Sports

Guardiola Slams Ceferin Over Financial Probe Claims

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has slammed Aleksander Ceferin after the UEFA president claimed European football’s governing body was right to punish the Premier League champions for financial breaches.

UEFA banned City from European competition for two years in February 2020 for breaching its Financial Fair Play rules, but the ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAS found that some of the charges against City were “not established” and others were time-barred.

Ceferin remains adamant his organisation was correct, telling the Daily Telegraph on Thursday: “We know we were right. We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”

The Slovenian’s remarks came as City await a Premier League hearing after being charged with 115 breaches of their domestic competition’s profit and sustainability rules.

A furious Guardiola said that by speaking out now, Ceferin had not respected City’s ongoing process with the Premier League.

“As the lawyer that he is, as president of UEFA, he should wait – and after do whatever he wants,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“He has to respect it and he has to wait. He has a lot of jobs to do at UEFA. A lawyer should respect the procedure. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves.”

City will again be without striker Erling Haaland for their FA Cup fourth tie at Tottenham on Friday.

But the Norway striker is nearing a return after almost two months out with a foot injury.

“He is on the verge of coming back. For Friday he is not ready but he is close,” Guardiola said.

“The training camp was good, he trained some sessions. The last few days he’s trained but it is not perfect and we will wait a little bit more.”

John Stones is back in contention after an ankle injury but fellow defender Manuel Akanji remains on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Ederson is also fit after limping off in City’s last game at Newcastle.

City have lost on all five of their previous visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without even scoring a goal.

Calling on the FA Cup holders to break their duck, Guardiola said: “That is the reality, (and shows) how tough it is for us.

“Of course this is a ‘final’, a knockout game and to go through we have to score goals. Always it is a new opportunity to break it.

“The feeling is most of the times we played really good but the reality is there, no goals, five defeats – so they were much better than us.”

Sports

CRASH: Anthony Joshua Opens Up On Friends’ Death

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has said the death of his two friends posed a tough time for him.

Recall that a car conveying the boxer earlier this month, rammed into a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident claimed that lives of his personal trainer, Kevin Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, the former heavyweight champion said it was tough for him.

Joshua acknowledged that the incident was “even tougher” for the parents of the deceased.

He wrote, “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are.

“I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Sports

NPFL: Kano Pillars Sack Two Players

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Kano Pillars have announced the departure of the duo of Umar Sani Yakasai Samuel Tiza.

Yakasai and Tiza’s contracts were terminated by the Kano-based club.

The Sai Masu Gida confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.

“Kano Pillars FC wishes to announce that, following a mutual understanding, the club have amicably parted ways with striker Samuel Tiza and midfielder Umar Sani Yakasai,” Kano Pillars wrote in a statement confirming the players departure.

“Both players will now continue their careers elsewhere ahead of the second stanza of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League season.”

Kano Pillars is expected to make up for their departure with the signing of new players.

Sports

AFCON: It’s Not Possible – NSC On Super Eagles Players Requesting Cash Payment

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, has insisted that it is not possible to pay the Super Eagles of Nigeria their match bonus in cash.

Dikko stated this while clarifying the situation about Super Eagles match bonuses following reports of players threatening to boycott training and refusing to travel to Marrakech for Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, quarter-final clash against Algeria on Saturday.

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“Clearly, the players requested whether they could get some of these in cash, and they were told it’s not possible,” Dikko said.

“These bonuses are not paid in cash; they have to be paid through the bank, which is the normal procedure.

“The only ones they agreed to pay in cash are the daily allowances.”

The Super Eagles progressed to the last-8 after humiliating Mozambique 4-0 in the AFCON Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Doris Nkiruka-Anite, had earlier disclosed that the Super Eagles players will start receiving their bonus money alerts today or tomorrow before the Algeria clash.