Sports
Fernandes Confident To Make History
Having the chance to play with Lionel Messi at Barcelona leaves Matheus Fernandes at a loss for words, but he is confident of making history with the club.
Barca agreed a deal to sign Fernandes from Palmeiras for an initial €7million in January, but with that transfer not going through until July he joined Real Valladolid on loan for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign.
However, the midfielder was unable to make his debut before the coronavirus pandemic brought the season grinding to a halt in March.
Despite being unsure what his short-term future holds, Fernandes is confident he will enjoy a successful career at Camp Nou.
Asked about the prospect of playing alongside Messi, Fernandes told MundoDeportivo: “I can’t explain it. To think that soon I will be playing with the best player in the world, I don’t even know what to say.
“It is a dream to get to that great club and have the opportunity to be part of it.
“My goal is to play for Barcelona. My contract [with Valladolid] ends in June and I want to be in Barcelona, it is every child’s dream.
“If I can’t go to Barcelona now, I will continue learning at Valladolid or at another club where they value me. I am happy to be here and playing in LaLiga.
“I think I’m going to succeed at Barca. I have the potential for it. I think I fit in with the style of play.
“I hope I can be there and stay there forever and make history at Barcelona.”
He added: “I am very happy because the club showed interest in me. I have great qualities, but I am going to evolve much more there.
“I hope to be there for a long time and I hope to win many titles and bring much happiness to the club and the fans. If the club is happy, I will be.”
Fernandes highlighted Sergio Busquets and Xavi as players he admires and hopes to prove as important to Barca as they have been.
“I am a box-to-box midfielder, but I also like to play in a holding role protecting the defence. I am a technical player,” he said.
“I know I still have a lot to learn, I am aware of it and I am trying to improve here at Valladolid, but I think I am going to mark an era at Barcelona.
“I need to finish better, play quicker. I think I am a good marker, I have good positioning, a good pass and the most important thing is will and I have the will to improve and do my best for Barcelona.
“I like Sergio Busquets’ way of playing a lot and I always noticed him, Xavi too. I’m going to try to do my best to be able to get closer to the level of these great players, knowing that I still have a lot to learn.”
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.