Category: Sports

Coventry City head coach, Frank Lampard, believes Frank Onyeka’s experience will help the team get promoted to the Premier League.

Onyeka joined Coventry from Brentford in January.

The Super Eagles midfielder might play his first game for the club against Oxford United this Saturday.

In an interview with the Coventry Telegraph, Lampard said, “He brings a different quality and probably a different profile to the midfield players we have.

“As I say, the profile is slightly different and I think that helps us in terms of the options and the competition in the middle of the park for us.”

Transfer: Why I signed Frank Onyeka for Coventry – Lampard

Nigeria striker, Taiwo Awoniyi has won Nottingham Forest’s Goal of the Month award for January, DAILY POST reports.

Awoniyi won the award for his superb strike in Forest’s 2-0 victory over Brentford late in the month.

The forward received a pass from Morgan Gibbs-White, and drove into the Brentford’s box before firing past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

It was the forward’s first goal of the season for the Tricky Trees.

The strike was selected from seven other nominated goals.

The 28-year-old has made just league appearances for Nottingham Forest this season.

EPL: Awoniyi scoops Nottingham Forest’s GOTM award 

Former Manchester United defender, Phil Jones has picked the greatest player of all times between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Jones was a teammate of Ronaldo during their time at Manchester United.

The 33-year-old, however, played against Messi in the UEFA Champions League when the Argentine was at Barcelona.

Asked to pick his greatest player between Messi and Ronaldo, Jones opted for the Portugal captain.

Jones said on ESPN UK, “Picking between Ronaldo and Messi is like choosing between your mum and your dad. I will go with Cristiano.”

Ronaldo and Messi have been widely regarded as among the best footballers on earth, having won 13 Ballon d’Or awards among them in the past.

Ronaldo vs Messi: ‘It’s like choosing between mum, dad’ – Jones picks GOAT

The Saudi Pro League has picked Manchester United’s midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Liverpool’s forward Mohamed Salah as potential ambassadors  for the league as replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are discussions about Ronaldo’s possible departure from the club.

Ronaldo, who is now 41 years old, has been the most famous player in the Saudi league after he came to the Kingdom in December 2022 on a free transfer after spending over 20 years playing in Europe with four different teams.

In 2025, Ronaldo signed a big and profitable new contract with Al-Nassr until the next summer.

Because of his comment about the club owners PIF not supporting the team enough during the recent transfer window compared to other clubs, Ronaldo might leave this summer.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a £43 million clause in his new contract that will become active at the end of the season.

In case he uses that option, a source from the Saudi league told The i Paper, as reported by Sport Bible, that Salah or Fernandes would be great choices for the league:

“Salah and Fernandes would be ideal choices, especially Salah, because he would draw in an Arab audience as a Muslim.

“Either of those newcomers, plus that young talent, would be really big for us.”

Ronaldo did not play in the Knights of Najd’s 1-0 victory in the Saudi Pro League against Al-Riyadh on Monday, and also missed the 2-0 home win against Al-Ittihad on Friday, which has led to doubts about his place in the team.

Both Salah and Fernandes are important players for their teams. Salah has been playing for Liverpool since the summer of 2017 and has scored more than 250 goals in all competitions.

Fernandes, who is the captain of United, has been playing for Old Trafford since January 2020 and has scored over 100 goals.

Saudi Super League picks two players to replace Cristiano Ronaldo

Barcelona have decided to sign Marcus Rashford permanently from Manchester United.

The England attacker has performed really well on loan at Barcelona, and the good performance has made the club decide to pay Manchester United to buy him permanently.

It is also thought that the big Catalan team wants to sign Tottenham captain, Cristian Romero.

Luis Miguelsanz from Sport in Spain says Barcelona have made a “unanimous” decision to pay the money required to keep Marcus Rashford on a permanent contract.

Miguelsanz wrote, “Barca will use the €30 million option to buy the player permanently in a deal that won’t be discussed, because Manchester United won’t reduce their asking price by even one euro.

