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all-about-cr7 · 5 years

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MARCA interview after receiving the ‘MARCA Leyenda’ award

- my translation -

Q: You have won almost everything in your career. Do you feel satisfied with everything you already achieved? “I changed a bit last year because I left Madrid, I needed extra motivation in my career after winning what I won in Madrid. I needed a change in order to be able to express my football because I think I still have a lot to offer: to me, the fans, Juve, and I'm sure it will go on like this. I still feel motivated and I like what I do. Of course, what I like most is winning titles. Last year, thank God we won three: Coppa Italia, Italian league and Nations League with Portugal, so it was a top year.”

Q. I can't imagine how the CR7 Museum is, does it have space for more trophies? “The museum is very good, if there is no space, we’ll work for more. We cannot leave out any, Some trophies are more important than others, but we have room for all of them, Ballon D’Or, Best Player, Golden Shoe, Pichichi, whatever. As I always say to my friends: a trophy is a trophy.”

Q. What does winning the MARCA Leyenda award mean to you? “It is a very important prize that only legends can win and obviously it had to be Cristiano too. After what I have done in my career, especially at Real Madrid, it is a great honour to receive it and I want to thank MARCA for giving me this opportunity and receiving it here in Madrid. I am very happy to return here to Spain and Madrid.”

Q. Sarri said that you have freedom on the pitch, what do you think? “It is a way of expressing oneself, but obviously that will not be the case because there is a team concept and I have a job: to cover spaces, set pieces ... I will do the same things I was doing at Madrid or in my first year with Juve or in the national team. I will defend, close spaces, being an attacker with freedom but with defensive work too because only a team with everyone working together can win important things.”

Q. You said you would play until 40. Do you still think like that? “I am not worried at all in that regard because it will depend a lot on what I feel, on my motivation, because physically it will never be a problem. Up to 40 you have to take care about yourself well and I think it won’t be the most important factor, honestly. It is more the psychological aspect that will make a difference. I hope that nothing happens until 40, but if something happens, that’s just the way it is. Life is like that, everything has a beginning and an end, so Cristiano is not going to last a lifetime, logically, but I still feel strong to keep winning important things.”

Q. Can this be the year of Juventus? “It is always the year of Juventus, of Madrid, of Barça, when only one club can win a competition like the Champions League. I give you the example of Barcelona: how much money have they invested in players in the last five years and didn’t win the Champions League. That’s not how it works. Juve has been reinforced very well and it is a team that will fight to win titles, as always, but this will depend on many factors: the groups, the moment, the injuries, the luck .. But as I always say: do not obsess with the Champions League. Juve will win it, if not this year, hopefully it will be next year, in two years, considering the way they work, how they are planning. All the ingredients are there to win it.”

Q. Did Buffon talk with you about about winning the Champions League? “He hasn't told me anything about that. We talked because he is someone I’ve admired since we had faced each other many times and he told me he was very happy that we are together now. I told him the same thing because in my opinion he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best. Buffon, Casillas, are goalkeepers who will remain in football history. I am very happy to be together with him because he is a five star man.”

Q. Have you missed Madrid this past year? “I was living here for nine years, a part of my story happened in Madrid and I don't talk only about football because everybody knows that, but about relationships in general, my children, Cristianito, I met my girlfriend here. There are many stories that cannot be erased, the past doesn’t just get turned off. That's why I still have a house here, I come here from time to time, looking after the hotel, the hair clinic, the gyms, friends too. It is a city that I love and I will always come here. I don't rule out living here again one day at all.”

Q: With whom do you spend more time at Juve? “The Juve group is top, it was a surprise for me. I thought it was different, that everyone just cares for themselves, but that’s not the case. The truth is that it is a very good group, very united and I get along well with everyone. Logically it is easier with the Portuguese or the Spanish, with whom I speak more, but I get along well with everyone.”

Q. And who do you miss in Madrid, maybe Marcelo? “Marcelo is very happy here in Madrid, Everyone leads his life and I always got along very well with him. I talk a lot with him, with Casemiro, with Pepe, Coentrao, I got along very well with everyone. Marcelo is a very lively boy and I miss him.”

Q. And who do you think would fit into Juve? “Top players always fit into big teams and of course Madrid has an excellent team, they have invested a lot of money, new players and for sure they will have a very good season. I am not going to tell you names although obviously some would fit in, but I am very happy with the Juve team, we reinforced ourselves very well and we have a great staff, with very good people also on the bench. If you ask Hazard in Madrid he will say the same about his team. I will express appreciation for my team because I also believe that it is a very competitive and excellent team.”

Q: How do you see Barça? “Like every years, I see them very strong. They have been reinforced very well with De Jong, Griezmann, like last year with Coutinho, Dembelé ... It’s always one of the best teams in the world. The same applies for Madrid, with Hazard, Jovic, Mendy ... Juve too ... I am aware of Madrid because I have left a legacy there, I have left friends, it is the club with which I have won the most things and I am 100% sure that they will have a great season.”

Q. There is a lot of talk about Neymar, do you see him in Barcelona? “I don't know, he's a great player and I get along very well with him. We had a video shooting together recently. But there is a lot of talk about him, that he is going to Madrid, Barça, Juve ... This is the job of the press because they want to sell, but I think that he will stay in Paris and if not, may he look where he is happy and where he can express his great football, may he have no injuries, not a lot of trouble and no worries. I worry for him because I like to see the boy playing. Regardless of where he will play, may he take care of himself and have no injuries, that's what I wish for him.”

Q. Tell me your three favourites for the Champions League. “Always the same, regardless of whom they sign: Madrid, Barça, Atlético, Juve, Bayern, Liverpool ... I may have forgotten to mention some, but I really see it as usual. Barça and Madrid, who spent more money than everyone else, City too, are perhaps the favourites, but in football not always the favorites do win.”

Q. Have you played an important role in the signing of De Ligt? “I don t think so. I like it that you ask me that question because after the end of the Nations League match I made a remark out of companionship, as a footballer, because everyone does that. It is normal because he is 19 years old and everything remains on the pitch. I said it (’come to Juve’) jokingly but I would never influence a coach or a manager regarding signings. But the truth is that I am happy that De Ligt is with us.”

Q. Do you see yourself living in Madrid one day? “Sure! As I said before, Madrid is a city that we all love and I don’t rule it out. Now I am focused on Italy and Juve and we are all very happy, but you never know. In this city we have lived very beautiful moments and of course I could come here to live. We'll see. Now let's think about enjoying the moment, the present.”

MARCA title “History at his feet”

#cristiano ronaldo #interview #Juventus #Real Madrid #Cristiano quotes #my translation

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thefinishedarticle · 3 years

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Munich the Merciless

After Bayern Munich’s 8-2 trouncing of Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, the reactions were hyperbolic. Bavarians rejoiced, fans of the Catalan club tore out their hair, and Madridistas and neutrals laughed at their misfortune. The consensus was that it was an unprecedented humiliation. But whilst everyone was declaring how much they’d h8 2 be a Barca fan, I dove straight into the stats.

The result was impressive, but it wasn’t exactly exceptional. Just from an English perspective, I’d seen Bayern play Spurs and Chelsea in the earlier rounds of the same competition, ties which they won 10-3 and 7-2 on aggregate. There was little sympathy at those defeats, as both sets of fans had spent the last few years mocking Arsenal’s 10-2 dismissal by Bayern in 2017. It was nice to see the rivals given something in common.

It’s interesting, because most Champions League knock-out ties are fairly even. The usual narrative is for the home team to win the first leg, only to lose away, and hope that they had built up enough of a lead in the first place to go through on aggregate. It’s sort of like cricket, where you declare at 3-0 after your turn to score and then have to hope you don’t lose 4-0 away.

