“I have a big passion for my game,” the AC Milan forward told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an interview.

“I have a different situation now with my age and with the teammates I have, but I’m enjoying every day because I think, when you stop football, you will miss it so much that you don’t want to have any regrets saying I should have kept playing,” added Ibrahimović, whose contract with Milan runs until June 30, 2023.

Now in his second spell with the Serie A club – the Swede has made 74 appearances and scored 36 goals in all competitions for Milan – Ibrahimović helped the Rossoneri last season win its first Serie A title in 11 years.

Read Also – NAGCC Unveils State of the Art Offices in Dubai

“I’m trying to stay at the level with these young guys working hard and just to keep the rhythm,” added Ibrahimović, who is Sweden’s all-time top scorer with 62 goals.

“I want to be healthy and, when I’m on that level, then I keep playing and see how far I can take it,” said the Swede.

“As long as I can produce results, I will still play. The day I slow down, I want the people around me to be honest and say he’s slowing down and then I’ll be realistic.”

After Milan’s Scudetto success, the Swedish striker revealed on social media that he played the last six months of the season without an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee – the strong band of tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone and the knee joint.

“Took more than 20 injections in six months,” said Ibrahimović said in a post published to his verified Instagram account.

“Emptied the knee once a week for six months. Painkillers every day for six months. Barely slept for six months because of the pain. Never suffered so much on and off the pitch.”

Source – https://edition.cnn.com/

The post Zlatan Ibrahimović on Retirement – ‘We’re not there yet’  appeared first on Daily Concord.

PSG are required to offer Messi a two-year bargain one week from now, worth £25m per year after charge with the alternative of a further year. The 34-year-old and his dad Jorge are prepared for the appearance of the offer this end of the week.

Messi, who will hold a newsgathering at the Nou Camp on Sunday, left Barcelona after the La Liga club couldn’t satisfy another agreement that had been concurred with the player because of “monetary and underlying impediments”.

PSG, oversaw by Messi’s comrade Pochettino, immediately arose as the leaders for his signature, in a move that would rejoin him with previous Barcelona partner Neymar.

Messi is available to joining PSG, however he and his agents need to set aside effort to survey their choices following his shock exit from the Nou Camp.

Read Also – Kim Kardashian On Kanye West Singing About Their Divorce On Donda

Messi, the six-time Ballon d’Or victor, had formally been a free specialist since July 1 get-togethers neglected to concur terms over a recharging before his past Barca contract lapsed on June 30.

Messi had spent his whole profession at Barcelona, getting through the club’s institute prior to proceeding to score 672 objectives in 778 appearances in the wake of making his senior introduction in 2003.

Lionel Messi moving to Paris will raise French football’s profile all throughout the planet however genuine inquiries will be posed about PSG’s capacity to work inside monetary reasonable play (FFP) rules.

French clubs have been hit very hard by the pandemic. Ligue 1 and 2 didn’t complete their seasons after they were suspended in March last year and the LFP’s €800m-a-year homegrown transmission manage Mediapro fell four months into its first season.

Regardless of the issues in French football, PSG, sponsored by their Qatari proprietors, are certain they can adjust their books by selling players and sign Messi without defying FFP norms.

PSG’s pay bill of €414m in 2019/20 was multiple occasions that of the following most extravagant club – Lyon’s pay yearly bill was €132m.

Source – https://www.skysports.com/

The post Lionel Messi in advanced transfer talks to join Paris Saint-Germain appeared first on Daily Concord.

That’s the claim from Spain, where reports suggest the one-club legend will first stay with Barca for two more seasons with a huge pay cut.

The Argentina superstar, 33, is thought to be close to a deal involving moving to the MLS from 2023-25 for a £104million wage package.

Sport say Messi will then return to the Nou Camp for an off-field role, such as worldwide ambassador.

Bara president Joan Laporta said: “Messi’s renewal is going well. It is not done, but it is going well.”

The 142-cap superstar, who wanted to leave Barcelona last summer, already has lavish properties in Miami.

Most recently Messi spent £5m on buying the WHOLE ninth floor of a block inSunny Isles Beach, Florida, overlooking the ocean.

It even includes a 1,000-bottle wine cellar – perfect for celebrating the career-swansong move to the USA which he has long planned.

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu, Like Okonjo Iweala, is making Nigerians proud globally

Lionel Messi told Spanish TV station La Sexta two months ago: “My plan is to give all I can for the club at the moment.

