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Why Guardiola’s Marriage Collapsed – Report

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Pep Guardiola’s marriage fell apart because he’s a workaholic and went ahead to extend his contract with Manchester City.

According to Daily Mail, his devotion to work ‘took a toll’ on his relationship, a close friend of the Manchester City boss revealed.

Vanguard reports that Pep split from his fashion designer wife Cristina Serra after being together for three decades – with no official reason for the separation given.

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But a friend close to Pep, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I think they have grown apart. She left Manchester about five years ago to return to Barcelona. That has taken its toll.

READ ALSO: Guardiola Breaks Silence On Leaving Man City To Take England Job

‘He is a total workaholic and not being involved in their family fashion business together may have affected their relationship too.’

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Guardiola, 53, extended his contract with the Cityzens and is expected to stay at the club until 2027.

Cristina moved back to Barcelona in 2019 with their youngest daughter Valentina, now 17, so she could help run her family’s designer clothes boutique.

Man City endured one of the toughest periods under Guardiola, winning just once in thirteen matches across all competitions before the 2-0 victory over Leicester City late December 2024.

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READ ALSO: EPL: Guardiola Reacts As Man City Are Punished For 22 Breaches

He had admitted scratching his own head and face until it bled during the final moments of City’s collapse against Feyenoord in November due to bad results. He also spoke of the loneliness of football management.

Guardiola and Serra met while the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was modelling for designer Antonio Miro in the shop in the Spanish city.

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They began a long-distance relationship when Guardiola was a footballer, before they bought a home together in Barcelona. The couple later moved to Germany when Guardiola was manager of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

With Guardiola’s on and off-field troubles, City are at risk of failing to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League and sit sixth in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool.

 

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PHOTOS: Fulham Marks Nigeria’s Independence Day With Players, Staff At Motspur Park

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Alex Iwobi at Nigeria's Independence Day party alongside other Fulham players and members of staff

English Premier League club Fulham on Tuesday hosted a gathering for its Nigerian players and staff to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day anniversary.

The event, held at the club’s Motspur Park training ground, brought together members of Fulham’s Nigerian contingent, including Super Eagles internationals Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze.

Club officials said the occasion was organised to recognise the contributions of its Nigerian players and to celebrate their country’s national day.

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Photographs from the gathering showed the Nigerian trio joined by several of their non-Nigerian teammates, who participated in the celebration.

READ ALSO:South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges

The get-together included light refreshments and informal conversations, with the players using the opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s place in football and beyond.

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Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, and the 2025 celebration marked its 65th year as a sovereign nation.

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UCL: Spurs Snatch Late 2-2 Draw At Bodo/Glimt

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Tottenham emerged from a chastening trip to the Arctic Circle with a 2-2 draw in the league phase of the Champions League thanks to a late own-goal by Bodo/Glimt’s Jostein Gundersen.

Local-born Jens Petter Hauge scored a brace for the impressive hosts before Micky van de Ven and the 89th-minute own-goal snatched a point for Thomas Frank’s Europa League winners.

The repeat of last year’s Europa League semi-final, which Spurs won 5-1 on aggregate, looked set to finish as a first win for Champions League debutants Bodo/Glimt until the late drama.

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The result leaves Spurs on four points after an opening win against Villarreal, while Bodo/Glimt have back-to-back 2-2 draws following their late equaliser last time out at Slavia Prague.

READ ALSO:EPL: Tottenham Fight Back To Hold Brighton At Amex In 2-2 Draw

Playing at home for the very first time in Europe’s top-club competition, Bodo/Glimt grew into the occasion and soon took a firm grip ahold the match.

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The referee awarded a penalty to the dominant hosts shortly after the half-hour when Rodrigo Bentancur followed through and caught Fredrik Andre Bjorkan.

But Kasper Hogh’s woes from the spot in the league phase this year continued as his effort flew over the crossbar — following on from his saved effort against Slavia Prague on matchday one.

Spurs remained penned in their own half through the rest of the first period, and Bodo/Glimt’s dominance finally paid off eight minutes after the break when Hauge curled in from inside the box.

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READ ALSO:UCL: Galatasaray Beat Liverpool 1-0 As Osimhen Shines

The jubilant scenes at the Aspmyra Stadion were curtailed two minutes later when Pedro Porro’s free-kick drifted onto the post and Bentancur turned in the rebound.

