Sports

Ex-Barcelona Star Suarez Is Dead

Published

10 months ago

July 9, 2023

Editor

Former Barcelona and Inter Milan midfielder Luis Suarez, the only male footballer born in Spain to win the Ballon D’Or, died at the age of 88 on Sunday.

Nicknamed “The Architect” the Spaniard won the prestigious award in 1960 and later coached La Roja at the 1990 World Cup.

“Luis Suarez Miramontes has died this Sunday in Milan at 88 years old,” said Barcelona in a statement.

“He played for Barca between 1954 and 1961 before going to Inter Milan, where he is also a legend.”

Suarez was loved in Italy after becoming one of the league’s most celebrated midfielders at Inter Milan under coach Helenio Herrera in the 1960s, whom he followed from Barcelona.

“Saying goodbye to Luisito leaves us with a deep melancholy — the nostalgia of his perfect and inimitable football, which inspired generations, is combined with the memory of a unique footballer and a great, great Inter player,” wrote Inter in a statement.

Suarez, born in La Coruna in 1935, began his career at Deportivo La Coruna, before moving to Barcelona in 1954.

He won two La Liga trophies with the Catalan giants, among other silverware and earning the Ballon d’Or.

The only other player born in Spain to win the Ballon d’Or is Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas, who has won the women’s trophy twice.

Alfredo Di Stefano, who played for Argentina and later the Spanish national team, won it twice but was born in Buenos Aires.

“Suarez was a stupendous player, among the best Spaniards ever in history, along with Xavi (Hernandez) and (Andres) Iniesta,” said Di Stefano in one of his last interviews before his death in 2014.

– ‘Elegance’ –

Barcelona lauded Suarez as one of the best players in the history of Spanish football.

“He had it all as a player, superior technique, unbeatable ability with the ball at his feet, a privileged vision of the game and a great shot,” said the Catalan club in a statement.

“However, most of all, he stood out for the elegance of his game.”

He scored 112 goals in 216 games for Barcelona in his seven years at the club, winning the Ballon d’Or while in Catalonia. However Suarez played down the importance of the accolade.

“There have been many Spanish players who have deserved that award, but it depends a lot on the moment — you have to be lucky that another great contemporary player doesn’t perform as well as you,” Suarez told FIFA’s website.

“There have been great players who have never lifted the trophy.”

Suarez moved to Inter Milan in 1961 for a then world record fee of 250 million lire (£142,000) and won two European Cups and three Serie A trophies as well as other silverware during the club’s most glorious era.

He also lifted the European Championships trophy with Spain in 1964, making 32 appearances for the national team.

Suarez retired in 1973 at Sampdoria, going on to coach both the Genoa side and Inter, as well as Como and Cagliari.

“Goodbye Luisito,” wrote Sampdoria on Twitter, posting a photo of the Spaniard in tribute.

In 1988 he took over as coach of the Spanish national team, guiding them to the World Cup in Italy two years later, where they were beaten by Yugoslavia in the last 16.

“From the RFEF we want to convey our condolences to all relatives and close friends of Luis Suarez Miramontes,” wrote the Spanish football federation on Twitter.

Suarez worked on Spanish radio in his later years as a commentator.

He was the namesake of, but no relation to Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who also played for Barcelona.

“His father told me that if he’s called Luis, it’s my fault,” the Spaniard told So Foot in 2016.

Sports

WAFU B U17 Championship: CAF Declares Nigeria 100% Clean

Published

4 days ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

The Confederation of African Football today declared that all 20 players presented by Nigeria for the WAFU B U17 Championship starting in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday have passed the examination in flying colours.

The declaration of eligibility of all the 20 players is testimony that the tests conducted on the players by the Nigeria Football Federation before the team’s departure were perfect, and sets the tone for the country to have a full squad to defend the title she won last year, also in Ghana.

An ecstatic Head Coach Manu Garba said: “We are happy about the results. Having the whole squad to prosecute the tournament somewhat puts our minds at rest.

The Eaglets begin their defence of the title when they confront their counterparts from Burkina Faso at the University Stadium on Thursday, 16th May with kickoff set for 3pm Ghana time (4pm Nigeria time), before matches against Niger Republic on Sunday, 19th May (6pm Ghana, 7pm Nigeria) and Togo on Wednesday, 22nd May (4pm Ghana, 5pm Nigeria).

The match against Niger Republic will also hold at the University Stadium while the clash with Togo will take place at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Sports

Crystal Palace Thrash Man Utd 4-0 To Leave Ten Hag’s Future In Doubt

Published

2 weeks ago

May 6, 2024

Editor

Manchester United are at risk of failing to qualify for Europe next season after a dismal 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace left the Red Devils eighth in the Premier League.

Michael Olise scored twice, either side of goals from the in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell, as the Eagles’ resurgence since the appointment of Oliver Glasner as manager continues.

The time for a change of boss at Old Trafford could be coming soon as Erik ten Hag fails to arrest a slide in his second season in charge.