“The Catalan club thinks this price is fair and not too high, considering the player’s skills and how much similar players in this position are worth, which could go up a lot.”

In another development, there are stories that Sergio Ramos might come back to Real Madrid after he left his team in Mexico, Monterrey, in December.

He has also been connected with a possible return to Sevilla, but the club’s sporting director, Antonio Cordon, has stated there is “no financial possibility” for that to happen.

At 39, Sergio Ramos wants to keep playing soccer, and right now he’s focused on playing in Spain.

Two clubs have become possible options: Sevilla and Real Madrid.

Juanfe Sanz talked about El Chiringuito and said, “It’s not the first time he’s offered himself to Real Madrid when things were tough. He also mentioned that he’s always ready to join Sevilla, because “the two teams he loves the most are Real Madrid and Sevilla.”

Barcelona are looking at signing Romero.

Gabriel Sans from Mundo Deportivo writes: “Cristian Romero, who is 27 years old, has chosen to look for a new team in June, even though he still has a contract that runs until 2029 and he is the captain of Tottenham.”

Transfer: Barcelona take final decision on Marcus Rashford as Sergio Ramos seeks Real Madrid return

Former Newcastle United striker, Alan Shearer, has given his predictions for this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.

It all begins at Old Trafford, when Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur in the early kick-off.

The standout fixture of this Game Week is Liverpool host Manchester City on Sunday.

But before then, Arsenal welcome Sunderland and Chelsea travel to relegation-threatened Wolves.

Shearer told BetFair: “Manchester United vs Tottenham: Prediction – Manchester United win.

“Arsenal vs Sunderland: Prediction – Arsenal win.

“Wolves vs Chelsea: Prediction – Chelsea win.

“Liverpool vs Manchester City: Prediction – Draw.”

EPL: Shearer predicts Man Utd vs Tottenham, Liverpool vs Man City, Arsenal games

Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone, has insisted that new signing Ademola Lookman, will make the club better.

Simeone spoke at his post-match interview after Lookman scored his first Atletico Madrid career goal at Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla on Thursday.

Lookman, who recently joined Simeone’s side from Atalanta, scored his first goal for the club as they defeated Real Betis 5-0 in the Copa del Rey quarter-final tie.

The Nigerian international also provided one assist during the encounter as Atletico Madrid progressed to the Copa del Rey semi-final stage.

“He [Lookman] is a big guy, he’s already 28,” Simeone said after the game (via Movistar).

“He came to help us, and we hope to help him too, so he can continue to grow.

“He has different qualities than the players we have, and he will make us better.”

Lookman will now hope to lead Atletico Madrid to victory when they face Real Betis in the LaLiga on Sunday.

He’ll make Atletico Madrid better – Simeone after Lookman scored first career goal

The Saudi Pro League (SPL) has rejected claims that Cristiano Ronaldo has any say in league-wide decisions, insisting that governance, recruitment, and strategic choices remain strictly within the control of individual clubs.

The league’s response follows renewed speculation about Ronaldo’s future at Al-Nassr after the Portuguese forward was left out of the squad for Monday’s league fixture against Al-Riyadh. Media reports in Portugal suggested the veteran striker was unhappy with the club’s management and declined to feature in the match, a claim that has fueled uncertainty ahead of Al-Nassr’s upcoming clash with Al-Ittihad on Friday.

While Ronaldo later posted an image of himself in training, questions persist over his availability and long-term commitment to the Riyadh-based club.

Both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has been instrumental in transforming the SPL into a global destination for elite footballers. However, league officials have dismissed suggestions that star players can influence transfers or decisions beyond their own teams.

“The Saudi Pro League operates on a clear structure where each club functions independently under the same regulations,” an SPL spokesperson told BBC Sport. “Clubs have their own leadership and football management. Recruitment, spending, and strategic decisions are made at club level, within a financial framework designed to promote sustainability and competitive balance.”

