TheNewsGuru

Tag: Clubs

  • UEFA to raise payments for clubs not in European competition

    UEFA to raise payments for clubs not in European competition

    Clubs that fail to qualify for UEFA’s competitions are set to receive a greater share of revenue from the European governing body from next season.

    The arrangement is under a new distribution model announced on Wednesday by UEFA.

    UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) signed a renewed working agreement until 2030 which will “bolster long-term stability and sustainable growth in European club football,” the governing body said in a statement.

    The change will be effective from the start of the 2024-25 season, coinciding with a new format in UEFA’s Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

    Under the new model for the 2024-2027 cycle, seven per cent of the revenue UEFA earns from the three competitions will be distributed to clubs not competing in them, up from four per cent.

    The European Leagues Association, which represents professional soccer leagues in Europe, said the change would result in 308 million euros ($330.02 million) being shared among non-participating clubs, up from the current 175 million euros.

    “Today’s announcement … will help all clubs across Europe to safeguard their competitiveness on and off the pitch while keeping investing in youth and talent development,” it said in a statement.

    UEFA said further details of the new system would be unveiled at a later date.

     

  • Transfer: Arsenal hike-up Balogun price

    Transfer: Arsenal hike-up Balogun price

    Premier League giants Arsenal are holding out for £50 million for their striker Folarin Balogun.

    The United States international has seen his stock rise massively over the past few months.

    An impressive loan at Reims and a good start to his USA career means he is sought after.

    Per The Sun, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Marseille, Monaco and RB Leipzig are all in the mix for his signature.

    However, the Gunners are not going to sell for a low fee, as they want big money for the 22-year-old.

    A bidding war is very likely and manager Mikel Arteta can use those funds to sign other targets.

  • Omicron: Premier League clubs choose to continue matches

    Omicron: Premier League clubs choose to continue matches

    Premier League clubs on Monday decided against a temporary halt to the season despite a surge in coronavirus cases that has forced mass postponements and threatened to derail the season.

    Just four of the weekend’s scheduled 10 games went ahead as Britain battles record numbers of positive Covid cases due to the new Omicron strain.

    The Premier League board has been considering applications for postponements on a case-by-case basis but there has been criticism over the decision-making process, with fears it jeopardises the sporting integrity of the competition.

    There had been talk of a potential “firebreaker”, with suggestions that the middle round of the festive fixtures from December 28-30 could be postponed.

    But on Monday the English top flight, following a shareholders’ meeting involving representatives from the 20 clubs, said games would continue through the busy festive season.

    “It was confirmed at a Premier League club meeting today that while recognising a number of clubs are experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks and challenges, it is the league’s collective intention to continue the current fixture schedule where safely possible,” the Premier League said in a statement.

    “The health and wellbeing of all concerned remains our priority and the League will continue to monitor and reflect public health guidance, always proceeding with caution.”

    The statement also said 84 percent of players had had at least one dose of vaccination.

    “The league continues to work with clubs to encourage vaccination among players and club staff, as well as promoting the Government’s public-health vaccination messaging to clubs and the wider public,” it added.

    The English Football League also confirmed on Monday that its competitions, including this week’s League Cup quarter-finals, would proceed as planned.

    “Throughout the pandemic our two priorities have been ensuring the welfare of those involved in EFL competitions and ensuring the fixture schedule can continue where it is safe to do so,” said EFL chief executive Trevor Birch.

    The Football Association said FA Cup replays for the third and fourth round have been scrapped to free up space in the calendar.

  • EPL clubs plot to get Newcastle relegated after Saudi takeover

    EPL clubs plot to get Newcastle relegated after Saudi takeover

    Premier League clubs are joining together to work against Newcastle United in the January transfer market.

    Newcastle’s top-flight rivals are understood to be furious about the takeover. Last week, 18 of the 20 clubs voted to temporarily stop commercial arrangements that involve pre-existing business relationships.

    The legislation would effectively prevent the Saudis lucrative sponsorship deals.

    But Premier League clubs have now allegedly gone a step further by insisting that they will not enter into transfer negotiations with Newcastle.

    The Daily Mail says Newcastle chiefs fear that their rivals are snubbing them over deals in the hope that they are relegated to the Championship.

    The Tyneside outfit are currently 19th in the Premier League and are without a win. Manager Steve Bruce’s long-expected departure finally became reality last week.

  • 2020/2021 NPFL ends with 5 clubs seeking 2 tickets, 4 others fighting relegation

    2020/2021 NPFL ends with 5 clubs seeking 2 tickets, 4 others fighting relegation

    The 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season ends on Thursday with many high points to look forward to, even without the competition’s title at stake.

