Mpira

Dimitar Berbatov was extremely captivating and entertaining. The Bulgarian striker was incredibly gifted and, in many ways, unlike any other forward that was playing in England when he was at his peak. As a frontman, he was completely unique. He signed for Manchester United from Tottenham Hotspur in September 2008, costing the Reds £30.75million. The London club had also accepted a bid from Manchester City, but Berbatov, after signing a four-year deal with United, claimed that he "would not even have thought about Manchester City". The Bulgarian made a strong start to life at Old Trafford, registering 14 goals and 11 assists in his debut campaign with the Reds. He was expected to kick on and thrive, but the following season proved more difficult for Berbatov - despite the player recording similar statistics to the previous term. There was, for a brief period, speculation that he could even leave the club, but Sir Alex Ferguson quickly rubbished such claims. Berbatov, as many ...

Ten Hag confirms Rashford is on the bench because of an "Internal disciplinary" issue The Dutch boss opted to start Argentinian youngster Alejandro Garnacho in place of the England international in their New Years Eve trip to Molineux. The forward featured in their previous fixture - a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest -  which has left pundits guessing as to what has caused the forward's omission. Ten Hag on dropping Rashford: “Internal disciplinary. No [details]. Our rules. Now focus on the game. “He is in very good form and no-one can play all the games."

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the highest paid earner in sport after completing his record-breaking move to Saudi side Al-Nassr. Ronaldo confirmed his move to the Saudi Arabian side on a sensational £175million-a-year contract following his tumultuous exit from Manchester United in November, with Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville describing his latest switch as a 'sad end' to his glittering career. However, it won't be a sad day for Ronaldo as the lucrative deal will see him surpass his long-term rival Lionel Messi and NBA stars such as Lebron James to become the highest paid athlete in the world. According to the official 'Forbes Highest-Paid Athletes 2022 List', Lionel Messi had been the top earner of the year prior to Ronaldo's sensational Saudi switch. The PSG star earns £103.4m per year meaning he is currently top of the Forbes list, and he will be dwarfed in salary by his old rival Ronaldo. Closely followed behind Messi was LA Lakers star Lebron James, who i...

Roy Keane and Alan Shearer both enjoyed hugely successful careers. The former captained Manchester United and won 17 trophies during his time at Old Trafford, while the latter, who also captained his side, is still the all-time Premier League top goalscorer and famously won the top-flight title with Blackburn Rovers in 1995. The pair followed a similar path after the conclusion of their playing days, which included stints as managers - albeit only as a caretaker in Shearer's case - and more recently, in punditry. Keane is currently one of Sky Sports' most popular and explosive pundits, with the Irishman also occasionally working for ITV Football. Shearer, meanwhile, is one of the BBC's biggest names. Given that United were considerably more successful than Blackburn Rovers, and later Newcastle United, the rivalry that began to develop between Keane and Shearer came as somewhat of a surprise to many people. Two of the league's most prominent figures had somehow become on...

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi reaching the tail end of their glittering careers, attentions have long since turned to who will be their successors. After plenty of contenders in recent years, the general consensus has now settled on Erling Haaland vs Kylian Mbappe being the next goalscoring rivalry to dominate world football. Haaland, 22, has been in sensational form for Manchester City whilst 24-year-old Mbappe has long been established as one of the very best. Inevitably, the pair have been asked about their status as the heirs apparent to Ronaldo and Messi, as well as the prospect of a relationship building with one another. However, the pair have showed how they differ with their responses. Asked earlier this week about whether him vs Mbappe will be the next big rivalry, Haaland told Viaplay : "It's impossible to say. I don't like to compare myself with others. I think you need to be your own player when it comes to that so I don't like to compare or anyt...

Sir Alex Ferguson, two days before Christmas in 2010, took his seat to address the media ahead of a Boxing Day clash with Sunderland and confirmed that a changing of the guard was on its way at Manchester United. Five-and-a-half years after swapping Fulham for Old Trafford for a reported fee of just £2million, Ferguson announced that veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was planning to retire at the end of the 2010/11 campaign. Considering the Dutchman had already celebrated his 40th birthday, it was not too great a surprise. But when you remember that Van der Sar, just two months earlier, had quashed suggestions made by former United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele that he had already made the decision to retire come the end of the season, Ferguson's admission did make the unimaginable hit home. Although the former Ajax star had only been at United for just over half a decade, he was part of the furniture. He was a figure that you almost thought United would never be without. Fergus...

