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‘NPFL’ll Soon Be Most Watched League’

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President of the Spanish foot
ball league (LaLiga), Javier Tebas, at the weekend in Abuja said the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) would soon be the most watched league in Europe.
Tebas who spoke during the official commissioning of the LaLiga office in Abuja said this would materialise in view of the Spanish league’s partnership with its Nigerian counterpart.
The opening of an office in Nigeria by LaLiga is part of the implementation of a technical and commercial partnership recently signed.
LaLiga signed the partnership with the League Management Company (LMC), who are the organisers of the NPFL.
The LaLiga President noted that the Spanish league, being one of the top leagues in the world, attracts a lot of media attention worldwide.
He said its partnership with the NPFL would therefore draw a lot of media attention to the Nigerian league.
“Our vision is very clear. We want to see the NPFL get better in terms of its quality and organisation.
“I am convinced that in a few years from now, the NPFL will be the most watched in Europe.
“Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will also come here to play in Nigeria,’’ Tebas said.
He said part of the partnership deal was the LaLiga tour by 40 players selected from the NPFL into an All-Star team.
NAN reports that during the team’s tour of Spain, it will participate in the prestigious Carranza LaLiga World Club tourney and also play a friendly
match against Valencia CF.
Also, Antonio Baradas, the LaLiga Africa Representative based in South Africa, expressed satisfaction with the location of the office in the high-brow Maitama district of Abuja.
“I am impressed by the quality of materials used in equipping the office.
“It is a very conducive place for us to work on making the NPFL-LaLiga partnership a success.”
He said LaLiga would invest in the grassroots of Nigerian football, adding that a lot of talents abound in the country.
“The talents are here. We have to work with what you’ve got.
“We have a contract signed for five years and hopefully we can extend it beyond that for a long time to come,’’ Baradas said.
Simililarly,  the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo,  said the partnership between LaLiga and the NPFL marked the beginning of a solid presence in Nigeria.
He said it would be consolidating what has already been achieved.
“As Spanish Ambassador, I have to express my satisfaction that one of the strongest institutions in Spain, and probably one of the best known worldwide, LaLiga, has established an office in Nigeria.
“I see a bright future ahead,’’ Barnuevo said.
Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), described the event as another major milestone and a new dawn for Nigeria.
“We are delighted that very early in the tenor of this partnership, a lot of positives are being recorded.
“This opening of the LaLiga Office represents another landmark in the partnership and will facilitate effective collaboration between the two leagues,’’ he said.
Tidesports source recalls that LaLiga Foundation, a charity arm of LaLiga, recently announced a grant of 56,000 Euros and equipment to El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri.
The grant was to support the club in the response to the insurgency which forced the club to play home league fixtures in other cities for almost three seasons.
Nigeria is the second African country after South Africa to have an office of a major European League.

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Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie  A Lead

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Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.

Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.

Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.

Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.

But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.

Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.

It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.

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Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool 

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A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.

Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.

“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.

For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.

Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.

His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.

Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.

Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.

The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.

“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”

Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.

The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.

“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”

He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.

“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”

 

Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.

The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).

Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.

Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.

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Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors

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Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.

Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.

Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.

Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.

Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.

The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.

 

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