Barcelona are reportedly weighing the option of removing Marc-André Ter Stegen from his role as club captain, according to Diario SPORT. The German goalkeeper will miss the club’s pre-season tour of Asia after opting to undergo surgery to address ongoing back issues. He is expected to be sidelined for up to three months, ruling him out of several matches at the start of the new season. In a separate development, goalkeeper James Trafford is set to join Manchester City this summer. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Trafford will undergo his medical next week, with Manchester City agreeing to pay…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo has revealed that his father hails from Lagos State, Nigeria, while his mother is from Ekiti State. The 27-year-old, who was born in London and raised in Manchester, shared these details during an interview with Arise News as he reflected on his football journey and his close bond with Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer. “My mum is from Ekiti. Our plan is to go there and see where she was raised and lived,” Tosin said. “My brother would know better, but my dad is from Lagos.” Speaking further, Adarabioyo noted his connection with Palmer: “I was born…
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has announced his squad for the club’s upcoming pre-season tour of Asia. New signing Marcus Rashford, who recently joined on loan from Manchester United, has been included in the traveling party. Barcelona’s squad for the Asia tour includes:Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí, Gavi, Balde, M. Casadó, Fermín, Pedri, Toni Fernández, Eric, Ferran, Araujo, Iñaki Peña, Kounde, Olmo, De Jong, Raphinha, Christensen, Garcia, Rashford, Fort, Kochen, Bardghji, Martin, Torrents, Fernández ‘Dro’, I. Martínez, Szczesny, Lewandowski, Bernal, and Fernández. The LaLiga champions will kick off their pre-season campaign on Friday, July 25. They are scheduled to face Vissel Kobe…
Former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United manager José Mourinho has named his preferred candidates for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, overlooking Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé.Speaking to Canal 11, Mourinho backed Paris Saint-Germain duo and fellow Portuguese stars Vitinha and Nuno Mendes to win the prestigious award. He emphasized that individual accolades should be closely tied to team success.“For me, any individual trophy must always have a direct connection to titles,” Mourinho said, as quoted by SPORTbible. “I love them both [Vitinha and Mendes]; I can’t tell the difference. The only thing I’d say is that there are…
Real Madrid have reportedly granted manager Xabi Alonso’s two main requests during the ongoing summer transfer window. According to Madrid Zone, via Cadena SER, Alonso has asked the club to retain Dani Ceballos beyond this summer, despite growing speculation about the midfielder’s future. Ceballos has been linked with a return to La Liga side Real Betis. In addition, Alonso has requested that no midfielder be sold this summer—a proposal Real Madrid have accepted. The decision comes in the wake of Luka Modric’s departure earlier this month, as the club looks to maintain midfield depth heading into the 2025/26 LaLiga season.…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the full payment of match bonuses and allowances for the Super Falcons ahead of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final. The announcement was made by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, during a media briefing. According to Dikko, all entitlements have already been released for immediate disbursement to the players and officials. The move is aimed at boosting team morale as the Super Falcons prepare to take on hosts Morocco — the Atlas Lionesses — in the WAFCON 2024 final at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
New Napoli signing Kevin De Bruyne has opened up about his decision to join the Serie A champions during the summer transfer window. The Belgian midfielder recently completed his move to Napoli after departing Manchester City. Speaking ahead of Napoli’s pre-season friendly against Arezzo on Tuesday, De Bruyne said he was drawn by the club’s ambition and clear direction. “I decided to join Napoli because the project is ambitious. I can feel the club is progressing quickly,” De Bruyne said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. “My excitement was clear when Napoli presented me with their vision. I believe we can…
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has revealed he was left frightened after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly lingered on stage during their Club World Cup trophy celebration. Trump had been invited to present the trophy following Chelsea’s dominant 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final. However, rather than exiting the stage afterward, he remained among the celebrating players as Reece James hoisted the trophy — leaving everyone confused. “We were told Trump would present the trophy and that we couldn’t lift it until he left,” Cucurella told Spanish journalist Gerard Romero. “But he just stayed there. We were all looking…
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended the way the Premier League addressed the rape allegations involving midfielder Thomas Partey. Partey, who now faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, was charged shortly after his contract with Arsenal expired. Speaking at a press conference in Singapore, Arteta stated that both the club and the league “100 per cent” followed the proper procedures in dealing with the matter. His comments come in response to growing criticism after reports revealed that complaints about Partey were made nearly a year before his first arrest in 2022. According to The Telegraph,…
Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea has opened up about his collapsed transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid, saying he believes everything happens for a reason. De Gea was on the verge of joining the LaLiga giants on deadline day in the summer of 2015, but the move famously fell through after the paperwork was not submitted on time. Both clubs later blamed each other for the failed transfer. Speaking to Italian outlet Cronache Di Spogliatoio, De Gea said:”I’ll speak more openly about it when my career ends. But when things don’t happen, it’s usually for a reason. The deal…