Four months ago Nathan Ake could have quite easily left Manchester City, yet he now finds himself one of the key players in Pep Guardiola's squad. On Thursday night Ake put in another strong showing as City returned to competitive action with a thrilling 3-2 win against Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. The Dutch centre-back found himself in the unfamiliar position of scoring the winning goal, but as has been the case this season it was his defensive contributions that impressed supporters and guided his team to victory. Playing at left-back - although the advanced positioning of Rico Lewis effectively made City's back four a back three - Ake did all the things typical of him this season. He was strong in the air and in the tackle, he anticipated well and he made some crucial interventions and recoveries. The noticeable thing about Ake this season is that he is playing with a certain confidence he lacked during his first two years in Manchester. City paid Bourne...

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that the club have triggered one-year extension clauses in the contracts of four senior players. Diogo Dalot, Fred, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw all had deals that were set to expire in June 2023, but in each case there was an option of an extra 12 months.  The decision has been made to exercise those respective additions, meaning that the quartet are now all under contract until at least the summer of 2024. In an exclusive interview to preview our first Premier League fixture since the World Cup – at home to Nottingham Forest next Tuesday – Erik was asked about media stories regarding the future of the four players. “Yes, I can confirm it,” he told Zarah Connolly, in an interview you can watch in full on ManUtd.com, MUTV and the United App on matchday morning. “We are happy because the squad is going in the right direction and those players [have] a massive contribution in that direction.” Ten Hag went on to explain that all fo...

After winning the World Cup, the Juventus player is hoping to continue with the Albiceleste. Ángel Di María may have changed his decision to retire from international football.  Like Leo Messi, Di María would be interested in staying a little longer with the Albiceleste in order to enjoy the status of being a world champion. According to journalist Gaston Edul, the Juventus player will continue to wear the blue and white of his country. Argentina are still enjoying their World Cup winning celebrations and while many of the veterans were expected to call it a day on the international front, winning the World Cup may have put the brakes on that decision.  While Messi was the first to announce that he would remain available to Lionel Scaloni in the future,  Di María has now reportedly made the same decision.  The Albiceleste’s next match is scheduled for the next FIFA matchday between 20-28 March 2023, where the champions will be seen wearing the three stars for the fir...

Manchester United have been told Cody Gakpo would be an ideal replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. Gakpo, 23, was a shining light for the Netherlands at the winter World Cup in Qatar where he scored three goals from five appearances to help his nation through to the last-eight stage. Ronaldo, meanwhile, remains without a club following his controversial departure from Old Trafford last month. United and Ronaldo parted ways after a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan aired. Gakpo has, meanwhile, been praised regularly for his off-field attitude as well as burgeoning talent on it. Before his World Cup heroics, the PSV starlet netted 15 goals and provided 18 assists in 29 early-season games for his club, while Erik ten Hag also wanted to sign him this summer. However, at that stage, the club went for Antony - but Gakpo remains on radar with the market set to reopen next month. Liverpool hero John Barnes was pressed on Gakpo as part of his latest BonusCodeBets promotion. He said: "I t...

THE Argentina fan who went topless at the World Cup final has revealed the real reason behind the stunt after she claims she was kicked off a beach in Qatar. Noemi Gomez went viral after she risked jail when she stripped off on TV to celebrate her country's win over France. The footie fan and her pal Milu Barbiie were reportedly escorted out of Lusail Stadium by officials after they showed off their breasts which breaks strict laws in Qatar. Their antic sparked fears the two women could have been thrown into prison but on Monday Noe revealed she fled to Europe. It is not clear which country she is in, but her pal Milu filmed herself walking in Madrid earlier this week. Taking it to Instagram, the Argentina fan- known as Noe Dreams- revealed that she was actually celebrating topless in response to her being kicked off a beach "for being a woman." Sharing a video from the beach she wrote in the caption: "The moment they kicked me out of a beach in Qatar for being a wom...

The governing body came under criticism after the celebrity chef and social media influencer Salt Bae was seen celebrating with the Argentina team and holding the World Cup trophy. One of the many talking points following Sunday’s World Cup final at the Lusail Stadium concerned the access given to celebrity chef Salt Bae (Nusret Gökçe) with the famous restaurant owner celebrating with the Argentina team as they paraded the World Cup trophy to ecstatic supporters at the 88,000 capacity stadium. Salt Bae posted posted several photos of himself on his personal Instagram account with the World Cup trophy and the likes of Argentine stars  Angel Di Maria and Leo Messi after Sunday’s game. His presence in the immediate aftermath of the trophy presentation will now be investigated by  FIFA  after attracting widespread criticism. FIFA to take ‘appropriate action’ A statement from world football’s governing body read: “ Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how i...

Manchester City progressed to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. City started the brighter of the two teams at the Etihad and took the lead within 10 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne found space down the left-hand side to put in a cross for Erling Haaland to fire home. Liverpool were struggling to find a foothold in the match but were level on 20 minutes against the run of play. Fabio Carvalho side-footed an effort beyond the reach of Stefan Ortega to bring Klopp's side level. Riyad Mahrez would put City back in front straight after the break with a curling effort but the visitors drew level immediately through Mohamed Salah. However, when Nathan Ake headed home the Blues' third of the night, there was no coming back for Liverpool. City's reward for beating Liverpool is an away tie at Southampton in the quarter-finals. After a thrilling encounter, here are some moments you may have missed at the Etihad. Jurgen Klopp always...

