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Klopp praises his record-breaking side and backs Reds to continue scoring

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Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool’s record-breakers and urged them to take their calm and clinical finishing into the remainder of the season.

Liverpool blitzed Maribor 7-0 to go top of Group E in the Champions League, after Spartak Moscow stunned Sevilla 5-1 and are in full control of their destiny to reach the knockout phase. It was their first away in the Champions League group stage since November 2009.

The final score ensured Klopp’s team surpassed the achievements of sides in 1964 (Reykjavik), 1976 (Crusaders) and 2001 (FC Haka), who had previously made Liverpool’s biggest away win in Europe 5-0. So dominant were Liverpool, though, they could have easily amassed double figures.

It was the kind of display Klopp believed had been coming and after so many weeks of frustration, lamenting how points have been squandered with missed chances, he hopes this will prove to be a turning point.

Asked for his assessment of the performance, Klopp said: ‘Good! Or even better. From first second it was exactly what we wanted to do. We wanted to show the best counter pressing in the last few weeks – I really thought that protecting our offensive movements were really good but we could have done better in counter pressing – and tonight was really good. A few of the goals came from counter-pressing situations.

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‘How we finished these situations was good too, we were cool enough. Often this season we have been alone in the box and not relaxed enough to play the right pass but tonight was different.

‘We showed how good we can be and we never gave up. It was a good all-round performance. It has to be to win 7-0 of course.’

On setting a record score, Klopp added: ‘It will give the players a lot of confidence. I was told about the record after the game and I didn’t know about it. The wonderful history of this club can feel like a back-pack at times so it is nice to write our own good piece of the history.

‘It will be difficult to beat that record. It is quite rare to win 7-0 but it showed we did unbelievably well. Maribor were quite confident before the game for different reasons. We could read the papers over here because my assistant speaks the language and he said they were positive because no English team had won in Maribor (in the Champions League).’

Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho shared five goals between them, while Trent Alexander-Arnold completed the rout but the history making goal was plundered by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Klopp is aware of how big a moment it was for his £35million signing.

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‘It will open his chest.,’ said Klopp. ‘It will help him a lot. He could have scored two. It was nice from Daniel how he made this goal, really cool. The performance was very active.

‘The boys deserved that, and we really kept on going. The only problem recently was how to explain why we didn’t win.

‘That has been the most difficult thing about our recent games. When you don’t score it is a challenge to stay confident but we will try to use this result now.

The next game is Tottenham so it’s pretty likely it will not be a similar result. We have five days to recover and prepare and we are looking forward to it,’ Klopp added.

 

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Osimhen Crowned 2023 CAF Footballer of the Year

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Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.

Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.

The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.

During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.

“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.

Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.

The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”

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Lionel Messi Secures Historic 8th Ballon d’Or Triumph

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Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.

In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.

Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.

His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.

Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.

While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

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His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.

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“B Sample Reveals Presence of Testosterone in Pogba’s Test Results”

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Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.

The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.

The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.

On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.

The player’s entourage declined to comment.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.

The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.

Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.

Testosterone promotes muscle development.

Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.

Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.

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In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.

Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.

The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.

Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.

Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.

His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.

After the first sample tested positive on September 11,  Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.

“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.

 

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