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Italian Fugitive Arrested In Greece After Football Team Celebration

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Italy’s deadly fugitive, Vincenzo La Porta, has been caught in Greece after a photo of him jubilating with his football team revealed his whereabouts.

LA Porta, 60, is thought to have close ties to the Camorra organised crime gang in Naples, according to BBC.

He has been on the run for 11 years – but earlier this year was spotted in a photo of fans celebrating in Greece.

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The Naples Carabinieri police said, “What betrayed him was his passion for football and for the Napoli.”

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Officers said the photos were taken after Napoli won its first Italian championship in over three decades earlier this year.

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With the championship victory, La Porta couldn’t resist celebrating,” police said.

La Porta has already been convicted in absentia in Italy for criminal association, tax evasion and fraud.

Police finally apprehended him on Friday while he was riding his moped on the Greek island of Corfu and he is now currently in a jail awaiting extradition to Italy.

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If he is extradited to Italy, he is due serve a prison sentence of 14 years and four months.

La Porta’s lawyer told AP news agency, “He has started a new family in Greece… He has a nine-year-old boy and is working as a cook to get by. He suffers from heart ailments. If he’s extradited, he and his family will be ruined.”

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The authorities were relentless in their pursuit of La Porta, tracking his financial and online movements closely and “waited for him to make a misstep”.

Back in May, La Porta could not contain his excitement when Napoli won its first Serie A title after 33 years.

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The police spotted him in a photo outside a Corfu restaurant among Napoli fans donning a baseball cap and waving the team’s sky blue and white colours.

The investigators knew they had their man and followed him to Greece.

With a little help from their Greek colleagues, they arrested him on Friday, the Greek police said.

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In January, this year, an Italian mafia boss who was on the run for decades was arrested after a Google Maps sighting.

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EPL: Rooney Names Team To Win Title

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Former Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney, has said Arsenal will go on to win the Premier League title, after Manchester City dropped points against Everton.

City were held to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.

The result means Pep Guardiola’s men are now five points behind Arsenal, but they have one game in hand.

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Rooney believes the Gunners will beat West Ham this weekend and go on to be champions.

He said on BBC Sport: “No, I’m concerned for West Ham. I just think Arsenal are efficient and professional.

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“I just think they will win every game. So obviously, with the result tonight, that means they will win the league.”

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UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

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Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

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According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

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If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

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You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

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“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

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Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

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The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

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His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

READ ALSO:Grassroots To Global Podium: Edo Sports Commission Marks Enabulele’s First Year In Office

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

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We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

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Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

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We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.

 

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