That’s how most of the recent big games have gone. In just the last few years, we’ve seen it time and time again:

Barcelona win 3-0, Liverpool win 4-0. Aggregate 4-3. Atlético win 2-0, Juventus win 3-0. Aggregate 3-2. PSG win 2-0, United win 3-1. Aggregate 3-3. Real win 3-0, Juventus win 3-1. Aggregate 4-3. Barcelona win 4-1, Roma win 3-0. Aggregate 4-4. Liverpool win 5-2, Roman win 4-2. Aggregate 7-6. PSG win 4-0, Barcelona win 6-1. Aggregate 6-5. City win 5-3, Monaco win 3-1. Aggregate 6-6.

Individual games can be bloodbaths, but ties between big teams tend to balance out on aggregate. Those Bayern thrashings, over two legs, stand out from the crowd. I wanted to see exactly how rare they were, so I went back and looked at all of the knock-out stages between 2009 to 2020, since Bayern returned to the competition.

That’s about 180 ties. Out of all of those, there were only 12 instances of a team winning by an aggregate margin of six or more goals.

2020: Bayern, Bayern 2019: City 2018: Bayern 2017: Bayern 2016: 2015: Bayern 2014: Real 2013: Bayern 2012: Bayern, Barca, Real 2011: 2010: 2009: Bayern

Bayern were responsible for 8 of those 12.

It’s a remarkable stat, and even more incredible when you consider that they haven't made the final since 2013. It's not just that they're the best team, they're just... really good at thrashings. If they're going to beat a team, they make sure they stay beat. They have no mercy.

They also rarely do this in the league. Although they seem to have the Bundesliga sewn up every year, and you could forgive the person who inscribes the trophy for starting on the B before the season starts, they seem to have as much trouble as any good side at breaking down a small, defensive-minded side.

It’s not like they do this every game. Being able to turn over Champions League sides in style suggests they should be scoring even more against the relegation battlers, but that isn’t the case. In 2018/19, they scored 5 goals in the league only five times. Those games were against Borussia Dortmund (2nd), Borussia Monchengladbach (5th), Wolfsburg (6th), Eintracht Frankfurt (7th), and Mainz (12th). Dortmund are their closest rivals, but they are a particular favourite for thrashings: the same fixture was 6-0 the season before, 4-0 the season afterwards.

They don’t stat-pad against minnows. Instead, they seem to specialise against teams that open up and try to play, leaving their own defence exposed, they have became absolutely ruthless in punishing that mistake. They aren’t the only side to develop this sort of statistic quirk (Liverpool at the start of Klopp’s reign and United when Ole first took the wheel both tended to do better against bigger sides, thanks to their high-pressing, counter-attacking tactics, and players such as Jamie Vardy also thrive against larger prey), but nobody does it quite like them - not in such style, or on the highest possible stage.

#football #Bayern Munich #Bayern #Champions League

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femnet · 6 years

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December 10th 1963 – that’s the day my dad was born. The youngest of five! Two sisters, two brothers. Surrounded by seven dogs in his childhood, all German shepherds. His dad worked for a company that allowed him to go to the République du Congo, his mother was a stay-at-home mom without a license. I never really got to meet my grandparents; my grandma died when I was six, my granddad died a few months later, when I was seven. I don’t remember much about them, but I always wonder how much of them my dad took with him. How much they are alike. And how much I am like my father now.

I grew up in a happy home. Most of the time anyway. My parents both worked, I am their only child, except for a half-sister I haven’t seen in a long time. She’s also nine years older than me, so for most of our lives we were at completely different stages and had nothing to bond over.

My dad was very westphalian – strong, sturdy, hard-worker, handyman. I wanna say “gender roles were very apparent in my family”, but at the same time my mother was a working mother, worked her way up to team leader in her company around two years ago. She’s a go-getter, while my dad was always comfortable with the simple life. In hindsight, I never really understood how they fell in love in the first place! But that’s besides the point.

Like I said, my dad is from a simple, 50s/60s household. His oldest sister died a few years ago, she was 16 years older than him. Then two brothers, a sister, and then him. They never had a ton of money, because it was one working parent, but they had a good life, from what I can tell from the pictures. There was never violence in my household, and when my mom told my dad that she had cheated on him and wanted a divorce, he was heartbroken. It turned his life around completely. He’s ok now, has been in a relationship for four years, lives with his girlfriend and they have two dogs together. I wanna say it turned him into a better person.

When I was a teenager, we didn’t have a good relationship. He was the westphalian worker, the man of the house. Not that my mother didn’t get to make decision, or that he undermined her authority. He never did that! But he got loud quickly. I was angry at him a lot, but that was more of my teenage mindset than anything else. I knew he only wanted what was best for me, I know now that I was an extremely lazy teen and my dad knew that I had a lot more to give the world. I was intelligent enough to reach for the stars, but I did the exact opposite, and that frustrated him. But there was one thing we always bonded on: sports. In two different ways!

When I was a child, around four years old, my dad would always sit me down on the breakfast table on Sundays, and we’d recite all the players of his favorite football team, FC Bayern München. He’d say their first names, I’d yell out their last names. He’d say Mario, I’d yell Basleeeeer! He’d say Jürgen, I’d yell Klinsmaaaaann. It was our thing. Then he went on to ask me things like who created the first car? (Carl Benz), what’s the theory of relativity? (E=mc²), what’s PPE short for? (Polypropylen)… and a lot of other things. Lots of spelling, lots of fun questions to keep my little brain occupied.

When I was seven I started playing basketball. That was another thing we bonded over. He was the dad that was always there, and I never cared. My mom drove me to practice, on the weekends we’d travel the country for my games. I loved having them there, it made me feel special. They were rooting for me, and for the most part my dad held back and didn’t tell me what to do better, like you hear about a lot of soccer dads – only mine was a basketball dad, I guess. We lived for my sport, and it brought us closer and he made me reach goals and believe in myself, made me take steps forward that I wouldn’t have taken otherwise. We were a team outside of the team, he would’ve driven to the end of the world for his little superstar. My parents paid for seven weeks at a basketball camp, between 2005 and 2009. I was living the best life!

A lot of things have happened in my 23 years of knowing my dad. I live 500 miles away from home now, seven hours by train, six-and-a-half hours by car (four hours, according to my dad, thanks to non-existent German autobahn speed limits). I call him a lot, so he knows I still love him. For his birthday last year I bought him an FC Bayern München football jersey with his name and the number 63 on it. He works at a sports store, so I got a few bucks off and a colleague of his got it for me! For this year I got him tickets to go see Bayern München play in February 2018. We planned on doing it last year, but he had a slipped disc a day prior and couldn’t drive all the way down to Munich because he was in too much pain.

In all honesty? I don’t know where I’m going with this. Maybe this is just a post for myself, but writing this is opening my eyes to a lot of things. My dad is from a simple background, a simple family. When this “refugee crisis” happened in 2015, I thought he would be one of those who either wouldn’t have an opinion, or have an opinion that maybe even swayed to the right. Not that he’d ever said anything against any of my friends who were of color, or said anything about people of color in general. But he’s a simple man. And in the news, the simple men are always the ones complaining. Or the super rich, white dudes. But my dad defended the refugees! He told me it’s not their fault there’s war in their country, told me about a story he’d heard on the radio about how many people’s papers are getting lost by our government and beaurocracy, and that if they wanna direct their anger towards anyone, it should be the government and all the people making mistakes, not the refugees who have no control over any of this.

