SPORTS
West Ham United appointed former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui as their new manager on Thursday after David Moyes’ departure from the London Stadium.
The 57-year-old Spaniard, who had been unemployed since leaving Wolves just before the recently concluded Premier League season, will officially begin working with the Hammers on July 1.
“We came here with the idea and the thought to make a big, big noise.
“That’s why we came here, and we are excited by this challenge.
“Of course, we are going to do our best to help the club and the team to achieve the best level and to achieve our aims.
“I assure the fans that they are going to be key in all our achievements,” Lopetegui said.
West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan said Lopetegui’s appointment would “ensure a strong opportunity to build on the positive progress made in recent seasons.”
Recall that David Moyes had confirmed that he will be leaving West Ham United at the end of this season as he rolls out his achievements at the club.
David Moyes first coached West Ham United from 2017 to 2018 and then returned to the side in 2019. Since then, he has been enjoying a series of ups and downs in terms of the team’s run under his watch.
Most West Ham United fans seem not to be big lovers of his style of football as they prefer more free-flowing football from the Scottish tactician.
The Hammers secured a ninth-place finish in the Premier League for the 2023/24 season.
Former Chelsea midfielder, Cesc Fabregas has disclosed the reason behind his visit to Chelsea’s training ground last week.
Fabregas, currently managing Como, also dispelled speculations that he might be in line to take over the managerial role following Mauricio Pochettino’s departure.
Speaking on BBC Sounds’ Planet Premier League podcast, Fabregas said on Wednesday, “It’s difficult sometimes to acknowledge or have an opinion when you are not there to see what happened.
“Look, I was there actually. Funnily enough, I went to London on the weekend.
“First of all, I had a good relationship with Mauricio. When we played against them I always felt that he was a really nice guy, a gentleman.
“So I felt they won four games in a row, that was Friday [that he visited], two days before the end of the season, so everything was fun and good and relaxed around the training ground, last game of the season.”
[DailyPost]
Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman has attributed his career and personality evolution to his decision to play for Nigeria.
Ademola Lookman was born in Wandsworth England on October 20, 1997, to Nigerian parents which makes him eligible to play for both countries.
The 26-year-old striker has played for England’s under-19, 20, and 21 levels before he decided to settle for Nigeria at the senior level in 2022 after failing to get the Three Lions of England invite.
Since then, the tricky winger has made himself a very important member of the national team which he has scored 6 goals in 21 games.
“It’s incredible [to play for Nigeria]. The support and the love I get back home from the people is unbelievable,” Lookman told the UEFA official website.
“It gives me the motivation to evolve in different areas – as a person, not just in my game.”
Just like at the 2023 AFCON where Ademola Lookman recorded some brilliant moments as he helped Nigeria to reach the final of the tournament, Lookman has enjoyed some unforgettable moments at Atalanta this season.
The best of them all was his performance in the Europa League final on May 22, 2024, where he became the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final.
The most mind-blowing aspect of that achievement is that Ademola Lookman achieved the feat against newly crowned German Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen who were enjoying a 51-game unbeaten run before the final.
Meanwhile, Lookman’s national teammate, Kenneth Omeruo has urged the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) to make Atalanta winger the 2024 Africa player of the year.
”@CAF_Online your Arica Player of the Year..@ALookman_ top player”, Kenneth Omeruo wrote on X after Ademola Lookman helped Atalanta to win the Europa League with a hat-trick on Wednesday.
Atalanta winger, Ademola Lookman, has said the 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final on Wednesday is one of the “best nights of my life’.
Lookman scored twice in the first half and once after the break, as they became the first Serie A team to win the title.
The win also ended Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten run in emphatic style.
Lookman, speaking to TNT Sports, said: “One of the best nights of my life.
“Amazing performance from the team, we did it, we did it, we did it! Not got much else to say but yeah fantastic.
“They do always say third time lucky, so yeah it is for us today [winning a final at the third attempt this season]. I’m just happy we won. We won today so yes very pleased.”
