Newcastle United who saw their club grow in value their most - with a 63 per cent increase bringing them to a total value of £388million.   The news of United's mammoth valuation comes just two months after the board said they 'will consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions ...

The Saudi Football Federation has reacted to talk of Lionel Messi being reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East.   Portuguese superstar Ronaldo signed the most lucrative contract in sports after signing for Saudi club Al-Nassr. There has been speculation to suggest that his deal could be topped by a £246 million ($305m) approach for Messi from Al-Hilal – with the Argentine World Cup winner yet to sign a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain   Ibrahim Alkassim, the general secretary of the Saudi Football Federation says he is unaware of such an offer being readied for Messi.   He told Marca: “At the moment we do not know anything about a possible Lionel Messi arrival. Although I do not hide that, as Saudi Federation, we would like to have him one day in the domestic league. The idea of the Federation is always to improve our football, and of course we would like to see Cristiano and Messi in the same league again, but the truth is that we don’t kn...

Juventus have been deducted 15 points for the current season by an Italian soccer court investigating its transfer dealings, the national soccer federation (FIGC) said in a statement.   The ruling, which also deals a blow to the club's reputation, is tougher than a nine-point deduction a soccer prosecutor had requested earlier in the day during a hearing looking at the way Juventus and a number of other teams dealt with player exchange deals.   With 20 games left to play this season, Juve were third in Serie A with 37 points, 10 behind leaders Napoli. The deduction pushes them down into 10th place, outside the qualifying spots for lucrative European competition.   In a late-night statement, the court also imposed bans from holding office in Italian soccer on 11 past and present Juventus directors.   These included 24 months for Andrea Agnelli, who was replaced this week as chairman after formally stepping down in November, and 30 months for form...