He didn’t go to school for very long, quit school after year nine to go to work and support himself. That’s what it was like back then. Again, a simple man. But I went to school, finished after year 13, now I’m in college. I am my own person, but I see a lot of my dad in me. I am definitely his daughter and I am so proud of it. He’s a loud-mouth sometimes, his opinions can cause some friction, or at least him speaking about those opinions so openly, which is something I wish I could do. I have trouble calling someone on the phone or saying “you didn’t hand out enough money” at the cash register… but maybe that’ll come at some point in my life! He’s always my biggest fan, he’ll defend me, he accepts my choices and he’ll tell me when I’m wrong. My dad is my best friend. A daughter’s first love is her dad – and that’s true. He lets me make my own decisions, but I know that he’ll always be there for me when I mess up. He’s never threatened a boy I brought home, he never told me I can’t do something, but if I did something and failed then that was a lesson to me that maybe this specific thing wasn’t for me. He teaches me that life isn’t all about the riches, that you can be happy with anything you have. He lives in a house, with a huge garden, two dogs, his girlfriend, her parents. They have friends surrounding them, people coming over for birthdays, big parties. For his 50th birthday there were around 40 people in our garage who were all there for him. Siblings, colleagues, friends from his past and his present. And it makes me so happy for him. If there’s one thing in life that I want the most, is for him (and my mom, of course) to know that they are loved by the people around them! We all have our personality traits that people are bothered by, but at the same time there’s a lot of things that make us wonderful. And my dad is one of the most wonderful people I know.

I love my dad. Today is his birthday. I can’t be there to celebrate with him because it’s expensive to go up to where he lives, but that’s ok with him. We’ve talked about that before. I am so glad I have a dad who’s there for me the way he is, and who treats me with so much respect in a world where a lot of men still think they own their daughters like some kind of property. He’s a great man, a hard worker, he can fix anything without even thinking twice about what he’s doing. He mesmerizes me every single day. Happy Birthday, dad! And happy birthday to all the dads out there. If you have a great relationship with your dad, make sure you let him know how much you appreciate him. Give him a call, send him a little card, whatever it is that you do… make sure he knows he’s important to you, and strengthen your bond with the man who gave you life. I am so glad and know how privileged I am to have a dad in my life who loves me unconditionally.

Here’s to all the dads – and today, here’s to mine especially! Happy Birthday, BigK!

#by elle #fathers #real life #happy birthday bigk

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juweigl · 7 years

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Am I the only one who finds Gotze's behavier annoying to no end? Like, so many difficulties at Bayern, wasn't Pep's first choice, that's true, but everytime he had a chance to prove everyone wrong, to show his abilities, he floped. Why? Cause all he cared about were vacations, parties, shootings, pictures with his hot girlfriend, social media, EVERYTHING besides football. Image > football or so lala. And when he was gone, he didn't even bother to say thanks to bayern fans who supported him [1]

Okay I feel like you’re talking about a bunch of different things here so I’m going to one at a time if that okay. I’ll start by saying that I’m no big fan of Mario Götze. I agree that he does care a lot about his image. I don’t know how that’s related to football, though. Players show up to training every day, they play 90 minutes on the pitch when their trainer tells them to, they stay healthy off the pitch, and the rest should not interfere with football unless there’s something else going on, like emotional troubles.

There are lots of possible explanations for why he didn’t do well at Bayern, like not fitting into the system, having issues with fitness or injuries, simply being overhyped with us, and Bayern having ridiculous depth. I don’t really see how going on vacation during your break or taking pictures with your hot girlfriend affects your ability to play football. If managing your image had a negative correlation to athletic ability, Cristiano Ronaldo must really be shit.

~no matter what. It’s Pep who benched you, not people, who were by your side dispite rather poor form, show some respect! But that’s not the point. You once said that Mats does a lot of things in order to be loved and adored by everyone. I think Mario is the same, he just not that successful. Remember how he started this season? Trains hard (and of-fucking-corse shows it in instagram), congratulates fans on FIFA award (he wasn’t even there at Anfield last year, why?) [2]

You think Mats Hummels is successful at being adored? That’s interesting haha. I agree that he was adored in the past but he’s now known around the world as a snake. Götze was generally liked before his move to Bayern as well. I do think he should have thanked the Bayern fans but he cared more about appeasing BVB fans than being respectful to other fans who supported him. I consider that to be a big character flaw, being too desperate to please and not having enough moral backbone.

But Hummels did kind of do the same thing, just in the reverse situation. When he first transferred to Bayern, he pissed off Bayern fans by continuing to constantly talk about BVB (like admitting in an interview that he forgot he was a Bayern player while watching the Pokal draw???) and giving all his time to BVB fans after the Supercup and only responding to BVB fans on Twitter. He tried to win back BVB fans and ended up alienating both groups.

~and plays his role of lost son who came back and now wants to change. Then he fall out of squad because of metabolic problems (not his fault) and keep it quiet for a while. Then he went to the match of his brother with Ann and I was like okaaay, there’s not much improvements, but we’ll see. And then he missed Cup Final because he “was getting treatment in Bavaria”, but now we know for a fact that he was with AK in LA all this time [3]

I heard about him being in LA but I don’t think he was there during the Pokalfinale? It’s been over a week, but idk. Also, I don’t see the problem with him going to see his brother play. He’s close to his family and wants to support them. That’s his choice. And I think you’ll find that most players put their families over their clubs. A big part of why Marco stayed was because his family and friends are in Dortmund.

~and here he goes again. Vacation, bild photographs, Ann-Kathrin in all her naked glory, plenty of unhealthy food (which Ann stupidly snapt and then made insta story with fruits and caption WE EAT HEALTHY! lmao). And I don’t even know anymore. If it was any other person, I’d said “okay, he’s taking vacation in order to relax before new season”. But it’s Mario Gotze and everyone who follows him for a long time knows what that means. It’s like he doesn’t even care about football anymore [4]

No offence but I think these opinions are kind of going downhill lol. I don’t know what AK eats but that’s her business. I like fruit and I like McDonald’s chicken nuggets. Problem? Also no, I don’t know what it means that he’s on vacation? I would assume that it means he’s relaxing and having fun? It’s not like he can play while he’s recovering from a disorder that’s keeping him out. Caring more about football won’t really change that.

~He once said that Ann-Kathrin is more important than football for him. I guess he didn’t lie about it. She’s at new agency, needs promotion and if you know this woman, know her ways, you know that usually she uses Mario’s fame for it. I’m not saying that it’s all her fault. After all, he’s grown ass man. But I just don’t know what to think about Mario anymore. I can’t see him starting ahead of Castro or Kagawa. And don’t forget about Dahoud and Ju… Would be nice to hear your opinion.

Ju as in Julian Weigl? Mario Götze isn’t competing against a defensive midfielder. Anyway, Bosz (or whoever trains us next season) will play whomever he wants to play. If Bosz learns from past mistakes, he’ll also play whomever the club wants him to play. Anyway, it’s hard to judge a player when they’ve been out for most of the season. Last season he played quite a bit when he was healthy. This still has absolutely nothing to do with AK. I don’t “know this woman, know her ways” but neither do you. My advice to you is to stop reading WAG blogs and maybe read some books instead. Or watch Orphan Black, it’s a great show!