Super Eagles of Nigeria forward, Ademola Lookman has noted that all he and his teammates need to do to win their first Europa League trophy is to be at the top of their game.
At 8 p.m. tonight, May 22, the German Bundesliga giants, Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta will clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland for the Europa League title.
While Atalanta are in the 5th spot of the Italian Serie A table, Bayer Leverkusen finished their league season as champions without losing a game for the first time in the history of the Bundesliga.
In the league alone, Atalanta have recorded 10 defeats so far this season, while Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in all competitions. Hence, it is a bit of an imbalance in terms of the form of the respective teams.
However, the fact that Atalanta defeated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool on their way to the Europa League final will be a huge motivation for the Serie A side.
Ademola Lookman believes that his team can stop the unbeaten run of Bayer Leverkusen tonight and grab the European title.
“A big occasion for us as a club, as players, as a team, so I’m looking forward to it. We need to be at the top of our game. We know that coming into the tie against a top team, we play top football,” Ademola Lookman told the club’s official website.
“Like we’ve shown this season we play our football to the best of our abilities and we do the necessary.”
[NaijaNews]
The Champions League final in 2026 will be played in Budapest, Hungary.
UEFA confirmed this on Wednesday.
The European football governing body also delayed giving the 2027 final to Milan amid uncertainty over the future of San Siro.
The Puskás Arena and San Siro were the venues for the two finals scheduled to be awarded.
This year’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will be played on June 1 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena will host next year’s showpiece event.
[DailyPost]
Super Eagles coach Finidi George has emphasized his unwavering commitment to victory, regardless of tactical formations.
Finidi, who was appointed coach of the three-time African champions on April 19, was unveiled on Monday, May 13, by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and Sports Minister Sen. John Owan Enoh at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The 53-year-old, who is currently on a media tour, made this known in an interview on Brilla FM on Tuesday.
His words: “My philosophy is to win. For me, formation is not that important, because if players interpret when to attack and when to defend and do it well, there won’t be problems.
“You can play 2-5-2 or 4-4-2, but if the players know they have to attack or defend, the team won’t have problems. That is what Manchester City, Arsenal, and every other team do, but the difference is when players recognise this moment.”
In another interview, Finidi, who was a guest on Arise TV on Wednesday, addressed issues surrounding his contract as Super Eagles head coach.
Finidi stated that regardless of the number of years on his contract, performances on the pitch will determine whether he stays longer as coach, adding that the NFF is not being disrespectful with the terms of his contract.
His words: “It’s not a one-year deal,” he clarified. “It is based on how well we perform. Even if you have given me a five-year deal and I don’t perform, definitely, I will leave before that five years… My focus is on adding value, winning games, and playing attractive football. If I achieve that, the contract length becomes secondary. But currently, it’s a two-year performance-based deal.
“Personally, I don’t think so, even Peseiro who came was given a target; Nigeria has gotten to a level that you can’t bring a coach and say, let him stay for four or five years hoping he will turn things around.”
The Super Eagles will host South Africa in their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, June 7th.
The three-time African champions will travel to face Benin at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan three days later.
Names have been mentioned regarding the manager likely to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
DAILY POST reported on Tuesday that the Argentine gaffer left the Blues on mutual consent.
Chelsea witnessed a significant improvement towards the end of the season, finishing sixth in the Premier League table.
But the former PSG and Tottenham boss could not stay any longer at Stamford Bridge, as he is reportedly at loggerheads with the club’s owners.
Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that the Blues are looking for a dynamic manager.
He said that several candidates are being discussed internally with owners and directors involved.
“Thomas Frank is among the names mentioned internally; also Kieran McKenna but still all open. Seb Hoeneß, highly rated but fully focused on Stuttgart,” he said.
A talented Nigerian artiste, Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale, has designed the 2024 Emirates FA Cup trophy which final comes up this Saturday.
The 23-year-old British-Nigerian, popularly known as Olaolu Slawn was approached by the English Football Association to design a one-off special trophy after BRIT awards.