“I would like to play in the United States and experience life and the league there, but ultimately come back to Barcelona in some capacity.

“I’m not thinking too far ahead in the short-term and just want to see how the season finishes.”

Meanwhile Manchester United and England legend Beckham has openly admitted he is targeting players like Messi.

Becks, however, also wants Miami to produce their own young talent.

He has explained: “I have said from day one that our academy system is a massive part of this club and if we can bring players through here that have lived and breathed Inter Miami then that is the goal.

Source – https://www.thesun.co.uk/

The post Lionel Messi to join David Beckham’s Inter Miami appeared first on Daily Concord.

Mourinho was sacked as Tottenham Hotspur boss on 19 April and had said he would “wait to be back in football” following his dismissal.

He has signed a three-year deal with Roma, who are seventh in Serie A.

“Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club and to be part of their vision,” said Mourinho, who has also managed Inter Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid outside his homeland.

“After meetings with the ownership and Tiago Pinto, I immediately understood the full extent of their ambitions. It is the same ambition and drive that has always motivated me and together we want to build a winning project.

“The incredible passion of the Roma fans convinced me to accept the job and I cannot wait to start next season.”

Mourinho was dismissed after 17 months in charge of Spurs following a poor second half of the season in which they slipped from top of the table to outside the European places.

Read Also – CBN Licenses 10 More International Money Transfer Operators

This season Mourinho suffered 10 league defeats in a single campaign for the first time in his managerial career.

“When Jose became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time,” said Pinto, Roma’s general manager.

“We were blown away by Jose’s desire to win and his passion for the game: no matter how many trophies he has won, his primary focus is always on the next one. He possesses the knowledge, experience and leadership to compete at all levels.

“We know that in order to build a successful sporting project it takes time, patience and the right people in the right positions. We are supremely confident Jose will be the perfect coach for our project, for both our immediate and long-term future.”

Source – https://www.bbc.co.uk/

The post Jose Mourinho named Roma boss from start of next season appeared first on Daily Concord.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 10.05pm on Sunday to reports of a disturbance. A woman in her 30s sustained minor injuries but did not require any treatment.

“A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of section 47 assault and section 39 common assault.”

Police said the arrested man was released on bail pending enquiries.

Giggs emerged from Pendleton police station yesterday afternoon after hours of questioning, and was whisked away in a black Mercedes.

Sources said he had been living in the house which he bought for his mum Lynne on the same street as his £3.5million pad, which is up for sale.

Giggs had been at Hotel Football, in Manchester, which he co-owns, earlier in the day to watch Man United’s 1-0 defeat against Arsenal.

He is then believed to have gone to the Stock Exchange Hotel, which he also co-owns with former teammate Gary Neville, in the city centre.

He has been dating Kate on and off since 2017.

They met when she started doing the PR for Hotel Football in 2013 after moving from Dubai.

Giggs went public with the relationship when he was pictured with her holidaying in Italy in August 2018.

It was eight months after his divorce from wife ­Stacey, whom he had been cheating on for eight years with brother Rhodri’s wife Natasha.

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu, New Works Nigeria Limited and NIS on Efficient Service Delivery

Giggs spent his playing career with Manchester United and is the manager of the Welsh national team.

A representative for Ryan Giggs said he denies the allegations and is assisting the police with their ongoing investigation.

The statement said: “Mr Giggs denies all allegations of assault made against him. He is cooperating with the police and will continue to assist them with their ongoing investigations.”

Source – https://www.thesun.co.uk/

The post Ryan Giggs arrested on ­suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend appeared first on Daily Concord.

The 27-year-old forward, who had one year left on her contract, has signed a three-year deal with the English club.

Harder had helped Wolfsburg win four consecutive German league and cup doubles since joining them in 2017.

She also starred in the club’s run to Sunday’s Women’s Champions League final, which they lost 3-1 to Lyon.

That came after Harder scored four goals in Wolfsburg’s 9-1 quarter-final win over Glasgow City last month.

Her partner – Sweden defender Magdalena Eriksson – is Chelsea’s captain and lifted the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday.

The transfer fee for Harder’s move to the Women’s Super League champions is thought to be one of the largest ever exchanged in the women’s game, although the exact world record fee is unknown because of the high volume of undisclosed deals.

How good is Pernille Harder?

Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, Harder spearheaded her country’s run to the final of Women’s Euro 2017 and was the Uefa Women’s Player of the Year in 2018.

