Sports

JUST IN: Napoli Sack Coach Mazzarri Ahead Of Barcelona Clash

Published

5 months ago

February 19, 2024

Walter Mazzarri has been sacked by Napoli to become the second man sent packing by the ailing Italian champions this season, Italian media reported on Monday.

The 62-year-old took charge in November after Rudi Garcia was dismissed but Napoli have since fallen to ninth in Serie A ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 clash with Barcelona.

Slovakia national team coach Francesco Calzona is set to be hired until the end of the season and will be in charge for the first-leg visit of Barca.

Calzona guided Slovakia to Euro 2024 but has a huge job on his hands as he returns to Napoli where he was an assistant during Luciano Spalletti’s trophy-less first season with the club.

Calzona will reportedly keep his job with Slovakia and bring with him Marek Hamsik, Napoli’s top all-time appearance maker who was also the first man to beat Diego Maradona’s scoring record for the club.

Napoli romped to a historic third Scudetto last term but since title-winning coach Spalletti stepped down in the close season, chaos has reigned in Naples.

Napoli are a whopping 27 points behind league leaders Inter Milan after winning just four of 12 league matches since Mazzarri took over, collecting 15 points.

That is even less than the 21 that Garcia managed from his 12 league matches in charge, a total that had Napoli fourth when the Frenchman was dismissed.

The chances of Napoli getting back into the top four and next season’s revamped Champions League are exceedingly slim, even if Italy wins a fifth spot.

Napoli are nine points behind both fourth-placed Atalanta and Bologna in fifth, and have shown little sign of being able to claw back that gap, failing to score in nine of Mazzarri’s matches in all competitions.

It is a disappointing end to Mazzarri’s brief second spell in charge of Napoli, after helping return southern Italy’s biggest club to the upper echelons of Italian football between 2009 and 2013.

Mazzarri guided Napoli to the 2012 Italian Cup, beating undefeated league champions Juventus in the final to win the club’s first trophy in over two decades.

He left in May 2013 after finishing second in Italy’s top flight with a thrilling team which boasted Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsík and Edinson Cavani in attack.

Sports

JUST IN: Oshoala Benched As Ajibade Leads Super Falcons Against Brazil In Olympics Opener

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Editor

The lineup for the highly anticipated match between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Brazil has been announced.

The Super Falcons will face Brazil in their first Women’s Olympic Football Tournament game at 6 pm Nigerian time at the Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France.

Rasheedat Ajibade is leading the team as captain while Asisat Oshoala is on the bench.

Here is the official lineup:
16.
2.
3.
5.
14.
7.
11.
15.
10.
13.
17.
1.
4.
6.
8.
9.
12.
18.
Randy WALDRUM (M)

1. Lorena
2.
3.
4.
6.
5.
8.
10. MARTA (C)
14. LUDMILA
16. GABI NUNES
18. GABRIELLE
12. TAINA
13. YASMIM
15. THAIS
17. ANA VITORIA
7. KEROLIN
9. ADRIANA
11. JHENIFFER

Sports

UEFA Sanctions Seven Nations For Racist Chants

Published

2 days ago

July 25, 2024

Editor

European governing body UEFA has sanctioned seven of the 24 competing countries at Euro 2024 because of racist or discriminatory behaviour by their fans.

The Serbian, Croatian, Romanian, Slovenian, Austrian, Hungarian and Albanian Football Associationss have all been sanctioned.

The punishments range from a 50,000 euros (£41,970) fine and a ban from selling tickets to its next Uefa away match (a Nations League game in Portugal on 5 September) for Croatia, to a 20,000 euros (£16,790) fine and a ban on selling tickets to its next Uefa away match – suspended for two years – for Austria.

In total, 17 games were identified as being affected, including three involving Slovenia, Romania, Croatia and Serbia.

The move comes a day after Uefa charged Spain players Rodri and Alvaro Morata for violating “basic rules of conduct” in the aftermath of their final victory over England when they sang offensive songs about Gibraltar, whose FA lodged a formal complaint.

Sports

PICTORIAL: Nigeria, Other Countries’ Official Uniforms For Paris 2024 Olympics

Published

3 days ago

July 24, 2024

Editor

The Paris 2024 Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris, France.

In anticipation of the grand event, countries around the world have unveiled their official uniforms, showcasing a blend of tradition, innovation, and national pride.

Nigeria will be competing in 11 sports at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Here’s a visual journey through some of the stunning uniforms, starting with Nigeria’s unique design:

NIGERIA – Designed by Actively Black