He designed the trophy alongside Thomas Lyte.
This was first disclosed by @whatsonshuffle via X writing, “After previous endeavors with the BRITs Awards, Slawn has been commissioned to create the design for the 2024 FA Cup Trophy.”
Olaolu Slawn’s video of the making of the FA Cup trophy was also posted.
Confirming the project on Monday via his Instagram handle, the Lagos-born designer wrote, “Biggest thing I’ve done yet. My tribute to the FA Cup trophy. Slawn and @ThomasLyte. Thank you @EmiratesFACup. Amen.”
The Emirates FA Cup reacted, “Can’t wait to see your tribute unveiled on Monday.”
Most of Slawn’s works include spray paint, large-scale pop art canvases, graffiti, caricatures and murals.
In 2023, he became the youngest person to design the Britannia statuette for the annual BRIT awards.
His latest work, the FA Cup trophy would be lifted by either side of the Manchester clubs in a derby final at Wembley Stadium, on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
first black UK consultant in kidney treatment
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester were crowned the EPL Champions of Saturday, and look forward to getting a better chance of their bitter rivals to do double.
Manchester United, managed by Dutch Erik ten Hag, are desirous of the England’s oldest cup to wrap up the season with a silverware and book a place for Europa League next season.
Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent after meeting with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali over the course of two days.
LEADERSHIP can reveal that Pochettino agreed to his departure with Chelsea late on Tuesday morning, following the club’s end-of-season review that started on Monday.
There is no any bad blood between Pochettino and Chelsea, who will immediately start their search for a replacement with a young and progressive coach to be targeted.
Among the names likely to be considered will be Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, Girona’s Michel, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, who has been lined up by Brighton, and Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca.
Pochettino had met co-controlling owner Todd Boehly for dinner last Friday night, before, on Monday and Tuesday, spending several hours with Winstanley and Stewart, and meeting with Eghbali.
It means Pochettino leaves Chelsea after one year of the two-year contract he signed last summer and is in line to pocket a significant compensation fee.
The departure of Pochettino, which has been described as being ‘amicable’, makes him the third permanent head coach to lose his job under the Clearlake Capital-Boehly ownership after Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Bruno Saltor managed Chelsea for one game last season, before Frank Lampard took interim charge, meaning a total of five managers have worked under Chelsea’s current owners in two years.
A run of five successive wins at the end of this season clinched European qualification for Chelsea under Pochettino, who also took the club to the final of the Carabao Cup and the semi-final of the FA Cup.
The Argentine has left with his head held high and his reputation intact. But, in the view of key figures at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s season, viewed as a whole, fell short of pre-season expectations and raised issues such as the crippling injury list.
[Leadership]
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Arne Slot, the coach of Feyenoord will replace Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool made the announcement on Monday.
Liverpool said in a statement that the Dutchman, 45, would take up the position of head coach on June 1, subject to a work permit.
The club did not specify the length of his contract in their statement but Sky Sports said it understood Slot had signed a three-year deal.
Slot’s arrival has been an open secret, with Liverpool reportedly agreeing a compensation deal worth up to £9.4 million ($12 million).
He confirmed Anfield was his next destination at his final pre-match press conference at the Eredivisie club on Friday.
Klopp announced his departure in January and took charge of his final game on Sunday, a 2-0 win against Wolves.
In his final speech to the Anfield crowd, the German urged fans to throw their full support behind Slot.
“You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me,” he said. “You go all-in from the first day. And you keep believing and you push the team.”
Slot moved to Feyenoord in 2021 after impressing in his first managerial role at AZ Alkmaar.
He led the Dutch giants to the inaugural Europa Conference League final at the end of his first season. They narrowly lost 1-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Slot then delivered just a second league title in 24 years to De Kuip last season before penning a new three-year deal.
“You can see people are genuinely sorry you are leaving,” he said on Friday.
“You can say that with words, but when you see it in people’s faces, it affects me quite a lot.”
