Premier League
CARLO ANCELOTTI BEGINS NEW LIFE AT EVERTON
Carlo Ancelotti could easily be referred to as “The Perfector” – the man an already successful team brings in to take them one step further and win the coveted grand trophies reserved for the very best.
A proven winner with a trophy laden cabinet both as a player and as a coach, Ancelotti is the maestro associated with the big clubs and the big names in football.
Now he is the manager of Everton, who have not finished above seventh place in the Premier League since 2014 and are 15th at Christmas this year.
Puzzled? It is hard not to be, but it seems Ancelotti is bewitched by the idea of building a project and proving he is not only a manager for the big occasions but also one who can lay foundations and create a winning team.
Everton are rumoured to have been interested in Ancelotti for some time, since the Italian lost his job at Bayern Munich, if not before.
His success at working in highly pressurised environments and the bond he creates with his players – not to mention his tactical nous – have long attracted them to the winning coach. With him at the helm, Everton believe they can succeed where Bayern and Napoli have failed.
It was at Real that Ancelotti became known as something of a “diva whisperer”. His man-management skill, which brought harmony to a once highly tense dressing room, was one of the main reasons attributed to the club’s success under his leadership.
However, what often gets overlooked is how tactically flexible Ancelotti made the team. Under Mourinho, Real were the perfect counter-attacking side. Ancelotti wanted to keep utilising that direct style but add more control and unpredictability, making the side more comfortable in possession.
By beating three German clubs, including Bayern Munich, on their way to the 2014 Champions League final, Ancelotti changed attitudes, renewed confidence and bettered his players to create the La Decima-winning side.
It is no wonder his set of ‘Galacticos’ burst into his news conference after the win to sing “Como no te voy a querer” (How am I not going to love you) to him.
It was a song Bayern Munich’s players were probably never going to sing upon his move in 2016, and his reputation as the great man-manager took a hit in Germany. Rumours of angered players forced to arrange high-intensity, secret training sessions behind Ancelotti’s back spread like wildfire.
Supposed quotes from players criticising the Italian’s relaxed methods were vehemently denied but, according to what club president Uli Hoeness told Radio FFH after sacking the manager, Ancelotti had turned five important players against him.
As Ancelotti explained in an interview with Kicker: “I’m not a coach, who kills his players in training.”
It was always going to be difficult to take over from Pep Guardiola at Bayern.
The Spaniard had won over his squad and created arguably the most beautiful football ever witnessed in the Bundesliga. Ancelotti, the pragmatist, may have finally won a league title again, but he lost the battle with the players.
At Napoli in 2018, Ancelotti was expected to take the club that had challenged Juventus so closely for the title that one step further. It was a tough ask. Napoli operated on a smaller budget and were overachieving in terms of results.
With players nearing the end of their contracts and looking for gratitude, there was a limit to what could be managed.
Struggling to convert the many chances they created, Napoli were suffering – but when president Aurelio de Laurentiis ordered the players to attend a week-long training camp after they slipped 211 points behind Juve, he effectively broke them. Not only did he go over Ancelotti’s head and interfere with team affairs, but the president then went on to fine the players for not abiding by his rules.
While Ancelotti has a history of working with tough presidents, they have largely trusted his work. As soon as they have interfered, Ancelotti and his teams have suffered.
At Real Madrid, he effectively blamed his substitution of Gareth Bale in a game for his eventual sacking, admitting it led to a huge row with president Florentino Perez, while De Laurentiis’s interference with coaching matters largely created the disharmony that overwhelmed Napoli.
Will he find the trust and the project he has been yearning for at Goodison Park? According to AC Milan and Italy legend Paolo Maldini, “there is not a team in existence that Carlo cannot coach”.
-BBC
England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Premier League
Manchester United climb to third in Premier League table with come-from-behind win over Palace
Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with captain Bruno Fernandes inspiring the turnaround that lifted the hosts into third place in the Premier League standings.
Trailing inside four minutes after a dominant start by Palace, United responded through a Fernandes penalty before his pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Benjamin Sesko to seal victory against the 10-man visitors.
The win extended interim manager Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run to seven matches since taking charge in mid-January. United now have 51 points from 28 games and are unbeaten since the January 5 dismissal of Ruben Amorim, climbing into third for the first time since May 2023. Palace remain 14th on 35 points.
“It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don’t feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.”
Palace, under Oliver Glasner, were electric in the opening half hour, capitalising on sluggish United play. Defender Maxence Lacroix powered home a header from a corner after muscling past Leny Yoro, scoring the earliest goal United have conceded this season.
The visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Daniel Munoz latched onto an Ismaila Sarr through ball, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a crucial save.
United gradually found their rhythm before the break. Sesko forced Dean Henderson into action with a header from a Fernandes cross, and the Palace keeper also tipped a Fernandes free kick over the bar.
The turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix. Following a lengthy VAR review, Lacroix was shown a red card, reducing Palace to 10 men.
Eight minutes later, Fernandes’ delivery again proved decisive as Sesko rose highest to nod home the winning goal.
United pushed for a third, with Casemiro’s volley drawing a diving save from Henderson and substitute Amad Diallo testing the keeper from distance in stoppage time. Joshua Zirkzee saw efforts blocked, while Kobbie Mainoo’s fierce strike drifted narrowly wide.
Carrick praised his team’s resilience. “The biggest thing for us to take from the game is really the first time that we have been in that situation going in at halftime,” he said. “Being in that position and how we react and showing that personality and belief… to then come back as we did in the second half is the biggest thing for me today.”
Palace pressed late but could not find an equaliser. Glasner admitted his side had let the game slip. “It feels like there was more possible today. A great first 30 minutes, but the red card changed it completely. The second goal just happened too quickly.”
For United, the victory reinforces growing belief under Carrick that a top-four finish—and a return to Europe’s elite competition—is firmly within reach.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
NFF Slaps N1m Fine on Clubs that Fail to Honour Federation Cup Matches
Heineken Brings “Fans Have More Friends” Campaign to Nigeria for Champions League Round of 16
Iraq coach calls for delay to World Cup playoff amid travel shutdown
- WAFCON4 days ago
BREAKING: CAF Postpones WAFCON 2026
- OBITUARY5 days ago
Nigerian Sports Journalism Mourns Oyeniyi Oyeleke and Tonex Chukwu
- MLS1 week ago
Trump to Host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at the White House
- World Cup5 days ago
‘I really don’t care’ if Iran plays in World Cup, Trump tells Politico
- World Cup4 days ago
Iraq’s World Cup Playoff in Doubt as War Disrupts Travel and Visa Processing
- World Cup7 hours ago
Iraq coach calls for delay to World Cup playoff amid travel shutdown
- FA Cup2 days ago
Eze thunderbolt guides Arsenal past Mansfield into FA Cup quarter-finals
- WAFCON1 week ago
Ahead of WAFCON 2026, CAF Celebrates Super Falcons’ Enduring Legacy from Trailblazers to Torchbearers