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FROM REAL MADRID, GARETH BALE HEADS FOR CHINA
The real move by Real Madrid star, Gareth Bale may be know on Monday or Tuesday as he working on his exit from the La Liga side where he has been in the last six years.
According to The Guardian of UK, the relationship between the Welshman and Zinedine Zidane has broken down entirely with Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, calling the coach “a disgrace” after he admitted he hoped a departure was “imminent”.
Having previously insisted that Bale did not want to leave, progress is now being made on a move, which both the club and the player hope to conclude within the week.
Zidane said Real were working on Bale’s departure after leaving him out of the squad to face Bayern Munich in Houston in pre-season. He said he hoped there would be a solution, and perhaps within a day or two. Despite that, there is still work to be done and there is no guarantee yet that a deal will be concluded. A continuation of the stalemate remains a possibility, with Real still reluctant to accept a free transfer. They had hoped to raise money from his sale to fund their rebuilding, with Paul Pogba as Zidane’s primary target.
Bale’s options have been limited by his age, salary and transfer fee and his camp initially said he had no intention of moving. The Welshman is on €17m (£15.25m) a year after tax and has refused to take a pay cut. Europe’s biggest clubs have been unable to put together a convincing package. Manchester United were not prepared to bid and Bayern Munich could not afford him. There had been suggestions of a return to Spurs but Bale had ruled out a loan move.
China’s Super League clubs can match Bale’s wage demands and there is a determination to continue signing big names – but 100% tax on transfers makes it difficult to put an agreeable offer to Real, who may have to cede. While Real are reluctant to release him cheaply, his wages account for more than €100m between now and the end of his contract in 2022. China’s transfer window closes in nine days.
If a deal can be done, it would be seen as a victory for the coach, but Barnett insisted: “If and when Bale goes it is because he wants to, not because Zidane pushed him. I don’t know if Madrid are working on this; I certainly am.”
After a 3-1 defeat against Bayern in which 22 players got a game, Zidane said on Saturday: “Bale’s not in the squad because the club is working on his exit. We will see what happens in the coming days.”
The coach said the decision was his and, pushed on when the situation might become clear, replied: “I’m not going to talk about that. We’ll see if it’s tomorrow,
[so much the]
better. It is not personal at all: there comes a time when things are done because they have to be done. I have to take the decision and we have to change. [The situation] will change. I don’t know if in 24 or 48 hours, but it will change.
“And that’s good for everyone.” He added: “I am the coach and I speak to the club and we have to take the decision. The exit is the coach’s [decision] and the player’s too; he knows the situation, so let’s see how we resolve this.”
Barnett responded: “Zidane is a disgrace for talking about Bale like that. He shows no respect for a player who has done so much for Real.”
Zidane has sought to increase the pressure on the Real president, Florentino Pérez, to force Bale out but, while his position was clear, this is the first time he has publicly claimed that there is progress. Real had yet to receive a firm offer and Pérez had arrived in Houston where he discussed the issue with his coach and suggested that, in the event of Bale staying, it would be sensible to accommodate him. But the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
That Bale’s camp, which had continued to insist on his intention to stay, has publicly entertained the possibility for the first time represents a significant shift. They remain furious with Zidane. The coach tried to make Bale play in a position he did not want to occupy during his first spell as Real manager and then began denying him opportunities. Bale was offered no explanation for his absences. He came off the bench to win the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool with a stunning overhead kick – his fourth European Cup in six years in Spain.
After that final, Bale said he would have to consider his future. Instead, it was Zidane who left Madrid. He had wanted to sell Bale then; when he returned nine months later, he was even more determined and made no secret of his intentions. There was no attempt to bring Bale back into his plans, despite the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
At the end of last season, having consistently left Bale out, Zidane admitted: “It’s clear what I have done,” Yet his bluntness this time was still striking.
Barnett’s response underlines a breakdown in the relationship and shows that any kind of rapprochement is unlikely now. A wildly successful era in Spain looks set to come to a sad and unexpectedly bitter end.
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Ahead of Nigeria-Libya match: Some kidnapped journalists regain freedom
An unspecified number of Nigerian journalists travelling to Uyo for Friday’s Nigeria versus Libya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match have been rescued.
This is contained in a press release by the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Thursday. The association commended the Nigerian security forces for their efforts in the rescue operation.
From the press release, it was gathered that the media men were abducted within the Anambra and Imo states axis.
”SWAN therefore commends the security operatives, particularly the Nigerian Army and Police for their prompt action which ensured that up to six of the held Sports Journalists regained their freedom with efforts to get the remaining person freed”, reads the SWAN statement.
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Klopp becomes Red Bull global soccer chief in first job after Liverpool
German coach Juergen Klopp has been appointed head of global soccer for Red Bull, owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, the company said on Wednesday, in his first job since leaving Liverpool earlier this year.
Klopp, who ended his successful nine-year stint with Liverpool at the end of last season, will be starting on January 1, 2025.
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” Klopp, who also coached Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, said in a statement.
“The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
The 57-year-old joined Liverpool in October 2015 and won the Champions League, their first English League title since 1990, the Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Super Cup, as well as the Community Shield during his time in charge.
Klopp, who also led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup and a Champions League final in 2013, had announced in January he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria, the company said.
“He will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” Red Bull said.
Klopp will also support the organisation’s global scouting operation, and contribute to the training and development of coaches.
“I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more,” Klopp said.
Some German media reported his Red Bull contract included an exit clause for the post of Germany national team coach.
Klopp has long been linked to that job, especially after his successful stint at Liverpool and with Germany struggling to make an impact on the international stage in the past decade.
-Reuters
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Cape Verdean, Delgado Rocha, to take charge of Libya, Nigeria battle in Benina
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine, from Cape Verde, as referee for Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, close to Benghazi.
He will be assisted by compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes (assistant referee 1) and Jorge Santos Fonseca Aritson (assistant referee 2), with Hamidou Diero from Burkina Faso as fourth official.
Amir Abdi Hassan from Somalia will be in the role of commissioner, with Malian Dramane Dante as referee assessor and Rachid Medjiba from Algeria as security officer.
Tuesday’s encounter, which is at the back-end of a double header between both nations, will kick off at 9pm Libya time (8pm Nigeria time).
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