Harder has scored 61 goals in 118 senior international appearances for Denmark.

She began her career with Danish sides Viborg and Skovbakken, before joining Swedish outfit Linkopings in 2012 prior to her switch to Wolfsburg in January 2017.

This year was the second season in which she had won Germany’s golden boot, having netted 17 league goals to win the award in 2018.

‘She can play for any team in the world, but chose us’

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes told the club website: “Pernille is one of the best players in the world.

“Her record at Wolfsburg and Linkopings, as well as internationally with Denmark, shows how valuable she has been to her teams.

“She is a fantastic team player who wants to take her game to the next level. She chose Chelsea as the club that can push her to that level. She can play for any team in the world, but she chose us.

“She chose the players, the staff, the environment, the playing style. You can’t get a bigger compliment than that from one of the best players in the world.”

Analysis – One of women’s sport’s biggest ever moves

By Tom Garry, BBC Sport

In signing Harder, Chelsea have snapped up the best player in Europe for the peak years of her playing career. It is a huge statement of intent, as the English champions bid to try and become European champions.

Every club in the world would like to have her in their team – the fact she has chosen Chelsea is symbolic of a recent power shift in the women’s game.

For years, most of the world’s top players were making a beeline for Women’s Champions league holders Lyon. Not so this summer. Two of the most-wanted – Sam Kerr and Harder – have joined Chelsea since last winter.

The transfer fee involved is one of the largest ever exchanged in the history of women’s sport, but if Harder plays anywhere near as well for Chelsea as she has done for Denmark and Wolfsburg, the Londoners will feel they have got a bargain.

SOURCE – https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/

READ ALSO – Mahmood Ahmadu Honoured with Forbes 2020 Best of Africa Award

The post Pernille Harder: Chelsea Women sign Wolfsburg and Denmark forward appeared first on Daily Concord.

Barca were beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on 16 August.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner made his debut for Barca in 2004 and has won the Champions League four times.

Barcelona, though, believe the clause has now expired and Messi is contracted to the club until 2021 with a 700m euro buy-out clause.

The board will meet soon and some consider the only thing that could placate Messi is the resignation of the president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and early elections. But Messi seems determined to leave the club no matter what.

After the news broke, Barca fans gathered outside the Nou Camp to protest against the board and in support of the club’s record goalscorer.

A legal battle is now set to follow between the club and the player. Messi had a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave for free, if he informed the club of his desire before 10 June.

That date has now passed so Barca believe the clause has expired, but Messi and his team feel it should be extended to cover the prolonged season – which ran until August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, friend,” Messi’s former team-mate Carles Puyol tweeted, to which current team-mate Luis Suarez replied with two clapping emojis.

Analysis – ‘Even if Barca demand one of the biggest ever transfer fees, Messi wants out’

Barcelona have said the clause ran out on 10 June and they are convinced, legally, they could win any challenge to it. Of course, the fact the season was prolonged gives Messi the right to think that he is able to apply that clause, but lawyers have told the club he will not win that dispute.

The fax sent is a well-thought of step by Leo, who, having spoken to his family and lawyers, is desperate to leave the club. The way he thinks about it today is clear: this is not a battle for more power. He wants to leave. That is it.

Even if nothing is agreed with another club right now, even if eventually Barcelona insist he has a 700m euro buy-out clause and will demand one of the biggest transfer fees in history despite having a year left on his contract, he doesn’t care – he wants out.

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu – Protecting Wealth Creators in Nigeria

The post Lionel Messi hands in Barcelona transfer request appeared first on Daily Concord.

Michael Bennett, the standout defensive end who spoke out forcefully against racial injustice during his career, said he was retiring after an 11-year N.F.L. career, primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks.

“Retiring feels a little like death of self, but I’m looking forward to the rebirth — the opportunity to reimagine my purpose,” Bennett, 34, wrote on Instagram. “I have never been more at peace in my life.”

Bennett, like his younger brother, Martellus, a tight end who last played in the N.F.L. in the 2017 season, never shied away from sharing his opinions. In 2017, after the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Bennett was part of a group of players who began protesting during the playing of the national anthem to raise awareness of police brutality and other forms of injustice. But while most players knelt or raised a fist during the anthem, Bennett drew extra attention because he chose to sit on the bench.

He was later joined by a white teammate, offensive lineman Justin Britt, who put his hand on Bennett’s shoulder in solidarity.

