Why I’ll always be grateful to Harry Redknapp – Yakubu Aiyegbeni

 

Former Everton striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, has disclosed he will always be grateful to former Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp, for believing in him and allowing him to play.

Redknapp signed Aiyegbeni from Israeli club Maccabi Haifa to then Championship side Portsmouth in January 2003.

Aiyegbeni eventually led Portsmouth to promotion to the English Premier League, EPL.

The former Nigerian international went on to become a prolific striker, scoring 95 EPL goals while starring for the likes of Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough under different managers.

“I will always be grateful to Harry Redknapp for giving me the opportunity to play,” Aiyegbeni told Planet Football.

“He always believed in me. He always motivated me, and his man-management was unbelievable. He would say, ‘Just go and destroy those guys. They are not good enough. Your quality is much better than theirs.’ And I did it.

“When I crossed the white line, I wanted to give my best. I didn’t want to let myself or my family down. Harry was the one who gave me the opportunity to show myself, and I did it, thanks to him.”

Aiyegbeni retired from football on 22 November 2017.

‘I’m curious’ – Bayern Munich CEO, Rummenigge pays tribute to Marina Granovskaia

 

Bayern Munich CEO, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has paid tribute to Chelsea Director, Marina Granovskaia, for the job she is doing at Stamford Bridge.

Granovskaia is Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich’s right-hand woman at the west London club.

The 46-year-old has grown to become one of the most powerful leaders in world football.

She has built a reputation for her smart dealings in transfer transactions.

Speaking to the Athletic, Rummenigge said, “I am curious to see if there will be one club in Europe that can break even this season.

“It will be challenging, even for us. We have lost €4m to €5m per game, you can work out what that means in total.

“After more than 1 year without fans, the income loss has been much greater for the big clubs. Some of the smaller clubs, who rely on selling, will sustain real damage as well. There will be maybe 2, or 3 clubs who are able to buck the trend.

“Chelsea’s numbers, for example, look very positive. Marina [Granovskaia] has done a very good job. But we won’t see any all-time-high records tumble this summer, that is for sure.”

Nigerian military eliminate ISWAP leaders Amir Abu-Rabi, Mohamer Likita

 

The Nigerian military has eliminated top leaders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and scores of fighters in Borno in a major offensive.

Two commanders of the terror group, Amir Abu-Rabi and Mohamed Likita as well as dozens of their bodyguards and fighters, were killed.

While Abu-Rabi coordinated tax collection on behalf of the ISWAP in the Lake Chad axis, Likita was among controllers coordinating attacks on military formations.

The aerial assault that took them out was targeted at three major ISWAP hideouts at Kusuma, Sigir in Ngala and Arijallamari in Abadam Local Government Areas.

The airstrikes were coordinated by the Air Task Force of the counter-terrorism operation, Operation Lafiya Dole.

The raids, in conjunction with the Artillery Fire Units of Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), was conducted one week after the Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet went missing.

A military intelligence officer told PRNigeria that Kusuma is a coordinating base of the ISWAP leaders, Sigir and Arijallamari were training camps for terrorists.

“The attacked locations, especially Kusuma and Sigir were notorious havens used by ISWAP for coordination and training of fighters on preemptive attacks on military positions and civilian areas.

“Recent attacks at Damasak, Malam Fatori, Monguno, Dikwa and Marte axis were coordinated from the locations. The bombardments have pushed the surviving and wounded terrorists to Jibularam and Sabon Tumbu riverbank areas.”

In another operation, Nigerian troops and Civilian JTF operatives ambushed terrorists at the Gubio-Magumeri axis.

They set a trap at Kareram village after intelligence of insurgents advancing from Malam Yaumari Village for an attack.

Some of the terrorists were killed, others escaped with injuries. Items recovered included sophisticated weapons and motorcycles.

Sport Champions League Mason Mount warns Chelsea players after victory over Porto

 

Chelsea midfielder, Mason Mount, has warned Thomas Tuchel’s men following their Champions League quarter-final first-leg 2-0 victory over FC Porto on Wednesday night in Spain.

Mount, who scored a goal against Porto, cautioned the Blues players that it was ‘only half-time’ and their work was far from complete in the Champions League last-8.

Two goals from Mount and Ben Chilwell gave Chelsea the first-leg advantage ahead of the second-leg next Tuesday.

“A very important game for us and me personally, to get my first goal in the Champions League,” Mount told Virgin Media Sport.

“It was probably a long time coming, I have been waiting for the moment, and I am delighted it’s come tonight in a big win.

“To keep a clean sheet as well going into the second leg, it’s a big performance from all of us.

“The tie is not over. We don’t look at it like we have won, it’s only halfway, it’s only half-time.

“We have got to come back here and fight again in another game, so that is the most important thing, to go into the second game with the same mentality that we started with tonight.

“We want to win and we are going to give it our everything again.”

Arsenal given names of five players to sign for Arteta

 

Former Arsenal midfielder, Michael Thomas, has urged the club to sign five new players for their manager, Mikel Arteta, this summer transfer window.

The five players are Achraf Hakimi, Ryan Bertrand, Yves Bissouma, Martin Odegaard, and a left-winger.

Thomas stated this ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League clash against Slavia Praha on Thursday night.

“I don’t think Arsenal need to be thinking about a new manager just yet,” Thomas told CaughtOffside.

“A new manager will experience the same issues until they have their own team of players in place to produce what they want.

“I think Arteta needs to finish the season on a high with the Europa League and try and get more of his own players integrated into the team.

“If then he cannot get his group of players to perform, then Arsenal as a club will have to decide where they go from there.

“I would say a minimum of five signings are needed: a right-back (Achraf Hakimi), left-back (Ryan Bertrand), central midfield (Yves Bissouma and Martin Odegaard), and a left-winger.”

 

Sport Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, Man City players named in Champions League team [Full list]

 

Four Chelsea players have been included in the UEFA Champions League team of this week.

UEFA released the Champions League team in a post on its website on Thursday following the conclusion of the week’s quarter-final first-leg games on Wednesday.

The four Chelsea players are César Azpilicueta, Edouard Mendy, Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell.

Chelsea players made the list alongside Paris Saint-Germain stars, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Marquinhos.

Recall that Chelsea defeated FC Porto 2-0, thanks to goals from Mount and Chilwell.

Below is the UEFA Champions League team after the conclusion of this week’s last-8 matches:

Goalkeeper:

Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)

Defenders:

César Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Marquinhos (PSG)

Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

Midfielders:

Marco Asensio (Real Madrid)

Mason Mount (Chelsea)

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

Phil Foden (Man City)

Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)

Forwards:

Kylian Mbappé (PSG)

Neymar (PSG)

Ben Chiwell hails Chelsea’s Kovacic, Jorginho after Porto win

 

Chelsea left-back, Ben Chilwell, has singled out two Blues players for praise following their Champions League quarter-final first-leg 2-0 win over Porto on Wednesday.

The two players are Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho.

Chelsea defeated Porto in Spain, thanks to two goals from Mason Mount and Chilwell.

“Massive win. We knew the kind of game it was going to be, tough game, they are a physical side and they showed that with their physicality, wanting to try and be aggressive with us which we knew would be the case and I think we matched them,” Chilwell told Chelsea TV.

“They are a great side, a top team in Portugal, you are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so you know you are going to be up against a tough team whoever you play, and that was the case.”

He added, “I think the midfield was brilliant. “Kova [Mateo Kovacic] and Jorgi [Jorginho] played brilliantly, dictating the midfield.

“When we came under spells when we were under pressure, they were brilliant at keeping the ball and just giving us a bit of a breather.”