#ask #anon #football #.#...#mario gotze

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soccernetghana · 4 years

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Interview: Senica Ghanaian forward Sadam Sulley talks about life and career

Sadam Sulley appeared at Łazienkowska Street in the summer of 2016 and joined the Legia in a 4-year contract. He didn't break through, didn't make his debut in the first team. But in spite of everything, she remembers staying in Warsaw in superlatives. We talk to a player from Ghana about the time spent in Poland. We ask how does he recall the tournament after which he came to Legia or about friendship with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? We invite you to talk to the former striker of our club. What was your childhood like? Sadam Sulley: It wasn't very colorful. I didn't grow up like most children who had parents by their side. My mother died when I was 11 and my father was not with me - he died a year after I came to Legia. I was looked after by my grandmother and aunts. I had to take care of everything I had. I left my family home at a very young age. I grew up myself and started to learn what is good and what is bad. I learned humility and respect for people. I also have good memories of my childhood, but - as I say - it was not easy. I missed the presence of parents who could tell me what I should do and what not to do. Despite the adversity, I could manage. Where I am today is because I didn't give up, matured on my own and had to take care of the food myself. Thank god for that Did you have anyone outside the family who you could rely on? Sadam Sulley: Three very good colleagues. We're still friends, we often talk to each other. In those days they were able to offer me invaluable help. They took me to homes where I could sleep normally and gave me food. One of them had older siblings who looked after him. He appreciated it very much and decided to take care of me too. I am grateful to each of them for this day. I am humble, I respect everything and everyone, no matter who the person is. I also regularly talk with Abdul Basit Abubakra, who closely monitors Legia's results and comments on the club's posts on all social media. Did you go to school in your country? Sadam Sulley: Yes, although I did not have the opportunity to complete all levels of education. I attended a high school in Kpedze, which I did not finish due to my family's financial problems. I love football so much that I had to stop learning at that moment. I began to study myself. I assumed that you do not have to acquire knowledge only through classes at school. Man learns all his life. I learned to write and read by interacting with people, being in society. There used to be an Internet company called MTN in Ghana and from 12 o'clock every phone call was free. Sometimes I called this company and talked to nice ladies who worked there just to improve my English. It was funny. Life taught me a lot Is Ghana a safe country? Sadam Sulley: It is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa, basically and all over the world. Everyone is friendly here, positive energy beats from everyone. You can go to the sea to experience relaxation and unforgettable views. If you don't look for unnecessary trouble, you won't meet them on the road. I will say it again: Ghana is a very calm and at the same time a fantastic country, I recommend it to every foreigner. Was there any player you liked to imitate in your childhood? Sadam Sulley: Yes. It was Didier Drogba. He impressed with physical conditions, strength. We can say that he was a football animal, of course in a positive sense. He could stay on the ball or hit a football with his head, misleading the opposing goalkeeper. In my childhood I cheered on him a lot, I was his big fan. I also followed Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang and Asamoah Gyan. In a way, I grew up with these characters. Ghana Soccer Fiesta - it was after one of the editions of this tournament that Legia got interested in you. How do you remember this competition? Sadam Sulley: I remember they were yesterday. This is one of the most important moments in my life. I was returning after the injury. I had a knee injury that excluded me from playing for eight months. My guardian Abdul Aziz Husein was with me all the time. When I was cured, I returned to competition. I was already a little known in the country at that time. I took next football steps, and Husein knew many people. They wanted to get me the best clubs from Ghana, but I wasn't ready for it. I was coming back after playing football. Mr. Aziz contacted me and told me to move to the second league team, to Vision FC, and give my best. He said, "I promise you'll find a club in Europe after the season." I agreed and it worked out for good. I had great statistics. I scored a lot of goals and showed myself from the good side, for which I thank Mr. Husein, A moment later, I heard about the Ghana Soccer Fiesta tournament, organized by Dreams FC. In total about 20 teams took part in those competitions. We started playing early in the morning. Every day we played two or three matches. In one meeting I scored two goals, I was pleased with the performance. The next day we faced a demanding rival. Again we showed good points, I scored again. I was aware that the tournament was followed by many observers and scouts from various countries. I believed that I presented myself quite well and had the opportunity to catch many contacts. Michael Osekre, president of Vision FC, i.e. the club where you played then, said that you aroused interest in, among others Anderlecht or Sporting Braga. These clubs really wanted to get you? Sadam Sulley: Of course. After the tournament I was in touch with representatives of Sporting Braga and Anderlecht. I had a lot of different options. I was interested in five strong teams. In this group, in addition to the previously mentioned teams, there was also Schalke. I remember it very well. Radosław Kucharski (current sports director - editor) also called me and said: "Sulley, please don't talk to anyone, don't answer the phone, just come to Legia, because we are very interested in you." I made a decision and decided that I want to get to the club from Łazienkowska. When and how did you meet Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? Sadam Sulley: I met him three years ago in Warsaw. Borussia Dortmund, in which he played then, competed with Legia in the Champions League. When Aubameyang arrived to Poland for the Champions League match, I had the pleasure of exchanging a few words with him. I told him I knew Andre Ayewa, whom I treat as a brother (Ayew is currently playing in Swansea - ed.). We started talking. I remember that Pierre liked me and gave me contact. I received a shirt from him, which he gave me after the match in the Thibault Moulin locker room. Later we contacted via WhatsApp. He sent me another shirt in which he played against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga's last round. He is a good and calm man. I respect and value him a lot. He gives me advice all the time if I find myself in difficult situations. We still keep in touch with each other. Do you also have contact with other players who play in good clubs? Sadam Sulley: Yes, mainly with representatives of Ghana. I have a good relationship with Mubarak Wakaso, who has performed in Spain almost all his life and has recently signed a contract with a Chinese club (Jiansu Suning - ed.). I am in touch with Jordan Ayew, brother Andre. I also talk with Sulley Muntari, who in the past represented AC Milan. I treat him like a brother. Most Ghanaian players have had the opportunity to play in big clubs. They gave me important tips because I was a young player. I could learn many things from them. Is there something characteristic of Ghana that you would like to "transfer" to Europe? Sadam Sulley: Even better contact with friends or even easier access to meet new people. The African population is one big family. Most of the people there are treated like brothers and sisters, whether you have family ties or not. It doesn't matter if you only see them while walking on the street, because you know that he is a man who is important to you. In this way, unity is created. However, Europe is a little different. There is a rush and nervousness here. Everyone is concerned about individual things, they don't have time for themselves. They wake up, go to work, and after finishing rushing home. There is not enough time for interpersonal relationships. Some people do not have the opportunity to meet even people from the neighborhood. It comes to a situation that the neighbor, who is only one wall away from you, is completely strange to you. And it is very possible that for three years living next to each other, you'll never see him. Everyone in Africa feels very at ease and is open to other people. It happens that someone knocks on the door of another inhabitant and says: "I went shopping, but I forgot sugar. Could you buy it for me? " Meeting a refusal to grant a request is practically impossible. I think that you have to take care of friendship and good relations with others. You can go out with someone for coffee, have a good time and just laugh. I would like it to be more common in Europe. Do you feel important in Ghana? I am asking because you once posted a photo on Instagram - you visited the Volt Region. It was obvious that people from there support you very much and set you as an example. Sadam Sulley: Yes. When I visit my homeland I feel really honored. It's unique when I see how I am perceived by young people, friends and people around me who know what I was struggling with as a child and appreciate my hard work. When I return to Ghana, many people support me and speak very positively about me. The local community shows me respect and admires me, which drives me to overcome new barriers. It happens that a boy approaches me who does not beat around the bush and says directly: "Sadam, I admire you. I play football thanks to you. I want to be like you. " Such moments make you feel unearthly and happy that you have the right influence on people. I really appreciate it and I realize that many countrymen support me. Returns to our homeland always enjoy. Ghanaians treat football as a cult, religion? Sadam Sulley: Of course. It is known that the level of football in Ghana is not like in Europe. However, we have clubs at a good level that compete in nice local leagues. The development of technology and greater knowledge of football will allow us to reach an even higher level. There is no shortage of talented players in Ghana. The president of the Ghanaian Football Association, Kurt Okraku, together with Michael Osekre, the president of my former club, Vision FC, are doing a great job and are doing great. I believe that football will make great progress in 3-5 years in my country. You came to Legia in 2016. How do you remember the moment of transfer, the first days in Warsaw? Sadam Sulley: Excellent. Before leaving for Poland, I read Legia supporters' comments about me. I must admit that I was nervous and shocked by the whole situation. When I found myself at Chopin Airport, I saw a group of fans and Radek Kucharski who was waiting for me. It was a great moment for me. It was then that I flew to Europe for the first time to be associated with such a big club as Legia. I was accompanied by great emotions and a great feeling. I