Wenger: I surrendered to Fabregas’ desire to play for Barça, it was completely logical

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger admits that while he hated to see Cesc Fabregas leave the club three years ago, he knew it wasn’t just the respectful decision, but the logical one as well.

In his blog for Yahoo Eurosport, Wenger praised Fabregas for his vision, his technical ability and intelligence, but also his maturity, even from a young age.

“First of all, Cesc Fabregas is a huge personality. Secondly, he is an extremely intelligent player. And I’d also say that he is a sweet person, but, on the field, he sees everything before anyone.
“The greatest strength of Fabregas is his vision. He sees. The players who see are the ones making your team win and he sees before the others. It’s a telescopic head on a football field.
“I think it would be interesting to film his head during a match once. He is always looking around him to see what’s going on. When he gets the ball, he has already seen everything that was going on around.
“He has a geographical map of the field in his head, from the first to the last minute of the match. And he is a killer, because he always makes a killing pass. One day, you will ask Messi which player is the most likely to give him a decisive pass. He’ll answer Fabregas.
“Fabregas said he was very sad when he left Arsenal, and he is not the only one! I fought with him to keep him but, deep down, I obviously knew. He was raised in Barcelona; his grandfather worked for Barca; he went to all the FCB football classes; they had the best team in the world. I surrendered to his will of playing for them, and I think it was completely logical.
“We had a respectful relationship. And, for me, admiration too. He left Barcelona at 16 and came here with his mother. He said, ‘Barcelona won’t trust me, and I’m coming here because I know that you will trust me.’ The personality he showed back then, sometimes I wonder where he found it. This strength to leave such a club to come and play for us. I have a huge respect for that.”
Wenger went on to discuss Fabregas’ preferred playing position and stresses that his strengths don’t coincide with those of a forward, but has been one of the “best symbols of Spain’s modern football.”
“With Spain he sometimes plays as a forward. It’s not his usual position. Why? Because speed and physical presence are not his strengths. For me, he is one of the best symbols of Spain’s modern football. And I’m glad they delivered this message. I have a limitless admiration for the Spanish team.
“First, they were very humble. To win the Euro, then the World Cup and the Euro again, they needed exceptional humility. Then they showed to the entire world that the intelligence and technique is as efficient as physical football. I will forever be grateful to them for that.
“Fabregas playing as a forward is one of the best examples. It’s not his usual position, but they have so much ball possession that, at one point, they will always find an opening, even if they don’t have a physical beast as a forward.”

Zubizarreta: I’m working normally for next season, the same as I was two weeks ago

Barcelona sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta downplayed his rejected resignation last week, after the club was banned over the illegal signing of youth players, but the former goalkeeper insisted that it’s in the past and that he is working hard for next season with the trust of the board.


In an interview with reporters at the airport, Zubi discussed his offer to resign and stressed that despite the transfer ban, he is preparing as normal.

“This subject has passed.  The important thing is to be in sync with the Board and to have their confidence.  The meeting was the same as the ones we’ve had before.  I think there are much more important things happening for Barcelona.
“We won’t discuss the meeting with the president.  What is important is the full support of the board, which is the way I’ve always felt, and total harmony with the president.  I regret that my name has made headlines over the referendum, which is a major deal for Barcelona.  It’s in the past and I feel empowered.  I don’t like to talk about things that take place in meetings.  I’m working normally for next season, the same as I was two weeks ago.”
Indeed, there are, as Barcelona face Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League tie on Wednesday evening and Zubizarreta spoke about the difficult task ahead of his squad.
“Favourites? That’s for the bookmakers.  Barcelona will do whatever they can.  This is a tie, we know how it is.  We know what we have to do.  We’ll play at our highest level and on Wednesday we want to board the plane going to the semi-finals., but our opponents have the same intentions.  This will all be decided on the small details.
“Every time we’ve played them it’s been very even, but every game is a new game, which has its own circumstances and unpredictability.  It will be a very close match.”
Zubi then discussed the threat of Diego Costa, before going on to discuss the renewal status of aging goalkeeper, Jose Manuel Pinto.
“Costa is a player with great determination.  We feels comfortable in very intense and important games, as are our players in these high intensity and high demand matches.
“Conversations with Pinto were transparent.  He’s working knowing the situation we’re in.  But every week something changes and we have to be prepared for everything.  When you have a plan, sometimes plans change.  He knows our position and the communication has been very clear.”