The spokesperson acknowledged Ronaldo’s impact since joining Al-Nassr in late 2022, noting his role in raising the club’s profile and competitiveness. However, the league stressed that influence has its limits.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has been fully committed to Al-Nassr and has contributed significantly to the club’s ambition. Like any top-level professional, he wants to win. But no player, regardless of stature, dictates decisions beyond their own club,” the spokesperson said.

Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United midway through the 2021–2022 season, on a contract reportedly worth £177 million per year, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world.

Saudi denies Ronaldo’s influence on league decisions

Former Arsenal midfielder Stefan Schwarz has cautioned Cristiano Ronaldo about the challenges of achieving his goal of scoring 1000 goals, considering his current situation at Al-Nassr.

The 40-year-old forward is reportedly expressing dissatisfaction with what is seen as unfair treatment by Saudi’s PIF in how they distribute resources among their clubs.

In a conversation with BOYLE SPORTS, Schwarz mentioned that he found the strike action initiated by the Al-Nassr player to be strange.

He mentioned that it is not very likely that Cristiano Ronaldo will score many goals if he returns to play in Europe, even though he views the Saudi Pro League as a strong and good competition.

Ronaldo’s strike at Al-Nassr seems strange to me, as it would be easier for him to reach 1,000 career goals in the Saudi Pro League compared to the Premier League,” he said.

“Could Cristiano Ronaldo still make a significant impact in a major European league? The Saudi Pro League is actually quite good.

“The competition is very tough with some skilled players, and it is also improving over time. Ronaldo continues to score goals, but it will be more challenging in the Premier League or one of the other top five leagues, and he aims to break his record of scoring 1,000 goals, and that’s not easy no matter what league you are in.

“He is a tremendous professional. What he has achieved in football is truly remarkable, given the impressive statistics and records he has set.

“He shows other players how to become real professionals through his training methods, recovery techniques, nutritional plans, and his focus.

The former player advised the forward to leave off-field problems behind and perform as per the terms of his contract.

“But he is like any player with a contract. He has to perform. No one should claim to be the most appreciated player.

“It all depends on your performance, and while he has shown he deserves all the respect, his actions are strange to me,” he said.

Cristiano Ronaldo made himself unavailable for selection in his team’s 1-0 victory against Al-Riyadh, with sources in Portugal claiming he was on strike. He was reportedly dissatisfied with his club’s January transfer activities, citing the PIF’s favoritism towards rivals Al-Hilal as the reason for their inaction.

SPL: You can’t achieve 1000 goal record in Premier League – Stefan Schwartz warns Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea legend, Eden Hazard, has said he refused advice from his old manager, Maurizio Sarri to follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s way of living.

The retired Belgian playmaker was among the top players in the world when he was active, often compared to the best ever to play English football.

Hazard talked to the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, saying that Sarri came to him during the 2018-19 season while he was at Chelsea and discussed the idea of trying to be like Cristiano Ronaldo.

He said he refused the advice from the Italian tactician because he wanted to keep enjoying certain things.

“Yes, but I told him I didn’t want to. I’ve never gone too far, but I’ve always wanted to be Hazard both on and off the field. If my friends asked me to have dinner, I would agree to go, and if I wanted a drink, I would allow myself to have one.

“Cristiano is Cristiano, I am Hazard. I just wanted to be myself and play football,” he said via GOAL.

Maurizio Sarri worked with Hazard for a single season at Stamford Bridge, and the Belgian player did very well under his guidance, which helped him achieve his goal of moving to Real Madrid.

He got hold of Cristiano Ronaldo’s number seven jersey but could not match Ronaldo’s performance at Chelsea because of injuries.

Hazard decided to end his professional football career in 2023 at the age of 32 because he had trouble staying healthy and playing regularly due to his fitness issues.

He said during and after his playing days that his main goal was to have fun while playing, and he mostly focused on enjoying his football throughout his career.

Why I rejected Maurizio Sarri’s advice to leave – Eden Hazard