Sports
Thibaut Courtois talk tough title chances ahead of crunch Manchester United clash
Thibaut Courtois admits it is now a simple equation for Chelsea .
Beat Manchester United on Sunday and stay in the title race. Lose at Stamford Bridge to his former boss Jose Mourinho and kiss it goodbye.
Credit to the big Belgian keeper . His saves from Stephan El Sharaawy and substitute Kostas Manolas stopped that nightmare Roman conquest on Tuesday night from turning into an annihilation.
Now he will be hoping for more protection at the weekend when Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial roll into town. Chelsea’s chances of catching the Manchester clubs depends on it.
“City are nine points ahead of us, United four, Tottenham just one.” he said. “So if you want,this game is a must-win game to remain at the top and remain close to the other teams.
“We will try to get the three points at home and we will give our lives for it on Sunday.”
Courtois stood up to be counted after the Rome disappointment, addressing head on the questions as to what has gone so badly wrong for the Premier League champions.
Courtois believes injuries and an increased workload are catching up with the the players that cruised to Premier League success last season.
N’Golo Kante has been out for three weeks, Victor Moses remains on the sidelines. Danny Drinkwater, signed from Leicester in August, was injured until last month. Eden Hazard had ankle surgery during the summer.
Alvaro Morata and Pedro have also had setbacks during the first two months of the campaign. Gary Cahill has been suspended. Bakayoko is still adapting to the Premier League. So too Antonio Rudiger.
Antonio Conte decided against risking Kante – despite the dynamism and protection he gives to the Chelsea defence – with United such a crucial contest on Sunday.
Courtois remains convinced that the approach from Conte is the right one for the long term.
“N’Golo Kante was important for us and brings a lot of balance into the team.” he said. “But you cannot push him if he does not feel ready.
“Danny Drinkwater was out a long time as well so Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko played a lot of games and that impacts on their legs.
“So it’s harder for them to keep up the pressure, especially against the three midfielders as Roma played with.”
The question was still – legitimately – raised during Tuesday’s post-mortem as to why Nemanja Matic was sold, to United in particular.
But Courtois suggested the Serbian midfielder had had his heart set on a reunion with Mourinho anyway.
Matic may have been just what Chelsea cried out for at the heart of their midfield in Rome. Yet in the wider context he is understood to have preferred a first-team role at Old Trafford instead of third choice – behind Bakayoko and Kante – at the Bridge.
Courtois went on: “If a player nowadays wants to go to a team, then he has – I don’t want to say the power – but if he has a strong will to leave and join another team then it is hard for the club.
“You cannot just ignore him and say ‘you cannot leave’ because then you have a disappointed player who won’t play at his best.
“So obviously for us you give a player to another big team, but they are choices that are made in football and we have some quality midfielders.
“So I hope we can show on Sunday that we are better.”
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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