However, the yellow-clad mass of Norwegian fans soon roared again as VAR spotted a foul by Van de Ven as Porro’s cross came in and the referee disallowed the goal.

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Hauge doubled Bodo/Glimt’s lead in the 66th minute with a rifled left-footed finish that flew past Guglielmo Vicario after the 25-year-old had glided easily past Porro on the edge of the box.

Porro and Van de Ven made amends for their errors two minutes later when the Dutchman headed home the right-back’s pinpoint cross to give Spurs hope.

READ ALSO:Theo Walcott Changes EPL Prediction, Names Team To Win UCL This Season

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Tottenham manager Frank rang the substitutions in search of a leveller, and replacement Destiny Udogie found Wilson Odobert, but the Frenchman’s header glanced off the woodwork on 85 minutes.

The hosts responded to the pressure as Andreas Helmersen hit the crossbar down the other end.

But it was heartbreak in the end for Bodo/Glimt as Spurs forced an 89th-minute equaliser when Nikita Haikin’s save smashed into the stomach of Gundersen from close range and trickled over the line — the leveller validated after a length check for offside.
AFP

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UCL: Galatasaray Beat Liverpool 1-0 As Osimhen Shines

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Liverpool slumped to a shock 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday as Victor Osimhen’s 16th-minute penalty handed the Turkish giants victory.

The English champions were punished for the latest in a series of poor performances in Istanbul as they suffered back-to-back defeats for only the second time under Arne Slot.

Liverpool were beaten for the first time this season at Crystal Palace on Saturday, but a series of late winners have masked an unconvincing start since a summer transformation of the squad that strolled to the Premier League title last season.

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Slot responded by leaving Mohamed Salah and £125 million ($168 million) signing Alexander Isak on the bench among four changes.

READ ALSO:Theo Walcott Changes EPL Prediction, Names Team To Win UCL This Season

The Dutchman was scathing in his assessment of Liverpool’s first-half performance at Palace as only Alisson Becker prevented an embarrassing half-time score.

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However, Slot got little in the way of a response in another disjointed display from his array of star names.

Galatasaray had been thrashed 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt to start their Champions League campaign.

The Turkish champions are a far more formidable force on home soil, though, and made the most of Liverpool’s defensive deficiencies.

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Slot’s decision to play midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back backfired.

READ ALSO:Theo Walcott Changes EPL Prediction, Names Team To Win UCL This Season

Baris Alper Yilmaz gave the visitors a warning of the threat down Galatasaray’s left when he failed to beat Alisson when one-on-one with the Brazilian.

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Liverpool should have led just seconds before they fell behind.

Hugo Ekitike was denied by Ugurcan Cakir as he tried to round the goalkeeper and Ismail Jakobs cleared Cody Gakpo’s follow-up effort off the line.

Galatasaray swiftly broke upfield and Yilmaz was awarded a soft penalty for a stray Szoboszlai arm into the Turkish international’s face.

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READ ALSO:Yahoo: ‘Olu Maintain Gave Nigeria A Bad Name’ – Comedian DeeOne Claims

Osimhen had previously seen a Champions League penalty saved by Alisson, but this time converted the resulting spot-kick.

Florian Wirtz has struggled badly to deliver on his £100 million price tag and is still waiting for his first Liverpool goal after his effort was turned behind by Cakir, while Ibrahima Konate headed just off target from a corner before half-time.

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Konate’s poor form has been a major factor in the Reds’ defensive issues at the start of the season and the Frenchman nearly cost his side a second goal early in the second half.

Alisson saved his teammate’s blushes with another save from Osimhen but at a cost as the Liverpool number one suffered an injury sprinting off his line and had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

READ ALSO:UCL: Inter To Face Bayern After Breezing Past Feyenoord

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Slot introduced Salah and Isak on the hour mark, but Liverpool were still an impotent attacking force.

Isak fired tamely into the arms of Cakir with his first touch.

The closest the visitors came to a response was when French referee Clement Turpin intially pointed to the spot by a foul on Konate, but overturned his decision after a VAR review.

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Instead it was Galatasaray who were inches away from the second goal of the night in stoppage time when Lucas Torreira drilled a shot just wide.

AFP

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