    The season began on Dec. 27, and it has trudged on since in spite of issues of the absence of title sponsors as well as the accumulation of match indemnities and other entitlements to match officials.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all these will now come to an end (at least for this season) with Match Day 38 fixtures at 10 venues on Thursday.

    Akwa United Football Club of Uyo have won the title since Match Day 37 on Sunday, after whipping MFM FC of Lagos 5-2 to move to 71 points for an unassailable nine-point lead.

    But much is still at stake, with qualification tickets for the 2021/2022 CAF Champions League and 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup on the line, as well as relegation to the lower league.

    The position of second-placed Nasarawa United of Lafia is under threat and they may miss the chance to join Akwa United in qualifying for the 2021/2022 CAF Champions League.

    A win will however take them far away from the chasing pack of third-placed Kano Pillars, fourth-placed Rivers United, fifth-placed Enyimba International and sixth-placed Kwara United.

    But each of all the five clubs have a chance, provided they win and their nearest rivals lose, with one CAF Champions League ticket and one Confederation Cup ticket at stake.

    With all five of them playing away, the situation is unpredictable and only those who can grab away wins will pick the tickets to play on the continent.

    FC IfeanyiUbah and Adamawa United are already relegated, but the other two to join them can be any two of Warri Wolves, Sunshine Stars, Wikki Tourists and Jigawa Golden Stars.

    Warri Wolves need more than a win to escape the drop, while Sunshine Stars and Wikki Tourists need to just win to scale through.

    But that will be if Jigawa Golden Stars do not draw or win at MFM FC.

    NAN reports that two clubs are to join the duo of Adamawa United and FC IfeanyiUbah in dropping to the Nigeria National League (NNL) for the 2021/2022 season.

    On the other hand, the second-placed team will join winners Akwa United in playing in the 2021/2022 CAF Champions League, while the third-placed team will play in the 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup.

    Match Day 38 Fixtures

    Abia Warriors vs Nasarawa United

    Dakkada FC vs Enyimba International

    Rangers International vs Plateau United

    Heartland FC vs Kano Pillars

    FC IfeanyiUbah vs Warri Wolves

    Kwara United vs Katsina United

    Lobi Stars vs Akwa United

    MFM FC vs Jigawa Golden Stars

    Sunshine Stars vs Rivers United

    Wikki Tourists vs Adamawa United

     

    Results from last Match Day 37

    Akwa United 5-2 MFM FC

    Plateau United 2-0 Dakkada FC

    Katsina United 1-0 Abia Warriors

    Warri Wolves 1-0 Heartland FC

    Rivers United 3-1 Lobi Stars

    Enyimba International 1-1 Sunshine Stars

    Nasarawa United 3-0 Rangers International

    Adamawa United 0-2 Kwara United

    Kano Pillars 1-0 Wikki Tourists

    Jigawa Golden Stars 3-0 FC IfeanyiUbah

  • COVID-19: Lagos seals 10 clubs, religious centres over non-compliance

    COVID-19: Lagos seals 10 clubs, religious centres over non-compliance

    The Lagos State Safety Commission has sealed over 10 social and religious centres over non-compliance with the directive on social distancing and ban on social and religious gathering.

    The enforcement team, led by the Director- General of the commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, disclosed that the commission sealed the Harvest Lagos, Bay Lounge, The Heavens Suites, Angle Villa Bar, Ehi Guest House and Gardens Egbeda, Mountain Top Hotels and Suites Ojodu.

    The Technical Adviser to the Commission, Mr Seun Awojobi, explained that while carrying out the enforcement on Friday night, the team was allegedly attacked and shot at Osigold Hotels and Bar in Baruwa Ipaja, Lagos.

    He said the hotel had over 100 people clubbing and dancing within its premises, flouting the state government’s directive and contravening the Infectious Disease Law of the state.

    The Director-General affirmed that the hotel was sealed, saying that the team was determined to ensure that relevant laws and safety guidelines were strictly adhered to.

    ”Citizens should take responsibility and fight against the COVID-19 more seriously to complement the efforts of the government to curb spread of the virus,” he said.

    Mojola enjoined the public to continue to register their businesses in line with the ”Register to Open lnitiative” of the government on www.lasgsafetyreg.com, to ensure adequate space management and preparation against when such businesses will be allowed to open.