Feyenoord have enjoyed a strong season, winning the Dutch Cup and coming second to an all-conquering PSV Eindhoven side.
Liverpool captain and fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk has hailed Slot’s attacking mindset, saying it would suit the philosophy at Anfield.
Initially, Bayer Leverkusen boss and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was the favourite to succeed Klopp at Anfield.
However, Alonso has committed to staying at Leverkusen after leading them to a first-ever Bundesliga title.
Liverpool won the League Cup in Klopp’s final season in charge and finished third in the Premier League, qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Super Eagles head coach Finidi George says his team is focused on their next 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
The three-time African champions are yet to record a win in the qualifiers after drawing their opening two games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The West Africans must beat Hugo Broos’ side to get their qualification campaign back on track.
Finidi is wary of the difficult task ahead of his team but is confident they can surmount the hurdle.
“We know Nigerians would love the team to win all the time, and we’ll just get the players focused on the game, one game at a time. We focus on the South African game and see how we can win that one before we talk about the Benin Republic game. For me, as a coach, it’s either you have a good result, or you don’t have a good result,” Finidi said in an interview with Eagle FM.
“One cannot be scared in life. Like I said, going through life is difficult, you walk through it with the difficulties that you know you’ll encounter. So that’s how I look at life and approach it that way, and football will not be any different. We will do our job and make sure we get the best out of that game, and apart from that, nothing else.”
Super Eagles of Nigeria midfielder, Alex Iwobi has stressed that he has no regrets for choosing his ancestral home over England in international football.
Alex Iwobi was born in Lagos, Nigeria but was raised in London and had his basic football education at Arsenal Football Academy. He graduated from the academy and started his professional football career at the club.
Due to his skills and enormous potential, Alex Iwobi represented England at Under-16, Under-17, and Under-18 levels. Despite that, he opted to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Iwobi made his international debut for Nigeria on March 25, 2016, against Egypt in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
Since then, the former Everton versatile midfielder who now plays for Fulham has gone on to become one of the most prominent members of the national team.
“I wouldn’t say I have any regrets. I’d like to say I respected England, they gave me a lot of opportunities and I was able to do them proud,” Alex Iwobi told Hotsports Nigeria.
“But I feel more at home with Nigeria. I feel this is where I’m at home and where I represent, like my family, everyone. I’ve grown up in a Nigerian culture so I’d say that I have no regrets about picking Nigeria over England
“I’ve been here for a while now and I’m familiar with the team. Even from the first time I came here they always made me feel welcome.
“I’m always enjoying myself not just when we are playing matches but in training. In the camp, it’s like one big family so it makes it easier for me to express myself and join in.
“I’m enjoying my time and hopefully there’s more years to come as well.”
![Arsenal Fan In Kenyan Commits Suicide Over Inability Of Club To Win EPL Title [PHOTOS]](/media/k2/items/cache/63fa4ef4103dda54f872ecd627528ab7_XS.jpg)
A Kenyan man has allegedly committed suicide following the outcome of the 2023/24 English Premier League season, which Manchester City won on Sunday, May 19.
In a viral video seen by Pulse, the deceased, who was wearing an Arsenal FC jersey, was spotted in a position that seemed like he had hung himself to death.
It was gathered that the unknown man, whose identity is yet to be determined, was an Arsenal fan.
Man City and Arsenal entered the season's final day knowing that a slip from either of them would cost them the title.
However, Man City entered the final day of the season with a two-point advantage over Arsenal, with 88 and 86 points, respectively.
A win for Man City against West Ham at the Etihad would seal them a record fourth consecutive EPL title, while Arsenal also required a must-win against Everton at the Emirate stadium and a slip from Man City to secure their first EPL title in 20 years.
Man City eventually won the title after defeating West Ham 3-1, while Arsenal needed a late winner in stoppage time to defeat Everton 2-1.
However, the tragic video of the Arsenal fan who killed himself has sparked mixed reactions amongst netizens on social media.