Cazorla: I’ve told Iker Casillas to join Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder, Santi Cazorla recently admitted that he has tried to convince his Spanish international teammate, Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, to end his 24 year relationship with Los Blancos and make a move to the English Premier League, in particular Arsenal.


In an interview with Sport360, Cazorla admits that the two have had conversations about the former Malaga playmaker’s time in London and that the 32-year-old is leaving his options open, as his situation at the Spanish captial continues to become more frustrating with every clean sheet he keeps.
“I’ve told him [I would like him to join Arsenal], but so far he has just been curious about my experience in England.

“His situation is very complicated, but he has to make a decision.

“Lots of clubs want him, including Arsenal, but I think that it would be very difficult to leave Real Madrid because of what the club represents.

“He knows what he has [at Madrid] and what he could find at another club.”

Arsenal have been linked with Casillas several times over the past year, as current starter Wojciech Szczesny hasn’t shown enough consistency to warrant much confidence from manager, Arsene Wenger.

Sean Tizzle talks about his debut album + official album art

As we all wait in high anticipation for Sean Tizzle's debut album, the singer takes time to talk about "The Journey" from the changes, to his challenges, to the featured artiste and producers on the album.

The album which is slated to be released on the 17th of April, is a 17-track album. Continue to watch the video...

 Sean Tizzle talks about his debut album...

 

Martino: Messi will be decisive, whether he scores or not

Barcelona manager, Tata Martino is convinced that the fate of his side rests with four-time Ballon d’Or winner, Leo Messi, regardless of whether the Argentine international scores or not.


In his pre-match press conference via UEFA.com, Martino spoke about what his side needs to do over 90 minutes in order to beat Atletico Madrid and feels that they need to prepare for the best possible Atletico Madrid side, which may or may not feature striker, Diego Costa.

“I don’t like to predict what the result might be. What we need to do is to play better than Atlético and to win the game. These teams know each other very well, and they play with completely different styles. All I know is that Barcelona haven’t gone ahead in any of the meetings this season. We need to see if we can do that and to try to control the match. Atlético are not the type of team who will allow us to control the game for the entire 90 minutes, but we’ll try to do that as it is how we like to play.

“We have to prepare thinking that all of Atlético’s players will play. Diego Costa is one of those players that coaches like to wait until the last minute to see whether or not they are available.”

Martino went on to praise forward, Leo Messi and stresses that his compatriot will be decisive.

“Lionel Messi is used to competing at the maximum level in every game so when people believe he doesn’t, it attracts a lot of attention. When there are several games against the same opponent in which he doesn’t score, that can surprise people. Messi has been very important for us in the past four months; he will always be decisive for Barcelona. Opponents always get worried when he is at his best and that’s why they do their best to stop him.”

Martino concluded by stating that the key to Wednesday evening’s match will be to score early, thus changing the dynamics of the match and forcing Atletico Madrid to score one or two more goals.
“The games between the sides have been very even, though we have tended to be superior in the second halves. It won’t be easy but if we try to control the game, and score first, then maybe the outcome will be different. There wasn’t that much difference between the Barcelona that beat Real Madrid and the one that competed against Atlético last week. The main difference was that we won one of those games and drew the other.”

United States U-18 star claims to have signed with Atletico Madrid

Top-rated United Stated U-18 striker Dembakwi Yomba has tweeted a picture claiming that he has signed a contract to join Atletico Madrid.


Dembakwi Yomba, United Stated U-18 star striker who was born in Sierra Leone, may be the newest face of Atletico Madrid after the 17-year-old tweeted a picture of himself signing a contract allegedly with the Spanish giants.

According to NBC Sports, Yomba was slated to join the University of North Carolina on scholarship, but it now seems as though he will not be spending his immediate future in the United States with clubs such as Atletico Madrid highly interested in his signature.

The Georgia resident, though still on 17 years old, was one of the highest rated players coming out of the High School and has already made a name for himself playing for both the US U-17 and U-18 sides in recent years.

Atletico Madrid have yet to comment on the rumors and there is no word yet on when, or if, Yomba will actually join the club in Madrid.

Klopp: We were clearly the better side and we should’ve scored more goals

Borussia Dortmund manager, Jurgen Klopp was elated by his team’s 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Tuesday evening and while they were eliminated, the German manager was proud of his squad.


 In his post-match press conference via UEFA.com, Klopp praised his players and the all around atmosphere of the match.

