Sports

Two Brighton Fans Stabbed, Robbed In Italy Ahead Of Roma Europa League Clash

Published

2 years ago

March 7, 2024

Two Brighton & Hove Albion fans were stabbed and robbed at a bar in Rome on Wednesday night.

According to Mirror, the supporters aged 27 and 28 attacked were rushed to a hospital after sustaining minor injuries and have since been discharged.

The fans experienced the tragic incident ahead of the Premier League side’s Europa League match with Italian side Roma.

The report said they were attacked while leaving Via Cavour in the heart of the Italian capital around midnight on Wednesday.

One of the supporters on a Seagulls fan club forum revealed they had been “stuck in a hospital corridor for six hours”.

Staff from restaurants where the incident happened raised the alarm after witnessing the attack and police were called.

It has been reported that a gang of six or seven masked individuals were involved in the attack, with the victims’ wallets being stolen.

A Brighton fan said, “Me and a couple of my mates got attacked in Rome last night after leaving a bar. Just want to say that every Brighton fan in Rome please be careful. It’s so dangerous out here and worse than Marseille.”

Meanwhile, Brighton released a statement for fans ahead of the match with safety information for those travelling. A section warned of street crime in the area and passed on local police advice to avoid wearing colours.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men travel to the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday evening for their Europa League last-16 first-leg clash. It is suggested that around 4,000 fans have made the trip to the Italian capital to watch the Seagulls in action.

Speaking ahead of the first leg, Italian boss De Zerbi said: “We’ll see tomorrow whether the stadium will intimidate us or not, we played at Old Trafford and we won, we drew 2-2 in Marseille, we played at AEK Athens and we won. I know the push of the Olimpico, let’s see tomorrow, it will be a test for us.]

“I believe that we need to be given even more strength, I have been coaching for 10 years and I have changed five or six teams, I feel that these Brighton players are temperamentally closer to me in terms of pride, hunger and dignity, motivation, values, in how they experience football.

“The old and the young live football like me, I’m confident but the pitch will decide. Regarding injuries, I’d say that it is a topic to be taken in two ways, either we cry and say how many important players we have out, or we take it as an opportunity because we aim to go through and compete with all these injured players.”

Sports

CRASH: Anthony Joshua Opens Up On Friends’ Death

Published

12 hours 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

12 hours 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

12 hours 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.