Doug Baldwin, a Seahawks wide receiver who retired after the 2018 season, said Bennett was never afraid to share his opinions, often backed by data, in and out of the locker room. But he was also willing to listen to others who did not agree with him. At the same time, he followed unconventional paths, as when he chose to sit during the national anthem.

Read Also – Mahmood Ahmadu – Protecting Wealth Creators in Nigeria

“Obviously, he cared deeply about the same issues as we did, but he had his own way fighting and speaking out,” Baldwin said. “He was never afraid to express himself. Whether it was trying to bring people together or being divisive, his intention was to get people to look outside themselves.”

Bennett’s protests were informed by his personal experience. In August 2017, Bennett was outside a Las Vegas nightclub when the police were investigating a report of shots fired. Two officers approached Bennett and eventually handcuffed him at gunpoint. Bennett later said that the officers had racially profiled him and used excessive force, including an officer kneeling on his back. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department denied that its force was unwarranted.

In 2018, Bennett was indicted on a felony charge, accused of assaulting an elderly security guard when he rushed the field after the 2017 Super Bowl, which Martellus won as a member of the New England Patriots. The charge was dismissed in 2019 because of a lack of evidence.

He shared his views about racial inequality, police violence and athletes’ roles in protest movements in “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable,” a book he co-wrote that was released in 2018.

In college, he said he was astonished at how white coaches tried to mold Black players in their image.

Source – https://www.nytimes.com/

The post Michael Bennett, a Protest Pioneer, Retires From the N.F.L. appeared first on Daily Concord.

Duncan who plays for Fiorentina in the Italian Serie A was last week named in C.K Akonnor’s 23 man squad for the doubleheader on March 27 and 30 but with Italy taking drastic measures to arrest the deadly virus which has plagued the country, the player may not be able to travel to honour the game.

Yesterday, Monday, March 9, Italy announced that the entire country – which is Europe’s worst affected by coronavirus – was in lockdown as it battles to contain the outbreak.

Latest reports indicate that more than a quarter of Italy’s population has been forced to live in isolation with football games and all sporting events, including games in the top division, Serie A suspended until 3 April due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Read Also – Euro Knowledge Leadership Award to Host Mahmood Ahmadu, Others

Large gatherings of any sort have also been discouraged in a desperate effort to arrest the situation.

GhanaWeb checks at the Ghana Football Association indicate that the FA is in touch with the player and his club, and had been given the clearance to travel for Ghana the games. But that was before the latest fiat that prevents any form of movement.

It is unclear if coach Akonnor and his technical team will invite another player to fill the void if it is confirmed that Ducan will not be able to make the trip to Ghana and Sudan in the next two weeks.

Source – https://www.ghanaweb.com/

The post coronavirus – Italy-based Alfred Duncan may miss Black Stars game appeared first on Daily Concord.

City have been barred from the Champions League and Europa League from the start of next season and fined 30 million euros after being found to have committed “serious breaches” of financial regulations.

The heavy sanctions relate to an alleged overstatement of sponsorship revenue in the club’s efforts to get around Financial Fair Play rules.

City, currently second behind runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool, have said they will appeal against the punishment through the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But the damage to City on and off the field could be immeasurable if the ban is upheld.

And ex-England forward Marsh, ranked as one of City’s greats after his spell there in the 1970s, is concerned the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour could walk away in that case.

“If this decision is upheld it would not surprise me to see owner Sheikh Mansour sell the club,” he tweeted.

“He has been superb for City and this is a huge kick in the balls. I wouldn’t blame him.”

City face an anxious wait to discover if their appeal is successful and in the meantime there will be speculation about Mansour and the futures of City manager Pep Guardiola and his star players.

Guardiola and company may not want to stay at City if they are denied Champions League action.

Read Also – Euro Knowledge Leadership Award to Host Mahmood Ahmadu, Others

But former City midfielder Michael Brown expects Mansour to fight to save the club’s reputation and preserve their successful squad.

“What they’ve done as a football club, what they’ve done on the pitch, the way they’ve gone about it, I think they’ve been first class,” Brown told the BBC.

“They’ve been honourable how they’ve gone about it, as usual like Manchester City. This will be a shock for them but it will be something that they’ll come out fighting.

Source – https://www.nation.co.ke/sports/

The post Man City face chaos after ban, says former star appeared first on Daily Concord.