remember every single detail during the first days in Warsaw. After the first training, during Besnik Hasi's term, you said that you trained on the grass for the first time in your life. Kidding? Sadam Sulley: Haha. Grass on European playgrounds is definitely better quality than in Ghana. I remember that it was raining during the first classes in the colors of Legia. We practiced at Łazienkowska, on the side court. Then I just said this sentence that I feel the difference between grass in the Old Continent and Ghana and Africa in general. Not every club has the opportunity to train on the surface I have encountered in Europe. It was therefore my real debut on the grass. Until then, I had never been able to compete on such a good pitch. Don't trainers teach tactics in Africa? During training with the first team, there was a lack of understanding during tactical classes. Sadam Sulley: I was lucky to train with Ghanaian trainer Ivan Bugajic in Ghana. He taught me a lot, tactics too, but it is obvious that changing the club is not easy. Each trainer has a different, own concept. I thought it was difficult to comprehend everything immediately after moving to Legia. Over time, however, I began to understand more and take further steps forward. At the beginning you trained under Besnik Hasi, but you didn't make your debut in the first team. Sadam Sulley: Besnik Hasi believed in me and trusted me, he knew my potential. He previously worked with many black players when he was in Anderlecht. Then we went to the pre-season camp to Austria. Later, the Polish Super Cup was waiting for us with Lech Poznań. That day the trainer called me and said: "You must be ready. Maybe you will start the match in the basic composition, because you did well in Austria. Everything goes in the right direction. I will use you on the pitch and then you will improve with each passing day. " So I was supposed to play. When I changed clothes in the locker room, I found out that this would not happen. Team leader Konrad Paśniewski said that some of my documents had not yet been sent from Ghana, so I couldn't go out on the pitch. From that moment everything broke down. I trained intensively, the trainer said I was making progress, we often talked to each other. Then came the time for qualifying for the Champions League, Polish Cup and Premier League. The meeting schedule was tight. Besnik Hasi wanted to give me a chance, but at that time there was a change of coach. If the Albanian stayed in Legia for a longer time, I would probably have the opportunity to play in several meetings and show the fans and the club what I can do. Then you moved to Legia's reserves. In the third meeting in the second team you scored a goal. It looked good, but you didn't play regularly. Sadam Sulley: Young players do not always have the right way of thinking. This causes some problems on the pitch, you are not fully focused on what you are doing and you focus on what is happening around the ball. When I was moved to the second team, I did not think positively. A moment earlier I was in the first team and I wanted to fight there for the composition. I started to play in the reserves, I scored a goal, but the rule in the form of a limit for players from outside the European Union, which was more stringent than in the Premier League, stood in the way. At that time, three-four players who were on the defensive were included in the reserve. For the trainer it was a difficult situation in the context of possible changes, because the defenders must be in the game and are usually from the first to the last minute. This is one of the reasons I didn't have enough opportunities to play in the III league. At the end of the 2016/17 season, you often played in reserves. Did you feel you could get a chance in the first team? Sadam Sulley: Yes. When I was in the reserves, I did my best and wanted to play regularly in the second team. I knew I had skills that I can show to Legia supporters and make them happy. I still think I could do it. I think I deserved to get back to "one". I woke up every day and wanted to be an even better player. The coach of the III-league reserves supported me, said that I was doing well and that I would keep working that way. But at that time no one gave me the opportunity to show talent in the first team. I believed that my place was in the first team squad. I know my potential and I know what I could give the club. I think that then I should be in "one". What do you think - if you had the chance to play in the Polish Premier League, your career would have been different and you could still play in Legia? Sadam Sulley: I'm 100 percent sure of that. Ekstraklasa is a nice league, with beautiful stadiums, great supporters who cheer up enthusiastically. You can also see the presence of the media, journalists who are at every match and watching the struggles from the height of the stands. When you play and experience all this, confidence increases. If I could prove myself against the background of the Premier League in the colors of Legia, my whole career would look completely different. What did you learn in Warsaw? Sadam Sulley: Many things. I gained both as a footballer and a human. I have learned to be patient and hard work. And that you always have to be ready, because you don't know when the chance for the long-awaited performance will come. Then you have to prove the value and present yourself from the best side. During my stay in Legia I had contact with many great people. Jakub Rzeźniczak, who was then a captain, is a great guy, I learned a lot from him. Guilherme turned out to be an amazing man. Just like Thibault Moulin and Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, with whom I recently spoke. I had the opportunity to play with Belgian, who is like a brother to me. I watched how he behaved on and off the pitch, and how respectfully he relates to everything. To be honest, Legia greatly influenced my development. How do you remember your stay in Poland? Sadam Sulley: Arriving in Warsaw and joining Legia was the best decision I made. My only regret is that I could not show my supporters playing in the first team and make them believe in me. But memories of Legia will be remembered forever. I came to the club with a rich history, great fans, based in a great city. Regardless of where you were in Warsaw, you felt respect. Every person I met at Łazienkowska Street turned out to be friendly and good: from the president, to the training staff, chefs ... Everyone wanted it to be the best, it's amazing. I estimate the time spent in Poland in superlatives. Would you ever like to come back to Legia, to Warsaw? Sadam Sulley: Yes of course. When I left the club, I felt that I just couldn't complete the mission. I believe I could help the team win trophies and prove their usefulness. I would be very grateful if you could come back. It doesn't matter if such a chance would arise today, tomorrow or just in the future. I would be very pleased about that. From Legia you went on a two-year loan to Zemplín, you could play in the Slovak Premier League. Sadam Sulley: That's right. At some point, I realized that I need regular play. I was not satisfied with the trainings alone and the lack of frequent performances on the pitch. A player builds confidence when he is on the field and plays football. I believe that I made the best decision possible. I wanted to go on loan to another club from the Polish Premier League, but it did not happen. I tried to change something. I came to Zemplin, in which I got a chance to show myself in the highest class. I played there for two years and gained valuable experience. In many matches I played from beginning to end, I felt that I was developing and going forward. From this season you represent another Slovak club, FK Senica. You went there as a definitive transfer from Legia. Sadam Sulley: When I ran out of loans for Zemplin, I thought Legia would show me. It seemed to me that my time was coming in Poland and the moment to show my skills. I thought I could fight for the squad and prove that I was ready to compete. During talks with the management, I was told that I had no chance of staying in Warsaw. When you hear these words from the club you love and want to do everything for him, your heart breaks. I felt lost and misunderstood. I was depressed but I had to make a decision. FK Senica made an offer, she was interested in me when I played in Michalovce. I talked to Legia and decided to go to Slovakia. I knew the league there and I knew how it all works. Is this a step forward for me? I think so. I'm in Senica and I'm just fighting whatever the future holds. What is the situation with football in Slovakia regarding the coronavirus? Apparently there are plans to return to the game on June 6. Is it true? Sadam Sulley: Hard to say. The first important fact is that we have resumed training. I focus on classes with the club and do everything to be ready for the league's return. If the government decides we should come back to the game tomorrow or early June, I have to be ready, it's my job. It is not known yet when the games will return. Let's change the subject. The craziest footballer you met in the football locker room? Sadam Sulley: I have some positive players in my mind. Josh Didiba, or FK Senica captain, is a great guy. In Legia, Steeven Langil and Michał Kucharczyk were the leaders. I think that Kuchy is the most positive player I've ever met in Poland. A crazy man whom I liked very much. The biggest joy? Sadam Sulley: When you wake up every morning and are happy to be alive. Everything else will work itself out. Greatest fear? I wouldn't say death. Everyone will ever die, this is the way things are, that's why I don't think about it and I'm not afraid of it. The main problem for me is waking up and finding out that you have lost everything you had. The best player you played with in one team? Sadam Sulley: Vadis Odjijda-Ofoe. Strong, technical with high skills. The football player who plays in front of him can feel comfortable. Belgian can send enough accurate passes. The best one I've played against? Moha from Slovan Bratislava. Very fast and talented. An amazing footballer. A youth player who could make a more serious career? Sadam Sulley: I would point to one of my friends - Abdul Aziz Nurudeen. I think he deserves more. He is still competing in the Ghanaian Premier League, playing for Hearts of Oak, which is one of the leading teams in the country. He is also a youth representative of the country. I think he should perform in an even better club. He has great talent, he is great. Biggest dream? Sadam Sulley: Winning the Champions League, performance at the world championship with the Ghana team, as well as playing for major European clubs. I want this to happen. As for private dreams, I would like to marry my wonderful bride and have a child with her. What does Sadam Sulley do outside of the ball? Sadam Sulley: I like to move. I played basketball and table tennis. I am happy to travel. But not alone, because it is not pleasant, only with the bride. Sometimes I go to the cinema or for coffee. However, I am a householder, I spend a lot of free time in the apartment. Then I watch movies with great pleasure, at this moment my favorite is "Divine Intervention". This is a sports film that shows that faith in God combined with hard work can help you reach your goal. I recommend to everyone. Source: Legia.net source: https://ghanasoccernet.com/