“When I high-fived our injured player Neven Subotić after the game, he told me how proud he was to be a part of this team and this is exactly how I see it as well. You simply had to produce a video of this game and show it to all the teams that have ever lost a first leg 3-0. continue reading

Kim Kardashian shows off her butt in tiny bikini for beach shoot

Kim Kardashian showed off her famously curvy rear in a tiny bikini as she posed for a photo shoot at the beach while on holiday in Thailand last week. Continue to see more photos...

Photo of the day

A national CONFAB delegate playing scrabble on his laptop at a plenary yesterday. Lol

Chris Brown finally touches down in D.C after days in Con Air

God, give this guy strength. Looks like they are trying to lock him up this time. Chris Brown was loaded onto a con-air flight to D.C. last Thursday to face misdemeanor assault charges for attacking a fan back in October but didn't get there until late yesterday, (the plane stops in different cities to pick other prisoners) making him miss his first hearing.

In his absence, a judge rejected his request to dismiss his case on the grounds that the prosecution unlawfully took the case before a grand jury, meaning his case is moving forward.

According to reports, after Chris Brown arrived D.C yesterday, he was transferred to the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia where he will stay until the start of his trial on April 17th.

'I brought Buhari into politics' - Maryam Abacha gives rare interview

Former First Lady of Nigeria, Maryam Abacha hardly speaks to the press. Since her husband, former military head of state, Sani Abacha, died, the mother of 10 has been living a relatively quiet life. But she recently gave a rare interview to Abubakar Hashim of The News magazine and opened up on a few things. Find the interview below...

How has life been with you since the death of your husband?
We thank God for His kindness and love for us. We also thank those that have been around us in these moments of grief. We are still waiting for those that have distanced themselves from us to reconcile and come back. We are not angry with anybody. We are still friends to everybody. We look forward to the Almighty Allah to provide us the fortitude to bear this loss. So life has been quiet and peaceful with us. We are one and a happy family. Continue...

When you heard of his sudden death, how did you take it? How did you feel?
My husband’s death was like a coup. It was sudden and shrouded in confusion. General Abdulasalami [Abubakar] just called me, telling me to come and collect the dead body. We buried him like any other ordinary Nigerian. It was quite unfortunate the way he died. Allah knows best and unto Him we shall all return. May his soul rest in peace. I’m yet to fully recover from the shock of his death.

And how did you both meet?
Like any other would-be couple. He was a charming, handsome and likeable personality; a loving father who liked his children and loved ones. We became friends and got married. Here are pictures in the family album; before, during and after our wedding day. He was a caring husband, a dedicated father and an affectionate grandfather.

President Goodluck Jonathan awarded your late husband a centenary award. How did you feel receiving the award?
We felt happy. Maybe this is the beginning of good things to happen to Nigeria; maybe reconciliation… President Jonathan is a young man, he is using his time and energy to bring peace and reconciliation. I think it is high time we all come together to lift the country and stabilise ourselves. I hope it is the beginning of good things to come.

Do you still continue with the pet projects you embarked on when you were first lady?
I did those projects on government basis. They are still on there. Obasanjo did not change the names, neither did subsequent [Presidents]. The African First Ladies Peace Mission is still there, the Poverty Alleviation Programme, the National Programme on Immunisation, the Family Support Programme, the Family Support Basic Education Programme and the Family Economic Advancement Programme are all there. These are projects and programmes that touched the lives of the people, particularly women.

The National Hospital is there and so are the other hospitals around the country. I never did  any programme for my personnal benefit, but for the government and the people of the country. So today, in my personnal capacity, on whether I’m still embarking on these projects, I’m no longer in government so I’m not embarking on such projects. I tried my best as the then first lady to bring about all-round development, particularly for women in the rural areas. We did extensive reach-out to the rural populace and touched lives in the remote areas of the country.

Do you have any political ambition?
No, I don’t have any political ambition.

For the presidency, at least; the first woman President of Nigeria?
Not at all. I was a first lady. I just want peace for the country. Stability and development are not achieved by one person. There are governors, ministers, local chairmen, civil servants and the like. It is a cluster of people. The President alone does not make a government.

