The winner of the 2014 FIFA World Player of the Year Award, Germany captain Nadine Kessler, has been forced to retire at the age of 28 because of a recurring knee injury. The Wolfsburg midfielder had been sidelined since September 2014. Widely recognised as one of the best players in the world within the women’s game, Kessler helped Germany to the UEFA Women’s Euro 2013 title and captained Wolfsburg to back-to-back Champions League crowns.
Novak Djokovic has been knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters in the second round. He’s lost to the Czech world number 55 Jiri Vesely 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. It’s the first time the Serbian world number one has lost a completed match since August and it’s the earliest he’s exited a competition in three years. Earlier this year Djokovic was forced to retire from his Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-final against Feliciano Lopez due to an eye problem.
Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante have been nominated for the PFA player of the year award. The six-man shortlist is completed by West Ham’s Dimitri Payet, Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil. Tottenham and Everton are well represented in the young player category, with Dele Alli and Harry Kane joining Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku. Also on the list are Stoke’s Jack Butland and Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
Athletes caught using meldonium could avoid a ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has admitted there is no consensus on how long the body takes to excrete the drug. WADA announced it was adding the heart disease medicine to its banned list in September, with the rule coming into force on 1 January, and there have been more than 120 positive tests since then. Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova was the first high-profile athlete to test positive for the Latvian-made drug (in a test taken at the end of January) but since then leading Russian athletes from boxing, skating, swimming and winter sports have all failed tests.
Tuesday 12th April, 2016:
Manchester City 1 – 0 PSG (City advance to semis by 3 – 2 aggregate)
Real Madrid 3 – 0 Wolfsburg (Madrid advance to semis by 3 – 2 aggregate)
Leyton Orient have stripped player-manager Kevin Nolan of his coaching responsibilities, placing Andy Hessenthaler in charge of the side. Nolan, 33, has won seven of his 15 games since joining the O’s in January. Orient have taken one point from their last four games but remain two points off the League Two play-off places. “We believe Kevin will be able to make a bigger impact without the distraction of managerial duties,” Orient chief executive Alessandro Angelieri said. Nolan played with our own Austin Okocha at Bolton and succeeded Okocha as Bolton’s captain.
A top-flight manager in Slovenia will keep his job despite making a racial slur against one of his own players. Olimpija Ljubljana boss Marko Nikolic used the term against Blessing Eleke after the Nigerian scored an equaliser. Nikolic felt Eleke celebrated too long after levelling for the Slovenian league leaders at home to Zavrc. The Serb said he made “an emotional reaction” and “never intended to offend the player racially”. Eleke was reported to have been called a ‘black idiot’ by his own coach for wildly celebrating the equalizer.
Footballer Adam Johnson has formally lodged an appeal against his six-year sentence for grooming and sexual activity with a girl aged 15. The former Sunderland and England player was jailed last month following a trial at Bradford Crown Court. An official at the court confirmed that Johnson’s legal team had lodged an appeal against his sentence. The 28-year-old has already begun an appeal against his conviction of sexual activity with a 15-year-old. Johnson admitted grooming the girl and a separate, less serious charge, of sexual activity. On the Adam Johnson’s Appeal Fight Facebook page, run by his sister Faye, a post said: “Adam’s appeal against his sentence has now been lodged!” It added: “Thanks everyone for your support it means a lot! X” Sentencing the player, Judge Jonathan Rose told him he had abused a position of trust and caused his victim “severe psychological harm”. Johnson began his career at Middlesbrough before moving to Manchester City and then on to Sunderland in 2012.
AC Milan has sacked coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and replaced him with youth team coach Cristian Brocchi, who will take charge until the end of the season, the Serie A club said on its website. The decision followed a meeting between club president Silvio Berlusconi, CEO Adriano Galliani and Brocchi on Monday evening, according to media reports in Italy. Milan, sixth in the league, have failed to win their last five Serie A matches and lost their last home game against table toppers Juventus.
Thursday 7th April, 2016:
Athletico Bilbao 1 – 2 Sevilla
Borussia Dortmund 1 – 1 Liverpool
Sporting Braga 1 – 2 Shaktar Donetsk
Villarreal 2 – 1 Sparta Prague
Remember him? Former Arsenal forward Sylvain Wiltord announced on Twitter that he intends to return to playing at the age of 41, saying: “After much reflection, I have decided to make my grand return to football. Tune in on 20 April for my press conference.” We are waiting Sylvain.
