Sports
Klopp praises his record-breaking side and backs Reds to continue scoring
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.
‘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.
‘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.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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