Sports
JUST IN: Napoli Sack Coach Mazzarri Ahead Of Barcelona Clash

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.
READ ALSO: Transfer: Balotelli Offers Himself To Struggling Napoli
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.
READ ALSO: Napoli Sack Coach Rudi Garcia, Appoints New Helmsman
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
EPL: Rooney Names Team To Win Title
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.
READ ALSO:EPL: Chelsea Winger, Mudryk Banned For Four Years After Failing Drug Test
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.
“I just think they will win every game. So obviously, with the result tonight, that means they will win the league.”
Sports
UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies
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.
READ ALSO:EPL: Guardiola Reveals Only Chance Man City Will Win Title Ahead Of Arsenal
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.
“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.
READ ALSO:EPL: Arsenal In Shock Move To Sign Kvaratskhelia From PSG
“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.
“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.
Sports
Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival
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.
“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.
“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.
READ ALSO:2025 NYG: Be Determined, Enabulele Charges Team Edo, As Screening Commences In A’Ibom
“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.
“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.
-
Politics3 days ago
2027: Tinubu’s Re-election May Put An End To Nigeria — Baba Ahmed Warns
-
Metro4 days ago
I’m A Street Girl’ – Bimbo Ademoye Clashes With Area Boys [VIDEO]
-
Politics4 days ago
Senatorial Seat: Ogbakha-Edo Warns Against Imposition Of Candidates In Edo South
-
Politics4 days ago
BREAKING: 2027: Former Adamawa APC Guber Candidate, Aishatu Binani Defects To NDC
-
Business3 days ago
JUST IN: Nigerian Filling Stations Reduce Fuel Price After Hike
-
Entertainment4 days ago
Actress Eniola Badmus Gets New Federal Appointment
-
Metro5 days ago
Robbers Raid Imo Catholic Church, Steal Holy Communion Materials
-
News4 days ago
10 African Countries With Highest Petrol Prices In Prices In April 2026
-
Headline5 days ago
UK-based Nigerian Jailed 17 Years For Raping 19-year-old
-
News5 days ago
NASU, SSANU Begin Indefinite Strike Friday