Chelsea partners with Beats

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats) as our new and first ever Official Sound Partner. 

Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats) is a leading audio brand founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

Through its family of world-class consumer headphones, earphones and speakers, Beats has introduced an entirely new generation to the possibilities of premium sound entertainment. They are the global market leader in the premium headphone market.

Kenyan Abraham Kiptum wins Lagos City Marathon

The much awaited Lagos City Marathon has ended with over 20,000 athletes, including 150 local and international world-class runners who participated. Kenyan Marathoner- Abraham Kipton has won the inaugural edition of the race.
Citizens from Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Uganda, India, Cameroon, Asia and other parts of the world are very much in the city of Lagos to contest for the ultimate $50, 000 prize money to be given to the first.

Lionel Messi wins World Footballer of the Year 2015

The Argentine beat rivals Neymar (Barcelona/Brazil) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal) to clinch a record 5th Ballon D'or award. The award was voted by all National team coaches and approved Journalists. Well deserved. Congrats to him!

C. Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar pictured travelling ahead of Balloon d'or showdown tonight

The Real Madrid superstar and Barcelona forwards posted pictures on Instagram today detailing they were in transit to FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland for the annual Balloon d'or award ceremony that will be held tonight for the best player in the world.

Lionel Messi is widely tipped as the favorite for the award after a success laden year that saw him win LA Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey and club world Cup. More photos after the cut...

Photo: Yaya Toure says it is "sad and "indecent" that he didn't win the 2015 African footballer of the year

Yaya Toure has said it was "sad and indecent" that he failed to win the African footballer of the year award, BBC reports.

The Ivory Coast player who has won the last four African player of the year awards, was narrowly beaten to the 2015 crown by Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during a ceremony yesterday in Nigeria.

The 2015 Glo-CAF awards full list of winners + photos from the event

The 2015 Glo-CAF Awards took place tonight at the International Conference Center in Abuja and below are the awards winners in full.

Club of the Year - TP Mazembe

Fair Play Award - Allez Casa (Senegal Supporters group)

Women's National Team Of The Year - Cameroon

Men's National Team Of The Year -Cote D'Ivoire

Continue to see the rest plus some photos from the event....

Real Madrid sack Rafa Benitez, replace him with Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid have made the controversial decision of sacking head coach Rafa Benitez after the club’s unimpressive 2-2 draw against Valencia last night. The club had endured a poor set of results under the Spaniard and fans not happy with the team’s defensive style of play, the club has moved quick to sack the former Liverpool and Napoli coach to replace him with club legend Zinedine Zidane.

Zinedine Zidane will take over first team duties as the club’s head coach the club announced on it’s official website

Hiddink says Mikel is his ideal player

Chelsea’s caretaker boss, Guus Hiddink, has lavished praise on the resurgent midfielder, John Mikel Obi.

Reacting to the Nigerian international’s performance he said: “He played very well but also in the previous game.”

Breaking news: Jose Mourinho sacked as Chelsea manager

The Portuguese boss was sacked this afternoon after club owner Roman Abramovich and board had series of emergency meetings last night. Mourinho's last match in charge was the disastrous 2-1 loss to Leicester city and with rumours of player unrest in the media, the club have acted and sacked him.

Abramovich could be forced to pay Mourinho more than £40million after the Portuguese manager signed a four-year deal this summer. Guus Hiddink could be lined up as the next replacement.

 

Mourinho lost support within the Chelsea hierarchy after his bust-up with former club doctor Eva Carneiro during the 2-2 draw with Swansea on the opening day of the season.
Stars of last season’s campaign including Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic and Cesar Azpilicueta have been criticized by their manager in front of their peers, leading to splits in the camp.

