Sports
UCL: I Represent The Barca Way -PSG Coach
Paris Saint-Germain coach, Luis Enrique has added spice to today’s huge Champions League clash against Barcelona by insisting he represents more closely the values of the Catalan club than his opposite number Xavi Hernandez.
“I do, without doubt,” Luis Enrique said when asked at a press conference on yesterday, on the eve of the quarter-final first leg in the French capital.
“Just look at all the stats and the trophies won, and without any doubt, I represent the Barca way better, although others may have different opinions.”
Luis Enrique, 53, spent the last eight years of his playing career at Barcelona, notably starring under Bobby Robson in the team that beat PSG in the 1997 Cup Winners’ Cup final and winning two La Liga titles under Louis van Gaal.
He later coached Barca from 2014 to 2017, leading them to Champions League glory in his first campaign and overseeing two Spanish title triumphs.
Xavi played under Luis Enrique in that side. The pair were earlier teammates at the Camp Nou.
Now 44, Xavi played over 500 games for Barca and returned as coach in late 2021. He led Barca to the Spanish title last season, but recently announced he would leave the club at the end of this campaign.
“I have to say that I don’t know Xavi at all as a coach, only as a teammate and as a player because I worked with him,” added Luis Enrique, who took over at PSG ahead of this season.
“I know Barca very well and I know their players but I don’t know if that is an advantage or not.
“Emotionally this means a lot to me because of my experiences there.”
Luis Enrique was the coach of Barcelona in the notorious Champions League last-16 tie between the clubs in 2017, when the Catalans lost 4-0 in the first leg in Paris before recovering to win 6-1 in the return.
He admitted the tie was special for him given his past loyalties, but pointed out he had had no issues coming up against his boyhood club Sporting Gijon as a player.
“I also played against Sporting and scored goals for Barcelona,” he said.
“At the end of the day, I am a professional. Of course, I like Barcelona but I am pleased to be here at PSG and I must think about my job and my team. I think I’m capable of bringing trophies to this club.”
PSG will be without former Real Madrid right-back Achraf Hakimi who is suspended for Wednesday’s first leg.
The second leg will be played in Barcelona next Tuesday, April 16, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, the other quarter final first leg game tonight.
The Delta State Sports Commission has come under scrutiny following the state’s disappointing performance at the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, where Lagos dethroned Delta to clinch top spot.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, visibly displeased with both the poor outing of Team Delta and the organizational lapses witnessed during the Games, summoned an emergency meeting with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) immediately after the closing ceremony.
Delta, which had dominated the NYG by finishing first in the last eight editions, only managed second place this time — a result the governor described as “totally unacceptable,” especially given the state’s significant investment in the event.
According to a reliable source privy to the meeting, Governor Oborevwori expressed deep disappointment, stressing that his administration had provided all necessary support to the Sports Commission and the LOC to ensure Delta retained its traditional top position.
In a decisive move, the governor demoted his Executive Assistant on Sports and former Director-General of the Sports Commission, Festus Owhojero, under whose leadership the Games were organized. Owhojero was reassigned from Executive Assistant (EA) to Senior Special Assistant (SSA) with immediate effect.
The governor’s action, our source revealed, reflects his zero-tolerance stance on incompetence and underperformance within his administration. Mr. Owhojero thus becomes the first high-profile casualty of the governor’s resolve to reposition sports in Delta State.
Furthermore, Oborevwori directed the Sports Commission and LOC officials to submit a detailed report on the Games, outlining what went wrong and providing recommendations for improvement. The governor emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore Delta’s dominance, especially as the state is set to host the next edition of the Games under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The Nigeria Football Federation has distanced itself from a post-match statement that criticised some Super Eagles players following the team’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The statement, issued by the NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, singled out forward Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong for criticism.
It accused Dessers of being sluggish and faulted Ekong for the own goal that gave Bafana Bafana the lead.
However, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said on Wednesday that the statement did not represent the official position of the Federation.
“I saw the release just like everyone else did. Nobody in the Federation is happy with it,” Sanusi said.
“The NFF did not authorise that statement. We have great respect for all the players. Blaming an individual for a team result is unfair.”
He added that the Federation regards the South Africa match as a collective effort and will not support attempts to scapegoat any player.
“When we win, it’s a team victory. When we lose, it’s also collective. No player should be singled out,” Sanusi said.
He described the targeted criticism of Troost-Ekong as unjustified, noting that the defender had previously been celebrated as the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
“It was an unfortunate own goal. His intention was to clear the ball. Anyone who knows football understands that such things happen,” he said..
Sanusi also expressed confidence in the team’s unity, revealing that efforts were ongoing to regroup and refocus ahead of the remaining qualifiers and AFCON.
“Our house is in order. We’re preparing for the rest of the qualifiers and the AFCON in Morocco,” he said.
“There’s no problem with our players or coaching crew. Our relationship remains cordial. The government and the NFF are proud of the players’ efforts.”
The Federation had initially praised Calvin Bassey for his equalising goal and lamented the team’s failure to convert second-half chances.
But Sanusi made it clear that internal disciplinary action would be taken over the unauthorised release.
“I can assure you the NFF will take action on the matter,” he said.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers with 11 points from eight matches. South Africa lead the group with 17 points.
The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin Republic and hope other results go their way to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tagged “Boxing Jams Music,” the year-end edition will once again blend elite professional boxing with live musical performances. Fans can look forward to thrilling bouts across weight divisions and electrifying performances by some of Nigeria’s top entertainers.
Flykite Productions’ Chief Operating Officer, Bamidele Johnson, said the forthcoming edition will build on the event’s tradition of combining sport and music in a festival-like atmosphere. He assured fans of an unforgettable Boxing Day experience, with added entertainment elements planned.
“GOtv Boxing Night 34 will once again deliver the best of both worlds of top-class boxing and live music. We are committed to giving fans a truly memorable Boxing Day experience at Tafawa Balewa Square,” he said.
Over the years, Boxing Jams Music has grown into the country’s biggest sport-entertainment spectacle, hosting title bouts sanctioned by continental and global bodies alongside live performances by top acts such as Burna Boy, Teni, Mayorkun, Zlatan and Wande Coal.
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