What is your assessment of General Muhammadu Buhari, and by extension, the All Progressives Congress, APC?
I brought General Buhari into politics; It’s not that I want to expose him. We did everything to support and encourage him. He called my son Mohammed to join Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. They rejected Mohammed by force during the governorship race. This was the trend, not only in Kano, but also in Katsina, Bauchi and other states. I think it is not healthy for democracy; not just because of Mohammed but for the smooth play of democratic norms and values. Democracy is the choice of the people. But when people put their own personal interest first and they interfere [in the process], then it is no longer democracy. It is unfortunate that elders like them could come belittle themselves in the race.
For the APC I cannot comment. It is not yet time for me to do so. However, it is good for democracy to have competition and opposition. It enhances democratic values, norms and stabilises the country’s image, and will eventually uplift our democratic credentials in the international comity of nations.

Your son, Mohammed, wanted to be governor of Kano State.
It is the people of Kano that wanted my son to be governor. They still want him to be governor. They’ve been calling us to come and intensify his campaign. In fact, they are even campaigning on his behalf. So it is people of Kano that want him as governor because they appreciate his father’s contribution to various fields of  endeavour.
They also appreciate the little projects and programmes I did in Kano and in the country. They say he should come and continue the projects and programmes in Kano.

The late General Sani Abacha contributed to the restoration of democracy in Sierra Leone. Could you comment on the role he played in the process.
I cannot tell you exactly how he played this role as I was not a soldier, I was just a housewife. But he tried his best for Sierra Leone and thank God it was a success and indeed, peace returned to Sierra Leone. The late Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was restored to power. It was indeed a tragedy to hear about  his death recently. He was an African statesman of international repute.
I remember one of his visits [to Nigeria] after he was restored to office; he was so calm, amiable and indeed, supportive of a just pan-African solution to African crises. He was indeed, a true democrat of continental proportion. My late husband honoured him and appreciated him.

What message do you have for the people of Sierra Leone on the death of Kabbah?
I send my sympathy, my condolence and my prayers. May God give them peace, may God give them the fortitude to bear the great loss of the father of democracy in that country. May God give the present president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, the power to emulate what the previous president had done, particularly entrenching stability, peace and democracy in Sierra Leone. I wish President Koroma all the best. He is a young man.

I wish the people of Sierra Leone all the best. I have never been there but I hope to be there in my lifetime. I learnt it is a small and beautiful country with about six million people, with lots of natural resources including diamond and oil. May God Almighty grant the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah eternal rest. May Allah also grant my late husband eternal rest. Nigeria and Sierra Leone have a long, historical relationship.

We look forward to building on the strong ties that have cemented us for so long a period. That was why my late husband stood by Sierra Leone in the time of her crisis; to restore democracy, sanity and stability in the country. We couldn’t stand by and watch Sierra Leone fall into anarchy, because the entire West African region would have been affected. So we moved in to bring back normalcy and sanity to the country.
So my wish for Sierra Leoneans is that they maintain peace and stability, especially the peaceful democratic course we’ve seen in past elections. We want this to continue so that other countries will emulate it.

…Published in TheNEWS magazine

Oscar Pistorius recounts moment he shot his girlfriend at his home

Oscar Pistorius broke down in court today as he described the moment he shot & killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet door at his Pretoria home. Oscar claimed he was paralyzed with fear thinking an intruder had entered the house before he opened fire through a locked toilet door.

Now which girlfriend locks herself in her boyfriend's toilet at 3am in the morning if she's not trying to escape from someone? And how do you not check that your girlfriend is safe & around you before  you start firing shots? I don't understand this, but anyway below is how he describe what happened..

"I wasn't sure where to point the firearm. My eyes were going between the windows and the toilet. I stood for some time. I just stayed where I was and kept on screaming. Then I heard a noise from inside the toilet that I perceived to be somebody coming out of the toilet. Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door." He said. Continue...

Describing the events leading up to Reeva's death, Oscar said Reeva cooked him dinner and they ate together at around 7pm. He went to his room just before 8pm and opened the balcony because it was "very humid". He said he fell asleep between 9pm and 10pm, then woke up in the early hours of 14 February because it was "extremely warm" in the bedroom.

"I noticed that the fans were still running and the door was still open. Reeva was still awake. She rolled over to me and said 'Can't you sleep my baba?'", to which I replied: "No I can't, not tonight".

He said he grabbed a fan, locked the sliding doors and then drew the curtains. He then returned to the room and heard the sound of "window sliding open". He thought the noise was coming from someone who had climbed inside the house from the bathroom window.

It was at this point that I heard a window sliding open in the bathroom. I heard the window hit the frame. I thought that a burglar had got into the house. I think I initially just froze. That's the moment that everything changed.