This was Mourinho's second spell in charge of Chelsea and he was sorely disappointed with his players after Chelsea's 9th loss of the season to Leicester.
After the game,he told the press;

'Sometimes I find myself thinking last season I did an amazing job, brought players to a level not their level. If this is true I brought to such a level they couldn't keep for more than super-motivation to be leading. That is one possibility.'“One of my best qualities is that I can read the game and identify the strengths of the opponent and tell my players what they are,” Mourinho said. “So it it is a big frustration to accept the goals because my work was betrayed, if that is the right word.
“I worked four days in this match. I prepared everything related to the opponent. I identify four movements where they scored almost every their goals.
“My players got all that information in last three days, you can ask them, they are honest guys who will tell you it is true.
“But in the situations I identify, we concede the first and second goal. The mistakes were there.”
Despite his decision to publicly criticise his players for failing to stick to the game plan, Mourinho insisted he was ready to fight on as manager.
“The only thing I can say is that I want to be (the manager.)” Mourinho said. “I have no doubts and I think that you know me well enough, six years here, that I am not afraid of a big challenge.
“At this moment, it is a real big challenge and I want to stay. I hope Mr Abramovich and the board want me to stay.
“I know that the board wants the best for this club. I would like the board to analyse the situation, the budget, the balance of the club and what they were expecting.”
With Chelsea now hovering just one point above the relegation zone,the club's board decided to act.

PSG vs Chelsea, Barcelona vs Arsenal; See the UEFA Champions League last 16 draw in full

Chelsea has been given a massive task in the champions league after they were drawn against PSG in the draw which took place in Nyon this morning.

AS Roma vs Real Madrid

Gent vs Vfl Wolfsburg

PSG vs Chelsea

Barcelona Vs Arsenal

Juventus vs Bayern Munich

Psv vs Atletico de Madrid

Sl Benfica vs Zenit st Petersburg

Dynamo Kyiv vs Man City

Photo: Cristiano Ronaldo Grandfather dies at the age of 86

The Grandfather of Cristiano Ronaldo has died. Ronaldo’s Mum Dolores Alveiro announced the news of her father, through her Instagram account on Saturday.

Jose Vivieros 86 lived in in Perth Western Australia, after moving there about 16 years ago with other family members. Dolores decided to stay in Funchal Madeira while her son established himself at Sporting Lisbon.

Neymar, C. Ronaldo & Lionel Messi make Balloon d'or final shortlist

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo will have a huge task in his hands of retaining the Balloon d'or  award he won last year as he has been drawn alongside Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Neymar. Messi who has won the award for a record four times is seen as the favourite after helping Barcelona win the Champions League, LA Liga and Copa del rey titles last season.

Also, the coach of the year award will be contested between Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, Barcelona's Luis Enrique and Jorge Sampaoli who led Chile to their first ever Copa America success. See the full nominee list below

-FIFA MEN'S WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR-
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Neymar (Barcelona)

 

-FIFA MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR -
Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich)
Luis Enrique (Barcelona)
Jorge Sampaoli (Chile)

 

-FIFA WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR-
Jill Ellis (US)
Mark Sampson (England)
Norio Sasak (Japan)

 

-FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR-
Carli Lloyd (US)
Aya Miyama (Japan)
Celia Sasic (Germany)

 

-FIFA PUSKAS AWARD-
Alessandro Florenzi
Wendell Lira
Lionel Messi

Barcelona Transfer News: Lionel Messi Exit 'Impossible,' Says La Liga President

La Liga President Javier Tebas cannot envisage the Spanish top flight without Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Messi has recently been linked with a departure from La Liga, and Premier League side Arsenal have been reported as the front-runners to sign him up, per Dave Woods of the Daily Star.

 
However, Tebas does not believe a move away from the league he has played in all of his senior career is a possibility for the Argentine superstar, per Spanish outlet AS (via Sport):

"That Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi leave is like the independence of Catalunya, impossible."
Woods' report indicates that Messi's love for Spain has "soured" amid the investigation into tax fraud he and his father are alleged to have carried out.

Despite this, it does seem highly unlikely that Messi will leave the club he joined in 2004 any time soon.

As a Barcelona player, Messi has become arguably the best player of all time—he has won the Ballon d'Or four times.

The 28-year-old has won seven La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues among numerous other trophies.

His current contract—signed in May 2014—expires in 2018, and he reportedly has a buyout clause of over £175 million, per Woods.

If Messi does look to force a move away from Barcelona, there are only a select group of major European clubs who could afford to buy him—including the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea.

The transfer fee would undoubtedly be more than the world record set by Real Madrid when they bought Gareth Bale for £85 million in 2013.

