Author: Kayode Akinwumi

Erik ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager was one of the most rumoured topics during the international break. However, the Dutchman is set to lead the Red Devils to another Premier League game against Brentford this weekend. In his pre-match conference earlier today, he was critical of reports speculating about his continued stay at United, insisting that he and the club’s decision-makers are on the same page.The manager described suggestions that he might be relieved of his role at United as fairytales and lies, reiterating his determination to bring the club back to the top of English and European…

Former Barcelona midfielder and current sporting director Deco believes youngster Lamine Yamal can become “a reference player” for the club. The 17-year-old is an undisputed prodigy, winning the Euro 2024 honour with Spain and emerging as the competition’s Best Young Player. He has equally been pivotal for Hansi Flick’s side this season, having scored five goals and assisted five more in 11 appearances.Deco likened Yamal to Messi, Cruyff and Ronaldinho during an interview with RAC 1 radio. The former midfielder said, “Lamine is writing his history at Barca like Lionel Messi, like Johan [Cruyff], [Andres] Iniesta or Ronaldinho did in…

Earlier on Friday, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola held his pre-match press conference ahead of his team’s fixture with Wolves this weekend. The Spaniard had a dramatic reaction after he was questioned multiple times on links with the England manager role and whether he had been offered the job by the FA. Guardiola was one of the names being floated as a potential replacement for Gareth Southgate who quit the job as England coach after the Euro 2024 campaign that saw the Three Lions lose to Spain in the final.The former Barcelona manager’s deal with City runs out at the…

La Liga action returns this weekend after the international break with a series of interesting fixtures. Real Madrid is set to meet Celta Vigo on Saturday, with hopes of continuing with their form before the break. Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti addressed a pre-match press conference ahead of this fixture, highlighting important updates as his team prepares for a chance to overtake Barcelona at the top of the league table.When the question came up about potential transfer deals for the team ahead of the winter window, he hammered strongly on his team’s strength, mentioning defender David Alaba’s impending return. He said,…

Liverpool are easing well into life after Jurgen Klopp, with the Reds topping the Premier League table after seven games. Arne Slot has led his men to six victories out of their first seven Premier League games this season, staying above rivals Manchester City and Arsenal on the standings. However, the Dutch manager is convinced that his side has had a relatively easy fixtures schedule so far, and would only get their real test in the next four weeks.The Reds are set to host Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, with a visit to RB Leipzig next in the Champions League,…

Arsenal fans have positive news upon return from the international break. The Gunners boss Mikel Arteta gave an update during his pre-match press conference on the recovery status of club captain Martin Odegaard. Arteta informed newsmen that the Norwegian may be available ahead of next week if all goes according to plan in his rehabilitation.The midfielder has been on the sidelines since the September international break when he suffered an ankle injury while on national team duty for Norway. He has subsequently been out of action for the Gunners in their last seven games across all competitions.Although he’s not expected…

An agreement is set for PSG manager Luis Enrique to renew his contract with the club. Enrique, who joined the club in 2023, will sign an extension to keep him at the French side until 2027, according to reports from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The former Barcelona manager’s former deal with the French champions was due to expire in 2025, prompting the club executives to negotiate a new deal with the coach who led the team to Trophee des Champions, Coupe de France and Ligue 1 triumphs in his first season in charge.The offer for the renewal was made as…

Play was suspended for 15 minutes three weeks ago during the Madrid derby when Atletico Madrid fans began chanting and throwing objects on the pitch and at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Atletico were subsequently handed a sanction by the RFEF to close the section of the Metropolitano where the incident occurred for three games and pay a €45,000 fine.However, the sanction has been reduced by the Appeals Committee which ruled after an appeal by Atletico. The club will now pay €3000 less in fines and have the partial stadium closure for just one game instead of three. Nevertheless, the…

English Referees chief Howard Webb has noted the improvements in refereeing standards in the Premier League. Webb pointed out that the video assistant referee (VAR) has made just two errors so far this season.Webb who returned to English football as referees chief in 2022 after eight years of retirement from active on-field officiating made this observation while featuring on the popular podcast Stick To Football hosted by Manchester United legend Gary Neville. The 53-year-old has since focused on seeing operations improved within the English top flight.This appears to be yielding fruits as measures have now been put in place to…

Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has departed the Spain national team camp following the team’s 1-0 victory over Denmark on Saturday. Yamal returns to Barcelona ahead of Spain’s next game against Serbia after picking up a knock in Saturday’s victory against Denmark. The forward is set to miss Spain’s next fixture with Serbia on Tuesday as he recovers under the supervision of his club’s personnel.The 17-year-old’s return to Barca is a precautionary measure to prevent an injury as tests carries out by the RFEF medical team did not detect any injury. The Spanish football association released an official statement confirming this.…