Nigerian international Alex Iwobi has declared his intention to represent Nigeria at the Rio Olympics this summer. The Arsenal forward could miss the start of next season if he gets on the plane to Rio with the Dream Team VI of Nigeria. The 19-year-old, who has two goals in two Premier League starts for the Gunners, made his competitive debut for Nigeria last month and now wants to play for the Under-23 side in Rio. The men’s Olympic football schedule runs from August 4 to August 20, meaning not only would Iwobi be likely to miss Arsenal’s pre-season but also the first month of Premier League action. “I am looking forward to the forthcoming Olympics and if I am invited, I will do my best to make a meaningful contribution,” Iwobi said. “I believe that Nigeria has a crop of excellent players who are capable of doing great things at the Olympics. Coach Samson Siasia deserves a lot of praise for securing a place for the nation at the Olympics.”
Togo have appointed Claude LeRoy as their new national team coach to replace Tom Saintfiet. Frenchman LeRoy, 68, has worked on the continent for almost 30 years and has coached at a record eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He has signed a three-year contract and is tasked with trying to qualify Togo for the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon. Togo are third in their qualifying group, two points behind leaders Liberia, who they play away in June. LeRoy admitted: “We need a miracle to qualify for the 2017 Nations Cup, perhaps as the best second-placed team.” However, Le Roy has the pedigree to turn around Togo’s fortunes. He guided Cameroon to the 1988 Nations Cup title and has only failed to reach the quarter-finals once. Among the other countries he has coached at the continental championship are Senegal, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Wednesday 6th April, 2016:
Paris St-Germain 2 – 2 Manchester City
Wolfsburg 2 – 0 Real Madrid
Nigeria’s Osaze Odemwingie’s second-half goal earned Bristol City a draw against fellow strugglers Rotherham. Matt Derbyshire put the Millers ahead when he collected Richard Wood’s pass and lobbed keeper Richard O’Donnell. Lee Camp saved brilliantly from Robins defender Aiden Flint’s header to keep the scores level before the break. Odemwingie levelled with a powerful left-footed shot, before Camp made another good save from Odemwingie’s late header to secure his side a point.
The Liverpool squad is pictured heading to Dortmund, Germany for the first leg Europa quarterfinal game against Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp’s, is going to face his former club tomorrow. Klopp’s return to Borussia Dortmund will be a “very, very special occasion”, according to the German club’s coach Thomas Tuchel. The Liverpool boss will face the side he led for seven years – winning the Bundesliga twice – in the Europa League on Thursday. “I’m 100% sure that nobody forgets this time,” said Tuchel. “It’s a very special game of course and Jurgen will get a warm welcome but from the moment the whistle blows, he wants to win.”
Tuesday 5th April, 2016:
Barcelona 2 – 1 Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich 1 – 0 Benfica
World Cup winner and two-time Olympic champion Abby Wambach has admitted taking cocaine and smoking marijuana. American Wambach, the world’s all-time leading international goalscorer, was arrested on Saturday for drink-driving. Court documents connected to the 35-year-old’s arrest said that “the defendant tried cocaine at age 25”. Mini USA, one of Wambach’s sponsors, said it was withdrawing adverts for the car featuring the former footballer, who retired in December. In a statement, it said: “This behaviour is against the values we promote as an organisation and the safety of everyone on the road is a priority here at Mini.” Wambach, who scored 184 goals in 255 games and helped USA to 2015 World Cup glory, was arraigned on Tuesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland. She was not present, but her lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf. Court documents said Wambach has no prior arrest record. In court documents, officers wrote that she first used marijuana at age 24 and her last use was at 25. A Portland police spokesman said it is standard procedure for officers to ask defendants about prior drug use.
DR Congo and Norwich striker Dieumerci Mbokani has quit international football after his country’s FA threatened to sanction him for missing two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Mbokani missed the games with Angola after being caught up in the Brussels airport attacks on his way to Kinshasa. The 30-year-old is unhappy that Congolese FA president Constant Omari said he should still have travelled. “I don’t want to play for Congo. I find the treatment unfair,” said Mbokani. The attacks at the airport and a metro station on 22 March left 32 people dead. The striker, on loan at Premier League side Norwich from Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev, added on Congolese radio: “I was at Brussels airport at the time of the attacks. Immediately after, I called the vice-president Theo Binamungu and he promised to call me. “Since that day, no one called me. Not even a message of support and encouragement after what happened to me.
Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has received a four-match ban after appearing to push a referee following his red card against Udinese. The Argentine, who has scored 30 Serie A goals this season, has been fined €20,000 and will miss four of the remaining seven games of Napoli’s run-in as they look to close the gap on leaders Juventus. After reacting badly to picking up a second yellow card towards the end of Sunday’s 3-1 loss at Udinese, Higuain put his hands on referee Massimiliano Irrati and had to be restrained by his team-mates as he tried to confront Felipe, who was the recipient of the kick which earned him his marching orders. He also shoved a member of Napoli’s staff as he stormed down the Stadio Friuli tunnel, and his ban has now been confirmed and the details given.
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