Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that Wojciech Szczesny is now his first-choice goalkeeper. Szczesny has been preferred over Inaki Pena as Barcelona’s starting goalkeeper in recent weeks. Pena had previously stepped in as the number one after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a knee ligament injury last September. However, ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey quarter-final against Valencia on Thursday, Flick confirmed that Szczesny holds the number one spot. “Szczesny is our first goalkeeper now, it’s confirmed,” Flick stated. “It’s not just about Iñaki or Szczesny, but about the whole…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
The Premier League is considering sanctions for players whose goal celebrations are deemed to harm the game’s reputation or risk provoking opposition fans or players. This move follows criticism of some celebrations, with many feeling that certain actions crossed the line into mocking opponents. Iliman Ndiaye was booked for flapping his arms like a seagull after scoring Everton’s winner against Brighton, while Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly mimicked Erling Haaland’s ‘zen’ celebration in a 5-1 win over Manchester City, though he received no punishment. Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy has previously mimicked an eagle after scoring against Crystal Palace and taunted Tottenham fans…
Carlo Ancelotti has acknowledged that the opinions of senior players like Luka Modric must be respected after the Croatian veteran joined other Real Madrid players in criticizing Vinicius Junior during Wednesday’s win over Leganes. Ancelotti made several changes to his lineup for the Copa del Rey clash, bringing Vinicius on as a substitute at half-time, just before Leganes equalized to make it 2-2. Despite securing a stoppage-time victory, tensions flared in the second half, with Vinicius facing sharp criticism from Modric. As Madrid prepared to defend a corner, Modric was seen reprimanding Vinicius for what appeared to be a lack…
Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla. Valencia, struggling at the bottom end of La Liga this season, were unable to find any relief in this quarter-final clash. Ferran Torres gave Barcelona the lead within the first three minutes, and just 15 minutes later, Robert Lewandowski’s replacement, Torres, doubled the advantage. Fermin Lopez made it 3-0 with just 25 minutes played, and Torres completed his hat-trick in only 30 minutes against his boyhood club. Valencia left the pitch at halftime to boos from the…
Liverpool will face Newcastle United in the 2025 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium next month, when the first major trophy of the season will be handed out. After Newcastle booked their place in the March showpiece on Wednesday by completing a 4-0 aggregate rout of Arsenal, Liverpool followed on Thursday. The Reds prevailed 4-0 over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, successfully turning around an aggregate deficit. It took Liverpool just over half an hour to erase Tottenham’s narrow advantage from the first leg, with Cody Gakpo firing past Antonin Kinsky after Mohamed Salah’s cross made it all the way to…
A fan of Ghana’s renowned football club, Asante Kotoko, has tragically died after being stabbed during a match against local rivals Nsoatreman. The victim, Francis Yaw Frimpong, commonly known as Pooley, was killed following a heated argument with an unidentified individual during the game, according to a statement from Nsoatreman. The match, held on Sunday in the central town of Nsoatre, was marred by fan violence, with spectators throwing objects onto the pitch. The situation escalated when some fans stormed the field, attacking players and officials. After a brief pause, the match resumed, but Asante Kotoko ultimately lost 1-0 to…
Real Madrid defender David Alaba has suffered another injury setback, just weeks after returning from a lengthy recovery following an ACL tear. The Austrian international spent over a year sidelined after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December 2023, and had only just rejoined the squad, making four substitute appearances in January. However, Madrid confirmed on Tuesday that the 31-year-old has now injured his left thigh adductor muscle. While the club did not specify a recovery timeline, reports suggest Alaba could be out for two to three weeks. His absence exacerbates Madrid’s defensive woes, with Eder Militao still recovering from…
Manchester City made waves on transfer deadline day by securing a deal with FC Porto for midfielder Nicolas González, making them the biggest spenders of the January 2025 transfer window. In a dramatic last-minute decision, City signed González after initially hesitating to meet his release clause, ultimately agreeing to invest around €60 million. Porto stood firm on their valuation, especially since a significant portion of the fee would go to González’s former club, Barcelona, due to a clause in his contract. This clause dictates that up to 40% of the transfer fee must be paid to Barcelona, adding complexity to…
Kelechi Iheanacho joined Middlesbrough on a six-month loan from La Liga’s Sevilla on Monday evening, marking his return to England after successful spells with Manchester City and Leicester City. “We’re obviously delighted to have Kelechi joining us. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it in time for tonight, but he’s going to be an important player for us and have a big impact,” said Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick to Sky Sports. “We have some strong attacking players. We’ll have a solid week of training to get everyone settled before we go again.” Iheanacho is expected to make his debut for…
Manchester United are facing a significant setback with the injury to defender Lisandro Martinez. Ruben Amorim acknowledged after United’s loss to Crystal Palace that Martinez’s injury seemed to be serious. It was one of those injuries where the severity was immediately apparent from the player’s reaction, as the centre-back had to be stretchered off the pitch. Martinez is expected to miss the remainder of the season, and reports from Argentina suggest he has torn his ACL, meaning he will be sidelined for most of 2025. This is devastating news for the Argentine, who had been in excellent form throughout January,…