Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel will have talks about his future at the end of the season, says chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke. Tuchel has been in charge of the German club since Jurgen Klopp left in 2015. However, relations between Tuchel, 43, and Watzke have been strained since the Dortmund team bus was damaged by an explosion on 11 April. “We will sit down after the season and discuss how things will continue,” said Watzke.
Bibiana Steinhaus will become the first female to referee in the Bundesliga. The 38-year-old police officer has been named as one of four new referees in Germany’s top flight for 2017-18. Steinhaus has refereed second-tier games for six years.
Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi was named Leicester City’s Young Player of the Year despite only linking up with the Foxes in January. The midfielder joined from Genk in a deal worth £18m and soon became a crucial member of Craig Shakespeare’s side. He made 15 appearances in the Premier League, scoring twice. Leicester honoured their players with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel winning the two biggest awards at their end-of-season ceremony on Monday evening. The Dane, who has been linked with a host of top clubs after a stellar season, picked up Players’ Player of the Year and the Player of the Year to underline his importance to the club.
Juventus secured the first part of a possible domestic and European treble with an efficient display against Lazio in the Coppa Italia final. Juve went ahead when Dani Alves’s side-footed volley bounced into the corner. Leonardo Bonucci sealed victory when he prodded in and Lazio, playing in their own stadium, could not find a way back. Serie A leaders Juve can clinch their sixth successive Scudetto this weekend and meet Real Madrid in the Champions League final on 3 June in Cardiff. Massimiliano Allegri’s side settled the match in the opening 25 minutes as they became the first side to win the competition three times in a row.
Monaco have won the Ligue 1 title for the first time in 17 years after a 2-0 win at home to Saint-Etienne. Needing a point to be crowned French champions for the eighth time, the in-form Kylian Mbappe scored the opener in style. Mbappe, 18, latched on to captain Radamel Falcao’s through ball, skipped around the goalkeeper and slotted in. Forward Valere Germain made sure of the win in injury time with a tap-in from close range. The home side had all but secured the title before kick-off, with Paris St-Germain three points behind with just one game to play and a far inferior goal difference. The new champions rarely looked troubled in registering their 11th consecutive league win and subsequently lifting a trophy that has eluded them since the turn of the millennium. The last time Monaco won Ligue 1 they were fielding a team which included the French trio of Fabien Barthez, David Trezeguet and Willy Sagnol. Monaco’s success this season is largely down to the reinvigorated Colombian Falcao and the emergence of French teenager Mbappe.
Brazil and Barcelona legend, Ronaldinho has once again spoken of his admiration for Super Eagles skipper, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha. The 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year winner hailed Okocha as the “only 10 shirt I’ve always admired”, when the two men met in Bahrain, venue of the 67th FIFA Congress. Ronaldinho was Okocha’s protégé at Paris Saint Germain before the Nigerian left for Bolton Wanderers. He also revealed his respect for former Colombia skipper, Carlos Valderrama. “Só camisa 10 que sempre admirei.@iamokocha e @PibeValderramaP,” he tweeted posing with the iconic No.10s
An Iranian student had to be taken to a police station at the weekend – because he looks too much like Lionel Messi. So many people in the city of Hamaden wanted a picture with Reza Parastesh that police took him to the station and impounded his car to stop the chaos. The fuss started a few months ago when the Messi lookalike’s dad made him pose in a number 10 Barcelona shirt. The 25-year-old soon started cutting his hair and grooming his beard like the Argentina forward.
Cristiano Ronaldo is once again poised to break another footballing record. After recently scoring his 100th goal in the Champions League, the Real Madrid star is now just three goals away from surpassing Jimmy Greaves’ goal-scoring tally across Europe’s top five leagues. Greaves scored 366 league goals during a 14-year career which saw him play for Chelsea, AC Milan, Tottenham and West Ham. It is a record that has stood for the last 46 years since his final goal for the Irons against West Brom in April 1971. Ronaldo has technically surpassed Greaves’ tally but with three of his 367 league goals coming in Portugal, when the Premeira Liga was not deemed one of Europe’s top five leagues based on coefficient, he is still shy of the official all-time European league record.
Boxing Champion Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua was born in Watford in 1989 to a Nigerian mother and a British father of Nigerian and Irish descent. He is pictured above with his mum Yeta Odusanya, a social worker in London. Joshua still lives with his mum in council flat he bought in Golders Green, North London. Since London 2012 Olympics where he won a gold medal, he doesn’t allow his mum to watch his fights live for fear she might get him distracted. His father, Robert, watches him live though. Hear him: “I don’t really let my mum come to my fights, I’ve banned her. It’s not a place where you want to see your kid, I don’t think, at a fight. My dad can watch it, but not my mum”.
Anthony Joshua stops Wladimir Klitschko in 11th round to retain his IBF world heavyweight title and secure the WBA and IBO titles in epic fight. What a fight. What a day. At his age, Klitschko deserves some praise too. All hail boxing King Joshua. Nigerians rejoice with you. It is gratifying to also note that Joshua has a tattoo of map of Africa on his shoulder with map of Nigeria well shown.
Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko are slugging it out now at Wembly. Anthony Joshua seeking to add vacant WBA heavyweight title to IBF crown. Wladimir Klitschko aiming to become world champion for third time. 90,000 fans are watching live at Wembley Stadium with millions watching on TV across the world. Go our son Joshua! Nigeria is behind you….. but then Klitschko is tough.
Tributes have been paid to former Gabon international Moise Brou Apanga who died on Wednesday from a suspected heart attack. The 35-year-old collapsed during a training session with his Gabonese club FC 105 Libreville. He played for the Panthers at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010 and 2012. “We played together, we played against each other but it was always a pleasure to play alongside you,” Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang posted. “Rest in peace my brother.” The Gabon Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) announced the news and also paid their own tribute. “The country has lost a brave son who has always given his best for the Gabonese flag,” FEGAFOOT wrote. “All our condolences to his family and team-mates.”
Ajax vs Lyon
Celta Vigo vs Manchester United
Manchester United will face Spanish side Celta Vigo in the semi-finals of the Europa League. The Premier League side have won the European Cup three times but have never triumphed in the continent’s secondary club competition. Dutch side Ajax, winners in 1992, come up against French club Lyon in the other last-four tie. The first legs will be played on 4 May with the second leg on 11 May, and the final in Stockholm, Sweden on 24 May.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
Monaco vs Juventus
Holders Real Madrid will face rivals Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League – a repeat of last year’s final. Zinedine Zidane’s side could become the first club to retain the trophy in the Champions League era in the final on 3 June in Cardiff. French side Monaco take on Italian club Juventus in the other last-four tie. The first legs will be played on 2 and 3 May, with the return legs taking place the following week.
Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu has died at the age of 44 after suffering a cardiac arrest at Tottenham’s training centre on Thursday. A Spurs statement said Ehiogu died in hospital in the early hours of Friday. Ehiogu, who was Spurs’ Under-23s coach, was capped four times by England. “Words cannot express the shock and sadness that we all feel at the club,” said Tottenham’s head of coaching and development John McDermott. “Ugo’s immense presence will be irreplaceable.”
Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu is in hospital after collapsing at Tottenham’s training centre on Thursday. The 44-year-old, who is Spurs’ Under-23s coach, received medical treatment on site being transferred to hospital by ambulance, the Premier League club confirmed. “Everyone at the club sends their best wishes to Ugo and his family,” Tottenham added in a statement. Ehiogu has been at Spurs since 2014. He made over 200 appearances for Aston Villa between 1991 and 2000 before spending seven years at Middlesbrough. Ehiogu, who was capped four times by England, also played for West Brom, Leeds, Rangers and Sheffield United before retiring in 2009. Ehiogu is of Nigeria parentage.
Ex Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard will play for the club in an end-of-season friendly in Australia. The Reds will face A-League side Sydney FC at the ANZ Stadium on 24 May and former defender Jamie Carragher, 39, and ex-Anfield winger Steve McManaman, 45, both now television pundits, will also feature, along with Danish ex-defender Daniel Agger, 32. “I thought we have to show the whole LFC package – that means the actual squad and a few of our legends,” Jurgen Klopp explained. “They are still young enough and look good enough in the kit that we can show them.”
Maria Sharapova will find out on 15 May whether she can compete at the French Open after her drugs ban, French tennis officials said. They added that the absence of pregnant Serena Williams would have no bearing on their decision. Two-time Roland Garros champion Sharapova returns next week from a 15-month drugs ban at the WTA Stuttgart Grand Prix. Stuttgart offered the 30-year-old Russian a wildcard entry because she no longer has a world ranking. She has also been invited to clay-court events in Madrid and Rome.
Chelsea and Tottenham have both had four of their players named in the Professional Footballers’ Association Premier League team of the year. Defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz and midfielders N’Golo Kante and Eden Hazard are Chelsea’s representatives. Tottenham’s quartet are defenders Kyle Walker and Danny Rose, midfielder Dele Alli and forward Harry Kane. Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Everton forward Romelu Lukaku are also picked. The divisional teams of the year have also been announced ahead of the 44th PFA Awards, which are being held in London on Sunday, 23 April. The PFA Players’ Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year will also be revealed at the event.
World number two Serena Williams is pregnant and due in the autumn, her representative has confirmed. The 35-year-old had earlier posted a picture of herself on Snapchat posing in a mirror with the message: “20 weeks”, before deleting the post. The American, who won an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam in Australia around 12 weeks ago, will miss the rest of the season. This includes three Grand Slams – the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Williams, who will return to world number one next week, would be eligible to retain her ranking under the WTA special ranking rule if she is ready to play her first tournament within 12 months of giving birth. US Open Tennis responded to Williams’ message by saying: “Serena Williams will have a new pride and joy to hug and call her own soon! Congratulations on the exciting baby announcement!”