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years

Text

Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona: La Liga opener – as it happened | Football

10.44pm BST 22:44

The match report is in so I’ll say goodbye. Aritz Aduriz was on the pitch for a total of three minutes. He had two touches and one shot, and with it produced the goal of a lifetime. What a hero. Goodnight and thanks for joining. It’s been a pleasure. I’ll leave you with this …

ITV Football (@itvfootball)

@LaLiga is back and with a bang!

38-year-old Aritz Aduriz scored a stunning overhead kick to help @AthleticClub beat @FCBarcelona #LaLiga #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/sbP8DDiSDX

August 16, 2019

Updated at 11.10pm BST

10.41pm BST 22:41

What now for Barcelona? Messi is still injured. Suarez is likely to be joining him on the sidelines. Coutinho is going on loan to Bayern. Griezmann started very slowly. And Dembele still flatters to deceive. De Jong looked good and his revolving midfield partnership with Rakitic in the second half showed real sigs of promise. But Real Madrid and Atletico will be licking their lips now.

10.30pm BST 22:30

Pictures of Aduriz’s stunning volley have been painfully slow to emerge, but I have unearthed an image from Euro 2016 to give you an idea of his body shape. The result was not the same, but the execution similar …

Spain’s Aritz Aduriz lets fly with an overhead kick against Czech Republic in the Euro 2016 Group D match. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP

10.21pm BST 22:21

Simon McMahon didn’t think this would happen, no one did. “Evening Rob,” he wrote midway through the second half. “All things considered, I think Athletic Bilbao will probably be happy with a point. We can’t all be like Dundee United and beat the Catalans every time we play now, can we?”

10.14pm BST 22:14

Back to San Mames and the place is rocking. It wasn’t the greatest game and Barcelona looked the most likely winners but only one side had their brilliant talisman to call on. Lionel Messi could not have produced anything better than the sublime scissor-kick Aritz Aduriz unleashed after launching his 38-year-old frame high into the air in the 88th minute. The first goal of the season in La Liga might just turn out to be the best. The champions start with a defeat. The hero of Bilbao has cemented his legend for ever more. Let me know your thoughts.

Updated at 10.16pm BST

10.08pm BST 22:08

Bayern have also stuttered on day one in the Bundesliga. Can Coutinho save them? Andy Lynam has an update via email. “Despite Lewandowski’s VAR-assisted pen on 60 to save the game for Bayern, their inability to get the winner will give much succour to BVB and Leipzig,” he reports. “They should have had the game sewn up midway through the first half but Hertha’s double-strike before half-time really rattled them. Bayern dominated and are clearly stuffed with talent, but the game showed that their confidence is surprisingly fragile. Let’s see what Coutinho can add.”

10.03pm BST 22:03

I’m already looking forward to Sid’s column on Monday …

Sid Lowe (@sidlowe)

You’re 38. You’re in your last ever season. You’ve only got two minutes. And you’re up against Barça.

And?

August 16, 2019

Sid Lowe (@sidlowe)

Woof, woof and woof again

August 16, 2019

Updated at 10.03pm BST

9.59pm BST 21:59

Sid Lowe wrote this on Aritz Aduriz in 2016. He shows no sign of letting up.

Aritz Aduriz proving some things get better with age at Athletic Bilbao | Sid Lowe

9.56pm BST 21:56

That was an incredible finish to the game and provides a wonderful start to the season. This will be Aduriz’s final season. He is 38 years old and a legend at this club. But never can he have scored a better goal than that. Shades of Rooney’s legendary strike against City.

youtube

9.53pm BST 21:53

FINAL SCORE! Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona

Athletic shock the champions on the opening day.

9.51pm BST 21:51

Capa is played into space down the right. The ball is bouncing but he caresses it first time into the centre. Aduriz, on the pitch for less than a minute, rises and unleashes a sensational bicycle kick. The ball arrows past Ter Stegen in a flash. What a goal. Simply stunning.

9.48pm BST 21:48

GOAL! Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona (Aduriz, 88 min)

That is a stunning overhead kick winner.

Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz scores. Photograph: Javier Zorrilla/EPA

Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz celebrates scoring their first goal. Photograph: Vincent West/Reuters

Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann looks dejected. Photograph: Vincent West/Reuters

Updated at 11.33pm BST

9.47pm BST 21:47

87 min: De Jong snuffs out the danger coolly when Capa escapes briefly down the right. Aduriz comes on for Williams. The crowd roar the veteran’s introduction. Can be be the difference maker?

9.45pm BST 21:45

85 min: The De Jong-Rakitic axis is working smoothly, maybe a sign of things to come over the season. But the cutting edge is lacking.

9.43pm BST 21:43

84 min: The Dembele-Alba combination releases the flying left-back into space. He pulls the ball back but Griezmann’s shot is blocked. The corner is recycled to Rafinha to cross but Griezmann’s tame header floats over.

9.40pm BST 21:40

Here is the full story on Coutinho to Bayern. Might they reconsider after this …

Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho set for season-long loan to Bayern Munich

Updated at 9.41pm BST

9.39pm BST 21:39

80 min: Rafinha dribbles inside the box, waltzes past a couple of defenders and unleashes a shot but still Barcelona cannot breach the home defence.

9.36pm BST 21:36

76 min: Dembele comes inside and plays Alba into the space he has vacated on the left. Athletic clear. Barcelona bring on Carles Pérez for Sergi Roberto. Perez is a 21-year-old right winger who has only played 17 minutes of first-team football for Barcelona.

9.34pm BST 21:34

74 min: Barca are camped in the Athletic half. The hosts cannot get out.

9.30pm BST 21:30

70 min: More Barca probing almost gives Griezmann his first sight of goal. Athletic get a foot in but the ball breaks to Rakitic. It’s a chance inside the box but he lashes over wastefully. The pressure is building.

Antoine Griezmann of FC Barcelona competes for the ball with Unai Lopez of Athletic Club. Photograph: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Updated at 9.33pm BST

9.28pm BST 21:28

68 min: Alba, Dembele and Rafinha combine nicely down the left but Athletic snuff them out. They hunt in packs, and make it very tough to break through.