OFFICIAL: Onana drops out of Cameroon national team & retires from international football

Here are your Manchester United morning headlines on Friday, December 23. Gary Neville has told Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag that his side has "got a big problem" at centre-back, after Casemiro played alongside Victor Lindelof in a make-shift defence during their 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Burnley. With both Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez taking part in the World Cup final on Sunday, the clash with the Clarets came too soon for the pair. Harry Maguire's illness prompted Ten Hag to deploy Casemiro alongisde Lindelof in the centre of United's defence. The Brazilian helped his team keep a clean sheet against Vincent Kompany's side, but former United defender Neville had some serious concerns about the Reds going into their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. He told Sky Sports: "They look like they’ve got a big problem at centre back. Martínez looks like he’s going to be at least a couple of weeks, Varane obviously he was injured and yo...

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes his side conceded three 'unnecessary' goals to Manchester City after his side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in a thrilling last-16 tie. Goals from Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Ake made sure City edged a five-goal thriller 3-2 - despite Liverpool's Fabio Carvalho and Mohamed Salah giving the Reds hope. Pep Guardiola's side took the lead three times during the game, first through Erling Haaland - who scored just ten minutes into City's return to action following the World Cup break. His smartly finished goal was cancelled out by Carvalho's well-taken first-half finish before Salah brought things level once more, just a minute after Mahrez had reinstated City's lead early in the second-half. Klopp's men, who mustered just two shots on target, also leaked goals at the back and were sent crashing out the cup after Ake's 58th minute header was the difference. Speaking to Sky Sports after the full-time w...

Pele, the world soccer star will remain hospitalized at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Sao Paulo, to receive the New Year because his clinical condition has worsened and he no longer reacts to treatment, so he is only receiving palliative care to help him mitigate the pain and breathe better. The medical report of 'O Rei', mentions he does not have an optimistic prognosis about the health of the considered best soccer player of all times: "Edson Arantes do Nascimento presents progression of the oncological disease and requires further care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions. The patient remains hospitalized in a common room, under the necessary care of the medical team," says the medical report on Pele's health. Pele, who is 82 years old, has been hospitalized since November 29. At that time he arrived at the hospital on a routine follow-up visit to the chemotherapy he underwent the previous year and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection. Weeks ...

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita's future is of interest to Italian giants AC Milan. The current Serie A champions are hoping to secure the 27-year-old on a free transfer in the summer. Keita has not been consistently available for the Reds since signing from RB Leipzig several years ago. However, the Guinea midfielder has been impressive when he played, which is why Calciomercato.it states that AC Milan would like to bring him to San Siro next term. There is no suggestion that Keita will agree to a new deal with Liverpool, given the club are likely to revamp their central midfield options in the summer. An issue for Milan in closing a deal for Keita would be his wages, given he earns a lot more at Liverpool than they would be willing to pay him.

Jesse Marsch fears Premier League players will burn out as the season progresses following the physical and mental stresses of the World Cup. Leeds only had three stars in Qatar — the fourth-lowest tally in the top flight — with Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson reaching the last 16 with the USA and Rasmus Kristensen going out in the group stage with Denmark. However, manager Marsch is concerned for the welfare of the division’s internationals in general with domestic football having returned just two days after the World Cup final. Asked about the schedule ahead of next week’s match with Manchester City, the Leeds boss said: ‘I think it has the potential to burn some players out. ‘Man City have brought their players back relatively quickly. There is sort of a standard in our business that after these big national team tournaments players need three weeks. 'We even only provided 10 days, as we were fully aware that with the season coming round so quickly, it’s important to get them ...

In his interview with Ouest-France published today, FFF president Noël Le Graët explains that he has written to the head of the Argentinian FA regarding the behaviour of Emiliano Martínez, with the Albiceleste goalkeeper taunting Kylian Mbappé on a number of occasions since the World Cup final victory over Les Bleus on Sunday. Indicating he has flagged the issue with Claudio Tapia, Le Graët has branded Martínez’s reactions – which include calling for a minute of silence for Mbappé in the post-match dressing room celebrations or holding aloft a doll with the PSG forward’s face stuck onto it – as “abnormal excesses”. The FFF chief has also praised Mbappé’s behaviour as “exemplary” following the match, in which he scored a historic hat-trick past the Aston Villa goalkeeper. In the interview, Le Graët also confirms that the FFF has launched legal action against those who have racially abused Aurélien Tchouaméni and Randal Kolo Muani after the game on social media. The pair were su...