While it seems an unlikely prospect, Messi's departure could potentially allow Barca to sign up long-linked Juventus target Paul Pogba, who is also very highly valued, per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones:

The most realistic scenario, though, is that Messi will stay at Barcelona and continue to excel for the Catalan club.

According to David Wright of the Express, this is not the first time that Messi has been speculatively linked with a departure from the Camp Nou, and it will likely not be the last.

Football: Five Reasons Why Chelsea Will Finish In The Top Four This Season

Unfortunately, the reigning Premier League champions, Chelsea, have been unable to replicate their scintillating form of last season that saw them secure the title by a landslide victory.

This season has been a disastrous one for the Blues and their fans would want to see the back of it as quickly as possible.

Chelsea are currently 3 points closer to the relegation danger zone ahead of the International break but despite a horrendous season so far, Mourinho’s men can still secure a Champions League ticket for next season. Below are some reasons why it is possible:

1) Mourinho’s Experience– For a manager with a very rich CV across big clubs in Europe, it is too early to write off the Special One especially at such an early stage of the season.

2) Chelsea Squad Quality– If Mourinho can get the best out of his team; expect them to come out
flying again. Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are key players that have struggled to perform and Mourinho would be hoping to get the best out of them as soon as possible.

3) January Transfer– The League title isn’t won in November likewise top four position is not guaranteed in barely a month before Christmas. If the Chelsea key men fail to perform as required, expect owner Roman Abramovich, with his deep pocket, to splash the cash on players that would.

4) Fourth Spot candidates– The Premier League title race this season looks to be between Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. That, ostensibly, leaves the Premier League’s fourth position vacant to teams like Liverpool, Tottenham and Leicester City.

No disrespect to Leicester. They have had a tremendous season but it is hard to see them keep up their strong form throughout the campaign.

The Liverpool players are still adapting to Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy and it was evident with the home loss at Crystal Palace last week.

Tottenham have a relatively young and vibrant squad and are a genuine fourth spot contender.

However, Chelsea have a better team than Spurs and are likely to edge out the North London outfit for the final Champions League spot.

5) Uefa Champions League– According to UEFA RULES, the team than wins the Uefa Champions League is automatically guaranteed a spot in the competition for the next season.

Chelsea are presented with a lifeline if the going gets tough in the Premier League. They achieved a similar feat in 2012 when they beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the Champions League final despite being miles off the top four range on the League table.

Will Chelsea Play Champions League Football Next Season?

Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter Hospitalized for “Stress Related Breakdown”

Embattled FIFA president, Sepp Blatter was hospitalized in Switzerland last week for a “stress related breakdown” and “a small emotional breakdown.” He is currently recovering, Newsweek reports.

You will recall that earlier this year, allegations of corruption pertaining to his administration came to light. Blatter, 79, was subsequently suspended.

Klaus Stohlker, who is his spokesperson, revealed that Blatter is under huge pressure currently, and that he was admitted last week after going for a medical check up, and he was hospitalized afterwards.

'Arsenal does not necessarily need God to win' - Arsene Wenger says in bizarre interview

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in a bizarre interview with French magazine L'Equipe's Sport spoke on a wide-range of topics including time, religion and more. When he was asked for similarities between his faith and his football and whether he has a "mystical power" over his players, he said;

"I am only a guide. I allow others to express what they have in them. I have not created anything. I am a facilitator of what is beautiful in man. I define myself as an optimist. My constant battle in this business is to get out there is beautiful in man. We can at this level portray me as naive.

"At the same time, it allows me to believe it and it often gives me reason." Wenger who early in his career used to read from a book of prayers before matches says he doesn't do that again and doesn't feel his team needs 'God to win.

"Unfortunately today, it works less! At the same time, fortunately, it means that my team does not necessarily need God to win. The only time possible for happiness is the present. The past gives regrets and future uncertainties. Man quickly realized this and created the religion. It forgives him what he has done wrong in the past and told him for the future not to worry. I'm always afraid of being late and not to be ready, not being able to accomplish all that I planned. My personal relationship with time is scary. To go back in time, to look behind yourself is equally staggering. First of all, you're frightened because there is less to come than the time already spent. If you wallow with that feeling, it's definitely scary and sometimes you feel guilty."