Updated at 9.28pm BST

9.26pm BST 21:26

66 min: De Marcos is off and Oihan Sancet is on. The crowd go wild. They love a young player and clearly have high hopes for the 19-year-old midfielder.

9.24pm BST 21:24

Not everybody is impressed with Coutinho’s imminent move to Bayern. “Klopp said to Coutinho: ‘Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour, leave and you’ll just be another player,’ emails Mike65ie. “He was right.”

Updated at 9.26pm BST

9.21pm BST 21:21

61 min: The resultant free-kick involves a back-heel and a wild slash and troubles nobody.

9.20pm BST 21:20

60 min: Pique is booked for a swinging arm into Raul Garcia’s face. The Barca man is incensed. It’s the first yellow of the game.

9.19pm BST 21:19

59 min: Barca win a free-kick 45 yards from goal. Dembele drifts it in and when it is headed out Rafinha lashes a first-time volley well wide.

9.18pm BST 21:18

58 min: De Jong is dropping between the centre-backs to start attacks from deep, in the style of Busquets. It has injected a bit of tempo into Barcelona’s play.

9.16pm BST 21:16

57 min: A huge punt forward from goal sends Williams clear of Lenglet. The angle is not great and the rapid forward’s effort is weak.

9.14pm BST 21:14

54 min: Lopez fires in a long ranger. It’s smartly hit but always going over. The action is hotting up.

9.13pm BST 21:13

53 min: This time Dembele creates something. A clever ball nutemgs his marker and allows Rafinha a sight of goal. The substitute drives towards the near post but it’s deflected wide off Nunez.

9.11pm BST 21:11

51 min: Pique pumps a very un-Barcelona like long ball forward. It’s cleared but comes to Demebele on the left. A couple of nice shimmies buy him space but again he plays a nothing ball.

9.09pm BST 21:09

49 min: Alba was exposed defensively a couple of times in the first half but a typical burst down the left wins a corner. Rakitic darts on to Dembele’s inswinging delivery but his flicked header has too much on it and drifts over the bar.

9.07pm BST 21:07

47 min: Rakitic has immediately started to dictate play, rolling the ball under his studs like his fellow Croatian Prosinecki used to, and playing probing first time passes into the front men.

Updated at 9.07pm BST

9.05pm BST 21:05

Peep! Peep! The second half begins with a nice turn from De Jong and Dembele giving the ball away.

9.04pm BST 21:04

Rakitic is coming on for Alena. Barcelona need to get hold of midfield.

9.01pm BST 21:01

Coutinho to Bayern Munich is on! The Barcelona director Guillermo Amor has confirmed a deal is close. “We can confirm that there is an agreement in principle for the loan of Coutinho to Bayern,” he said before tonight’s match. “We just have to finalise the deal.”

The European transfer window is open until Monday. Follow all the deals across Europe’s top five leagues with our brilliant interactive …

Transfer window 2019 – every summer deal from Europe’s top five leagues

8.53pm BST 20:53

Half-time emails

“Hope you’re doing well and apologies if this bothers with your live commentary,” writes Vikas Tripathi. “I am late to the party but please pass on my very best wishes to Nicky and congratulate her on her decision to come out. I’ve always found her work insightful and deeply enriching and I am looking forward to very much of the same. Cheers!”

“It’s half-time in the game I’m watching, Huddersfield v Fulham,” reports JR from Illinois. “No score in that one. They’re mostly just kicking each other. It’s pretty good. I thought I’d check in on this game. Has Suarez been looking hungry? And yes, by that I mean does it look like he might bite someone.”

Suarez was looking angry rather than hungry when he was forced off, JR. He may be biting into something now though.

Updated at 8.53pm BST

8.50pm BST 20:50

Half-time! It’s o-o at the break. Athletic Bilbao have been the better, more urgent side, but Barcelona have hit the woodwork twice. Crucially, though, they’ve also lost Suarez to injury, and Messi is not available. This could go either way.

8.48pm BST 20:48

44 min: Rafinha hits the junction of post and bar! He works a yard of space and wraps the inside of his left foot around the ball from way outside the area. Unai Simón is nowhere and the ball screeches against the woodwork. That’s very unlucky.

8.46pm BST 20:46

43 min: Griezmann pops up on the right. He’s looking brighter, but a pitch map of Inaki Williams’s runs show he’s on course to break record for yards covered. Y0u can see why Manchester United were interested.

Updated at 8.46pm BST

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socialattractionuk · 5 years

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The worst dating trends we were hit with in 2018

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Dating is generally awful.

Sure, you might get some glimmers of joy and lust. Perhaps you met someone who strikes the perfect balance between actually responding to your messages and not seeming too keen. Maybe you had some excellent sex with someone who was perfectly fine with never talking again.

But the bad bits of dating are just so, so bad.

They’re upsetting, heartbreaking, and all too often very boring.

What’s handy is that the past few years have seen people coming up with catchy terms for the sh*t bits of dating, so we at least have a shorthand to describe people’s terrible romantic behaviour.

Like 2017, 2018 has been packed to the brim with terrible dating trends. Here’s a recap so you can read up and go into the New Year with all the depressing dating lingo you need.

1. Mosting

Mosting is the act of coming on really strong before ghosting (disappearing without a trace).

A moster will talk about the future, call you the person of their dreams, and make a load of romantic gestures, only to ditch the relationship entirely.

It’s annoying because you weren’t even that into them to begin with, but their disappearing act still stings. Also, it’s such a waste of time and effort. Agh.

2. Shadowing

Oh, those little sneaks.

Shadowing is when someone poses with a hot friend who takes up the majority of their profile photos on a dating app. So essentially, these people are their hot friend’s shadow, and know full well that you’ll be lured into conversation because you falsely believe they’re the hot one in the picture.

It’s not full-on catfishing, but it’s still manipulative and a massive waste of time.

Check someone has at least one solo pic before you swipe right.

3. Obligaswiping

This dating trend is bad because it’s a miserable truth for many of us.

Obligaswiping describes the act of endlessly swiping on dating apps with no real intention of meeting it up. It’s not for fun, but because you want to feel like you’re doing something.

It only ends up making you miserable.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

4. Orbiting

Orbiting is a weird inbetween stop on the path to ghosting.

You’re no longer chatting or dating, but they look at your Instagram stories and like your tweets, as if they want to remind you that they still exist.

Annoyingly, it’s not enough interaction for you to call them out, but it’s visible enough to keep them in your general radar… or orbit.

5. R-bombing

R-bombing is when someone reads messages you’ve sent, but deliberately ignores them, so all you see is ‘read’ or those evil blue ticks on Whatsapp.

Taking time to respond is fine (aren’t we all trying to be less dependent on our phones?), but consistently failing to reply to messages, while letting the person know full well you’ve read them, is just rude.

6. Gatsbying

Gatsbying isn’t a terrible thing to happen to dating by any means, but the term does make us cringe inwardly.

Gatsbying is ‘to post a video, picture or selfie to public social media purely for a love interest to see it.’

The existence of this word shows that people know exactly what we’re up to, which makes us shudder.

7. Fishing

No, not catfishing.

Fishing refers to sending out a generic message to a bunch of people to see who’d be interested in hooking up, waiting to see who bites, and then taking their pick.

You may never be aware that you’re being fished, unless you regularly get invited to hang out, only to respond and get nothing back.

(Picture: Ella Byworth)

8. Preating

Pre-cheating. Making steps to cheat but not doing enough to land yourself in trouble.

So a flirty message that you can explain away as being friendly. Feeling out a relationship with someone else when you’re supposed to be committed.

Preating is sh*t.

9. Mountaineering

Mountaineering describes the act of reaching for people way out of your league.

This isn’t particularly awful, but if you’re mountaineering it’s worth considering whether you really like your potential date, or if you’re just interested in the confidence boost that comes with dating someone defined as hot.