    He sounded a note of warning to other facilities in the state, stating that the commission would continue to shut down erring and non compliant facilities across the state.

    Mojola reiterated the importance of wearing a face mask always “as it ensures that you are keeping yourself and other people around you from being infected,”.

  • Man clubs two children to death with pestle

    Man clubs two children to death with pestle

    A 34-year old man Ifeanyi Apusiobi on Sunday supposedly killed two of his children in Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

     

    The suspect reportedly attacked his victims, Chinecherem and Obinna, with a pestle while they were sleeping.

     

    The suspect also injured his 72-year old father, Dominic, in the head with the same object.

     

     

    Police spokesman Haruna Mohammed confirmed the incident, saying the suspect has been arrested.

     

    He said the situations surrounding the incident were yet to be ascertained.

     

    Detectives who visited the scene reportedly rushed the three victims to hospital where the two children were confirmed dead, while the 72-year-old was responding to treatment.

  • Serie A clubs allowed to resume training Monday

    Italian football teams have been given permission from the government to resume training from Monday.

    The government had initially declared that as of May 4 citizens can exercise in parks and athletes involved in individual sport can begin training again as they begin lifting lockdown restrictions.

    Team sports were initially required to wait a further two weeks before training centres would open again, but regions in Italy such as Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Sardinia have given the go-ahead for athletes to return on May 4.

    Many more regions were set to follow that example, prompting minister of sports Vincenzo Spadafora to write to the scientific committee urging them to consider allowing training centres for team sports to open as well. The Italian government has accepted that it would be unfair to prevent other athletes from training and agreed to give permission.

    Serie A clubs will now be allowed to return to individual training until May 17, after which group practice are expected to resume.

    Sassulo and Roma had already confirmed they will start individual training sessions and medical assessments next week after their regions lifted restrictions.

    The Italian top-flight looks likely to resume the 2019-20 campaign after all 20 clubs voted in favour of doing so whenever possible at an emergency meeting on Friday, though it is dependent on government approval.

    Goal

  • Premier League moves transfer deadline to Sep. 1

    Premier League clubs have decided to change their summer transfer window to bring it back in line with the rest of Europe.

    It means this summer’s transfer window will close on September 1at 5pm for Premier League clubs.

    The Premier League has also confirmed the 2020/21 season will start on August 8.

    A statement from the Premier League regarding the transfer window change read: “At a Shareholders’ Meeting today, Premier League clubs voted to adopt a change to the Summer Transfer Window closing date for season 2020/21.

    This will move the closing date back to the traditional point at the end of August/early September. The 2020 closing date will therefore be 17:00 BST on 1 September (31 August 2020 being a UK Bank Holiday).

    Clubs agreed after discussing the topic at length at previous Shareholders’ Meetings.”

    In 2017, Premier League clubs voted to close the transfer window a day before the start of the new season, abandoning the European-wide deadline at the end of August.

    Premier League managers have bemoaned the changes, suggesting it leaves clubs in England at a disadvantage with European teams still able to sign their players once the window has closed domestically.

    When the vote took place two years ago, only Manchester United, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Watford and Swansea voted against the amendment.

     

  • How Europa League draw could see Manchester United face Chris Smalling

    How Europa League draw could see Manchester United face Chris Smalling

    After Thursday’s 4-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar left Manchester United top of Europa League Group L and they now must wait to see who they will play in the first knockout stage.

    Of the 31 other sides remaining in the competition, there are 14 that could be heading to Old Trafford in the round of 32: APOEL, Bayer Leverkusen, CFR Cluj, Club Brugge, Copenhagen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Getafe, Ludogorets, Olympiacos, Rangers, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting Lisbon and Wolfsburg.

    Eye catching prospects include a trip to Rome to face a Roma side that could potentially include Chris Smalling if the Italians capture his signature in the January transfer window. Bayer Leverkusen, currently lying one place above Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in sixth, could also offer one of the stiffest challenges and a trip to the hostile Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donesk would not be on Olé Gunnar Solskjaer’s wish list either.

    A fun draw for the fans would be a trip to Ibrox to face ‘Slippy’ Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.

    A win in this round would open up the draw for a potential round of 16 tie against the likes of Romelu Lukaku’s Inter Milan, Ajax, FC Porto or Benfica along with fellow English clubs Arsenal and Wolves.

    The draw for the round of 32 will take place on Monday at around noon GMT on Monday and will be streamed live on UEFA’s website. The away leg will take place on the 20th February and the home leg on the 27th February 2020. The final will be played in Gdansk, Poland on Wednesday, May 27th.