The first thing that ran through my mind was to protect Reeva and I and to get my gun. I rushed as quick as I could, with my hand in front of me, at times touching the floor before grabbing my firearm from underneath the bed.

At that point I just wanted to put myself between the person who had gained access to my house and Reeva. I slowed down and had my firearm extended in front of me. I whispered to Reeva to get down and phone the police.

As I entered where the bathroom passage is, I was overcome with fear. I screamed at the person to get out. I screamed at Reeva. I was constantly aware this person could come at me at any time. I did not have my legs on. Just before I got to the bathroom, I heard a door slam. It could have only been the toilet door. It confirmed that there was a person or people inside the bathroom.'

'I got to the entrance of the bathroom at the end of the passage where I stopped screaming. At this point I was certain that the intruders were in the bathroom.
I had my pistol in my right hand and peered into the bathroom.I didn't have much mobility on the tiles. I had my pistol raised to the corner of the entrance of the bathroom. I noticed that the bathroom window was open. I was with my back against the wall. I wasn't sure if the intruders were in the toilet or around the corner at that point. Then I heard a noise from inside the toilet that I perceived to be someone coming out of the toilet. Before I knew it I had fired four shots at the door. My ears were still ringing - I couldn't hear anything - so I kept shouting for Reeva to phone the police."

When I didn't hear anything from Reeva, I panicked. I didn't want to believe it could be Reeva inside the toilet. I didn't know what to do. I kicked the door. I was crying out, I was screaming. I used my cricket bat to smash down the toilet door and found Reeva. I have never screamed like that. 'I said "Oh, Reeva". I sat over her and cried."

Who believes him?

Michael Adebolajo appeals life imprisonment sentence

He took someone's life but doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison. Michael Adebolajo, one of the two British men who butchered English soldier, Lee Rugby last year, today launched an appeal against his sentence. Adebolajo was sentenced to life in prison in February 2014 without the possibility of parole, while his accomplice, Michael Adebowale was given life with a minimum term of 45 years.

While handing out the sentence, the judge said Michael was condemned to life imprisonment without any minimum years because he led the attack on the soldier and "had no prospects of rehabilitation".

 

Adebolajo and Adebowale killed the father of one in broad daylight near Woolwich Barracks in south east London on May 22nd 2013.

Photos: Beyonce goes 'topless' for Out Magazine

In the May Power issue of  LGBT magazine, Out, Beyonce channels Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe and tackles the double standard between men & women regarding sexuality, telling the mag,

"There is a double standard when it comes to sexuality that still persists. Men are free and women are not. That is crazy."

"You can be a businesswoman, a mother, an artist, and a feminist - whatever you want to be - and still be a sexual being. There is unbelievable power in ownership and women should own their sexuality."

Beyonce's Out issue hits stands at the end of April. Continue to see the cover and another pic...

Food vendor caught with concealed cocaine in vagina at MMIA

A 36 year old food vendor named Chinelo Okorom Lynette, who sells in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos was recently arrested by NDLEA officials with 685 grammes of cocaine concealed in her vagina.

Chinelo was discovered with the illegal drug tucked in her vagina during the inward screening of passengers that arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport on an Ethiopian flight from Addis Abba.

In her confessional statement, Chinelo said she was lured and deceived to do it

 "I am a food vendor at Ajangbadi, Lagos and have never been involved in crime. I am a victim of man’s cruelty to man. My husband abandoned me with four children two years ago. I work hard to pay their fees and ensure their proper upkeep. The last straw that devastated me was when the landlord forcefully ejected me. I had nowhere to turn to for solace. I was crying like a baby when a man came to console me. I have never met him in my life. He asked me to wipe my tears and promised to introduce me to importation business. I felt he was God sent until he sponsored my trip to Addis Ababa. When I got to Ethiopia, he told me to take cocaine to Nigeria. Initially I disagreed but he threatened to recover his investment at all cost,” She was quoted as saying.

NDLEA chairman Ahmadu Giade confirmed the incident and asked members of the public to be wise and careful about the deceptive ways of drug dealers.

Photos from Julius Agwu's birthday celebration yesterday

Julius Agwu was a year older yesterday April 7th and marked his 10th anniversary celebrating with the kids at Heart of Gold Hospice. The ace comedian has been celebrating his birthday at the Hospice every year for the last 10 years. He later celebrated with his family. See photos after the cut...