10. Cloutlighting

Cloutlighting is the combo of gaslighting and chasing social media clout.

Someone will bait the person they’re dating on camera with the intention of getting them upset or angry, or making them look stupid, then share the video for everyone to laugh at.

11. Scroogeing

Thankfully if you’re reading this and you’re still coupled up, you’re safe from scroogeing for another year.

It’s when someone dumps their partner before Christmas so they don’t have to bother getting them a present.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

12. Instagrandstanding

You’re probably guilty of this. We all are.

Instagrandstanding is when you edit the way you’re presented on social media to seem more desirable to people you fancy.

It’s pretty standard, but it’s a bleak reminder of the separation of our real and internet selves.

Plus, you should never have to fake who you are or what you like to win over a date. They should like you for you.

13. Sneating

Oh, cool, now we have a term to describe agreeing to go on dates purely so you can have a free meal.

You know what? No judgement. You enjoy that free spaghetti.

14. Microcheating

Just like preating, microcheating is testing the waters of cheating without going all out and having sex with someone else.

Think flirty chats, emotional intimacy, or secretly contacting an ex.

It’s microcheating if you know your partner wouldn’t be happy about it if they found out.

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15. Clearing

Be warned, clearing season happens in January. It’s when we’re so miserable thanks to Christmas being over, the cold weather, and general seasonal dreariness, that we will hook up with anyone just so we don’t feel completely unattractive.

You might bang an ex, or give that creepy guy who you don’t really fancy a chance, or put up with truly awful sex just so you can feel human touch.

It’s a tough time. Stay strong.

16. Hatfishing

When a guy wears a hat in all of his pics to trick you into believing he’s hotter than he is.

His hat may hide a receding hairline or a weirdly shaped skull.

There’s nothing wrong with losing hair, but making concerted attempts to hide what you actually look like isn’t okay. Be upfront so people can know they’re actually attracted to you before committing to a date.

17. Shaveducking

Shaveducking is a nasty consequence of the rise of facial hair.

Is that guy actually hot, or is his beard covering up a weak chin?

Shaveducking describes the lingering unease that emerges when you realise that you’re not quite sure if you’re attracted to a man, or just his facial hair. Shaveducking, because you’d do anything to dodge that guy getting a shave and trimming off your affections in the process.

The horrible bit comes when the man actually does shave and you realise you are completely repulsed by his bare face.

MORE: Grande-ing is the actually healthy dating trend you should take into 2019

MORE: It’s not boastful to celebrate your achievements at the end of the year, it’s necessary

MORE: The 27 best cats of 2018

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chanaheimbach-blog · 6 years

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Bet9ja Fixtures > Naija Sports Betting

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boloorsportsmania · 7 years

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#474 Warner , Finch and bowlers finally win a match for Australia after 15 consecutuve overseas ODI losses; Lewis's magical 176 and Joseph's 5 fer not enough as Ali and rain haunt them again;SA in commanding position against Bangladesh at home; Chandimal comes back to form with century against Pakistan; City, ManU, Real cruise in champions trophy; Barca struggle but win; Chelsea shock Athletico Madrid but shock of the week was PSG humiliating Bayern Munich and more...:-)

India having won the series experimented with the line up which was expected. Bhuvi, Bumrah and Kuldeep were rested and Shami, Umesh and Axar got a game. Australia chose to bat on a flat deck at Bangalore. India fielding and bowling was sloppy in first 30 overs where Warner and FInch toyed with Indian bowling. Too many extra were givn and misfields were more than what is expecetd from current Indian team. Warner smahed India all over the park to bring up his 14th ODI century in his 100th ODI. He was only 8th batsman to score century in 100th ODI and first Australian. Just when it looked like 400 was on cards, Jadhav off all dismissed Warner. Umesh then brought India right back by dismissing SMith and FInch. Finch missed century by 6 runs. From 234-0, AUstralia were reduced to 236-3. Head and Handscomb tried hard but didnt find as much boundaries as they would have liked. Australia still got 334. This was a huge target though India has chased down such big target against AUstralia thrice. Indian openers started blazing away. Rohit and Rahane were full flow and hardly looked troubled. They brought up century stand. Both scored fifties. Against the run of play, Rahane was dismissed by Richardson. India 106-1 in 19th over. After brief stand with Kohli, Rohit got runout. That changed the complexion of the game. Couter Nile castled Kohli. Kohli though had a 92 score in this series has hardly looked setteld. Jadhav and Pandya then brought India back with a good partnership. But Australia didnt allow Pandya to free his arms. They had a 78 run stand before Zampa took revenge on Pandya. Jadhav and Pandey though steadied India's chasing. They had 61 run stand in quick time. Jadhav brought up his fifty also. 49 was needed of 29 balls. Both batsmen looked set. This is where India got into big trouble. Richardson dismissed Jadhav and 3 balls later Cummins castled Pandey. Dhoni had too much work to do and he is not a player who can go and smash from ball one. India eventually lost by 21 runs. There was 4 main reasons for India's loss. 23 extras and sloppy fielding, Rohit's runout, Situation where Pandya or Pandey doesnt finish the game, number 7 is too late for Dhoni and finally Pandey and Jadhav getting out in 3 balls. Its a learning curve for India. 3 players hit fifties, 1 player scored a forty odd and 1 30 odd but none went onto score a century which probably was the demand.Australia win a match overseas after almosta a year . They have not won last 15 matches overseas. India lost a match after 9 consecutuve wins.

WI in 2nd ODI were reduced to 33-3 and another collapse looked on cards against England. But a marvelous 176 by Lewis and able support from Holder and Muhammed ensured WI reached a mammoth score of 356. Lewis had chance of scoring a double century but got retired out in 47th over when facing yorker of Woakes. Roy who got a match because Hales was suspended made full sue of his chance. He blazed away to a brilliant 84. England had score 126 in 18th over before he was dismissed. WI then made comeback to the match. Joseph who grabbed Roy picked 4 more wickets to reduce England to 181-5. Finally a ODI win was in sight for England. But Ali who has been thorn for WI in this series on more than one occassion again haunted them. It was clear that match would not go full distance. ALi and Butler made full use of it. ENgland were 258-5 at 36th over and won the match by 6 runs through D/L method. Hardluck for WI as they ha d aplayer who picked 5 gfer and who scored 176 but still lost!!.

Thanks to Karunaratne's 93 and Chandimal's come back to form innings of 155, Lanka made a good score of 419. They lost last 5 wickets for 30 odd runs. Pakistan were 61-0 by the end of 22nd over. SA made merry against Bangladesh at home. Elgar and Amla made huge centuries. Markaram scored 97 on debut before being runout. Bangladesh bowlers didnt pick a wicket for 117.3 overs!!!. Bangladesh are getting a feel of what it takes to stay competitive outside Asia. Shakib being rested didnt help their cause either. SA declared at 496-3. Elgar got dismissed for 199. SA bowlers just needed 34 balls to pick first wicket as Kayes got dismissed. Bangladesh would need Tamim and Rahim to stand up against the might SA players.

In Champions league 2nd set of matches, City beat Shaktar Donetsk 2-0. Liverpool were held by Moscow. Real Madrid thrashed Borussia Dortmund 3-1.Manu thrashed CSKA Moscow 4-1.Juventus beat Olympiakos 2-0. There were 2 shocking results. PSG humiliated German giant Bayern Munich 3-0. Chelsea scored the winner in injury time against Athletico MAdrid. They eventually won 2-1. Barcelona was helped by another own goal in beating Sporting Lisbob 1-0.

#boloorsportsmania #dailysportsupdate #Warner #Finch #Cummins #Lewis #Ali #Joseph #Chandimal

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