United have only been absent from European competition once since the 1989-90 season.

That came after finishing seventh in David Moyes’ sole campaign 10 years ago and the Scot was sacked with four games of the season to go.

United have never come lower than seventh in the Premier League era but are staring that possibility in the face with title-chasing Arsenal to come at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ten Hag has routinely cited injury problems as mitigation for his side’s struggles.

The Dutchman was forced to cobble together a makeshift backline as Casemiro deputised out of position at centre-back, alongside 36-year-old Jonny Evans.

Captain Bruno Fernandes was also absent as his proud record of never missing a club game in his career due to injury came to an end.

But there was little excuse for the lack of fight or quality on show from a United side, whose sole Premier League win in their last seven games came against relegated Sheffield United.

Palace are unbeaten in their last five as former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Glasner’s project takes shape.

The south London club will have to ward off interest in Olise and Eberechi Eze if they are to kick on to even better things under the Austrian next season.

Olise has attracted interest from United, Manchester City and Chelsea and showed why as he eased through the middle of the visitors’ defence before firing low past Andre Onana.

United failed to muster even a single shot on target in the first half but were unfortunate not to level against the run of play.

Casemiro’s looping header dropped into the net after Rasmus Hojlund clashed with Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson and was harshly penalised for a push.

But a two-goal half-time lead was the least Palace’s superiority deserved.

Mateta has been a man transformed under Glasner and hammered home his ninth goal in 11 games after skipping past the leaden-footed Evans with ease.

There was no response from United after the break on a night which could be the final straw for the club’s new leadership group when deciding Ten Hag’s future.

Some heroics from Onana briefly kept the scoreline down as he saved from Eze, Will Hughes and Mitchell in quick succession.

But he was powerless to deny Mitchell a rare goal from close range as United were cut open from a set-piece.

Onana was then caught out by the power of Olise’s strike that flew past the Cameroonian.

The margin of the defeat took United’s goal difference to -3 which tells the tale of a sorry season for the 20-time English champions.

The FA Cup final against Manchester City offers Ten Hag one last shot at redemption, should he survive in charge until on May 25.

However, based on this evidence, United fans will fear double-chasing City could run riot at Wembley to inflict the ultimate humiliation.

AFP

Sports

Bayer Leverkusen Extend Unbeaten Run To 48 Games With Win At Frankfurt

Published

2 weeks ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen extended their season-long unbeaten run to 48 games with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

With Xabi Alonso forced to watch from the stands due to a yellow card suspension, Leverkusen turned on the style, winning with goals from Granit Xhaka, Patrik Schick, Jeremie Frimpong and penalties from Exequiel Palacios and Victor Boniface.

Alonso left midfield lynchpin Florian Wirtz, who turned 21 on Friday, out of the squad with Thursday’s second Champions League semi-final against Roma in mind, but Leverkusen had no problems in attack.

Xhaka opened the scoring with a long-range effort, before Frankfurt equalised through Hugo Ekitike, who scored for the third game in succession.

Schick headed Bayer Leverkusen back in front just before half-time and World Cup winner Palacios scored a third from the penalty spot on the 58-minute mark.

The floodgates opened in the final stages, with Frimpong scoring just five minutes after coming on and then won a penalty with three minutes remaining.

Boniface converted the spot kick for Leverkusen’s first win in Frankfurt for six years.

Bayer Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 48 across all competitions, need to avoid defeat in two remaining league matches to become the first team to go unbeaten through a Bundesliga season.

Alonso’s side have a 2-0 advantage ahead of Thursday’s second Europa League semi-final leg at home and are through to the final of the German Cup, keeping their dreams of an incredible unbeaten treble alive.

– Union on the edge –

Earlier on Sunday, Bochum won 4-3 at Union Berlin, pushing the hosts closer to the drop just months after they were playing in the Champions League.

In the top division since 2019, Union Berlin finished fourth last season and were playing Champions League football against Real Madrid as recently as December.

Having built their success on home form, a lethargic Union were 3-0 down by half-time thanks to a Maximilian Wittek brace and a goal from former Berliner Keven Schlotterbeck.

Coach Nenad Bjelica made three changes at the break and they had their desired impact immediately.

Yorbe Vertessen and Chris Bedia, both of whom came off the bench, scored in a three-minute period to cut the deficit to one.

With Union on the march and looking for an equaliser, Bochum scored again, Philipp Hofmann heading in from close range.

The home side gave their fans hope again just four minutes later, Benedict Hollerbach again cutting the deficit to just a goal.

Union fought but could not score the equaliser and now sit just two points clear of Mainz in the relegation playoff spot.

Mainz play at promoted Heidenheim later on Sunday and could leapfrog Union into safety.

Leeds loanee Brenden Aaronson, one of three Union players to be subbed on at half-time, criticised his team’s first-half performance.

“It was one of those days when we didn’t show up and that’s all there is to it.

“We need to band together and fight like we did in the second-half. That’s what we need to take away from this game.”

Bochum moved five clear of the drop with two games remaining this season.