Enzo Fernandez is one of the hottest prospects in Europe right now, with his performances for Argentina having impressed many clubs across the continent. The 21-year-was in scintillating form for La Albiceleste at the World Cup, as he helped guide his nation to their first world crown in 36 years. In the process, Fernandez also won the best young player award at the tournament. He only joined current club Benfica in July, but he is already expected to move on when the transfer window opens at the start of next month. Real Madrid are very interested, as are Liverpool. The duo are expected to be the frontrunners for Fernandez’s signature, but a fee may be difficult to agree with the Portuguese club. According to Portuguese newspaper Record, as per Sport, Benfica have rejected an offer of €100m from an unnamed club for Fernandez, and are said to be holding out for €120m, which is the player’s release clause. This news could prompt Real Madrid to shift their full focus to Jude Bellingham, ...

Manchester CIty striker Erling Haaland has claimed that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had "the perfect rivalry", as he claimed the competition between the pair was a good thing amid his comparisons with Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe. Norway's failure to qualify for the World Cup has meant that Haaland has spent the last month resting and recharging his batteries ahead of the second-half of the season. Pep Guardiola's side restart their campaign with a Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool on Thursday night, before a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds on December 28 sees them return to Premier League action. Haaland's form will be pivotal to to City's success as the forward looks to continue a scoring record that so few could possibly match. Mbappe is perhaps the only other striker who could go toe-to-toe with the Norwegian, with the Frenchman scoring a sensational hat-trick in his country's World Cup final defeat to Argentina. The pair have been...

Barcelona's iconic Nou Camp stadium could reportedly play host to the NFL over the next two to three years. The 99,354-capacity stadium is home to the Spanish soccer giants but is currently being renovated. Barcelona, who have struggled financially since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, are exploring ways to attract more revenue and welcoming the NFL to the field is being considered, reports Spanish outlets Mundo Deportivo and RAC 1. The NFL had its first game in Germany - as part of a four-year deal - this season as Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Seattle Seahawks at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. Dailymail.com exclusively revealed earlier this year that NFL could have sold three million tickets for that matchup as the growth of the sport continue to grow across Europe. And it appears Barcelona are keen to get a piece of the action once the stadium is ready from the 2024-25 campaign. The Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins now have 'home marketing' rights i...

Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his social media silence following Lionel Messi and Argentina's World Cup triumph. The 37-year-old forward has been quiet on all platforms over the last week, as his long-term rival won the tournament in Qatar after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over France. However - with rumours over his move to Saudi Arabia circulating - the striker has shared a picture of himself in the pool as he recovers from a workout. Ronaldo took to social media to share a picture with his followers. He stood, smiling, in a swimming pool before taking a selfie and posting it on Instagram. Ronaldo crashed out of what is expected to be his last World Cup when Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarter-final of the tournament in Qatar. The 37-year-old came off the bench to replace Ruben Neves early in the second half with Portugal trailing 1-0 after Youssef En-Nesyri's opener. However, he failed to inspire a comeback. Ronaldo also squandered a late chance after drilling a righ...

Manchester United booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup for the third time in the last four seasons with a 2-0 win over Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. Goals either side of half-time from Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford sealed a routine win for the Reds, meaning they avoided falling on the unwanted side of a cup upset. But after Eriksen's opener in the first half, Rashford made sure of the victory with an outstanding solo goal shortly before the hour mark. The win means United have joined five other already confirmed Premier League clubs in the hat for the quarter-final draw. The draw will be made following the conclusion of the final tie of the round between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday evening. Regardless of the winner of that clash, seven Premier League clubs and League One side Charlton Athletic, who dumped Brighton & Hove Albion out of the competition on penalties on Wednesday evening, will make up ...

Latest FIFA rankings: Brazil stay on top, World champions Argentina second Brazil stay on top, World Champions Argentina in second place. Biggest climb on FIFA Ranking: +11 - 🇲🇦MAR (22nd to 11th) +11 - 🇦🇺AUS (38th to 27th) +10 - 🇨🇲CMR (43rd to 33rd)

Pep Guardiola admitted that his spell in charge at Manchester City would not be complete without lifting the Champions League. City have reached the final once, with a semi-final defeat and three quarter-final exits and the Catalan suggested that his legacy will be measured by their results in Europe’s premier competition. It is the first time Guardiola – who penned a new two-year contract extension during the World Cup - has opened up on his own expectations on the continent. ‘I admit that it’s the trophy that we want, and my period here won’t be complete if we don’t win it,’ Guardiola said. ‘But it’s not the only reason I extended. I will do everything for the club. Of course it’s the trophy that we don’t have and we’ll try to do it. ‘I have the feeling they’ll get it sooner or later, we’ve tried in the past. We will try with all our strength. ‘It’s difficult for me to reject the club. I don’t have enough words to express my incredible gratitude to this club.’ City face RB Leipzig wh...