Sports
Ronaldo Blames Offside Goals For Real Madrid Defeats
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says suggestions of a “crisis” are overblown after Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, insisting offside goals have led to recent defeats.
The Champions League holders were convincingly beaten by Spurs at Wembley in the Champions League clash, with Ronaldo’s late goal a mere consolation after a Dele Alli double and a Christian Eriksen strike gave the home side the win.
The result came just three days after the Liga champions were beaten 2-1 by Girona, a result that saw them slip eight points adrift of league leaders Barcelona.
Zinedine Zidane insisted there was no reason to panic despite their first back-to-back defeats since January, and Ronaldo was eager to back his coach and feels they have been unlucky to concede illegal goals.
“We’re in a bad patch, we want to change it and that’s what we’ll do,” he told reporters.
“We’re at the start. It’s the ending that counts. There’s a lot of time to improve and I’m sure we can do it.
“Nothing has happened; they are bad spells. We can’t always be okay. We have to be calm – I don’t think the team is playing that badly.
“People try to look for things when you don’t win [but] the team looks confident to me. I speak, I show my face, I’m confident. We’re in a bad moment but things change. When you lose, things aren’t as you want them to be.
“You have to support your teammates. It was a real blow to lose 3-1 today, and in my opinion it’s not a fair reflection of what happened on the pitch, because their first goal was offside.
“It was the same in Girona, their second goal was offside.
“They’re things out of our control, but what we can control is our attitude, run hard, battle, and that’s not been lacking in either of the last two games.
“Things are what they are, you don’t have to hide them and you have to be positive. People forget the good things very quickly.
“It’s never a crisis. We can lose three or four games but it’s never a crisis. You can’t forget what we’ve done.”
There have been claims Madrid’s form this season has suffered due to a lack of options in the squad, with Pepe, Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez all having been allowed to leave in the transfer window.
Ronaldo believes a lack of experienced players is perhaps hampering their efforts but also highlighted injuries to the likes of Dani Carvajal and Gareth Bale as key problems.
“The players who came in have a lot of potential,” he said. “Pepe, Morata, James made us stronger but the guys now are younger.
“We’re also missing Carvajal, Bale… it’s not a worse squad but we have less experience and that’s very important. It’s not an excuse. We can’t give up.”
Sports
German Coach, Labbadia Named New Head Coach of Super Eagles
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.
Sports
Finidi George Appointed as Technical Manager for Rivers United
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.
South Africa vs Nigeria: Why we failed to defeat Super Eagles – Percy Tau
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.
Kanu advocates for establishment of standard soccer academies
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.”
Sports
US Fund Oaktree ‘Takes Over Ownership’ Of Inter Milan
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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