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Mother Reveals He Was An Unwanted Baby

Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro has revealed she considered having an abortion when she was pregnant with the now famous footballer.

The touching revelation was made in the new documentary film ‘Ronaldo’, which details his rise from humble beginnings to the summit of world football.

Ronaldo’s mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro explained how she thought about having a termination when she found out she was expecting the  global superstar.

 According to her,

‘I wanted to have an abortion but God did not want that to happen. Cristiano was an unwanted baby but he’s given me so much joy.’

In the film, Maria says:

“He was a child I wanted to abort. We laugh about it now and he says ‘now I am helping you all’.”

See The 10 Highest-Paid Footballers

Football players are among the richest people in the world, and some of them earn extremely large amounts of money.

10. Luis Suarez
Country: Uruguay
Club: Barcelona
Earnings: $19.9 million

Source: Reuters

9. Sergio Aguero
Country: Argentina
Club: Manchester City
Earnings: $25.3 million

8. James Rodriguez
Country: Colombia
Club: Real Madrid
Earnings: $25.4 million

Source: Reuters

7. Wayne Rooney
Country: England
Club: Manchester United
Earnings: $25.8 million

6. Radamel Falcao
Country: Colombia
Club: Manchester United
Earnings: $31 million

Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Mark Leech Sports Photography/Getty Images)

5. Neymar
Country: Brazil
Club: Barcelona
Earnings: $31.7 million

4. Gareth Bale
Country: Wales
Club: Real Madrid
Earnings: $34.9 million

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Country: Sweden
Club: PSG
Earnings: $41.8 million

2. Lionel Messi
Country: Argentina
Club: Barcelona
Earnings:  $70.5 million

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Club: Real Madrid
Earnings: $79 million

I Am Better Than Messi - Ronaldo

The Portugal and Real Madrid striker, Christiano Ronaldo, has finally hit the nail on its head saying he is better than Lionel Messi.  

According to the goal-poacher, trophies do not have any impact in deciding who actually the best player is.

Ronaldo celebrates a goal for Real Madrid

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Pais, the Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer  explained that he has been at his peak for almost a decade, adding that he doesn’t think anyone has been able to achieve such feat.

“It doesn’t bother me. If you look back over my past eight years, I’ve always been at the peak; and that is difficult. Name me someone else who has done it? After that, being No.1 or No.2 is a matter of small details, such as if you win trophies or not,” he said.

CR7 also reiterated that football lovers have their own preference as some may think Lionel is better, but for him, he is the best.

He said: “Perhaps for you, Messi is the best; in my head, I am the best – and everyone should think that about ourselves. That is why I have been able to achieve so much in my career.

“It was hard for me to watch Messi picking up several Ballon d’Ors. I’d be thinking: “Why should I go to the gala?” 
Ronaldo who’s current form supersedes that of the Argentine is also listed alongside Messi, Neymar, Suarez amongst others for the 2015 Ballon d’Or.

I and my team-mates are behind Mourinho- John Mikel Obi

The champions have made a horror start to the season, with Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool leaving them 15th on the table with 11 points from as many games but Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel insists the team remains behind under-fire manager Jose Mourinho.

However, Mikel Obi, who started both the Capital One Cup loss to Stoke and the Reds reverse, is adamant Mourinho still has control of the Blues dressing room.

"We are right behind the manager," Mikel said in The Guardian. "There's no doubt about it. In training we work very hard. If anyone can turn this around, we definitely think he's the one.

"Last year we were champions. We won two trophies. Jose knows this club more than any other manager. He's the most successful manager in the club's history.

"I definitely think that, if anything is wrong, if anything can be fixed, he is the one. There's no one out there that is going to come in and fix what's going on.

"If you tell the team that we are not giving 100 percent then there is the doubt, but we are giving 100 percent, we are playing for the manager, we are right behind him.

"He has come out a few times and said the players are not giving 100 percent and then you look at the next few games, the players come out and play better. He is doing everything that needs to be done.

"It's just that right now things aren't going well, so everyone [outside] wants him to go. I don't think it's the right way to go. I think that inside that dressing room we definitely believe he is the man to change things. He knows this club in and out.

"He knows what's wrong and it's just a matter of time before results start coming. We are playing well, we are working very hard in training. It's just the results aren't coming."