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Governing Bodies

CAS DECISION TO LIFT MAN CITY BAN ‘NOT GOOD FOR FOOTBALL’, SAYS LIVERPOOL BOSS KLOPP

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision to overturn Manchester City’s two-year ban from European football was “not a good day for football”, said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in a virtual press conference on Tuesday (July 14).

Stating his support for UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP), Klopp said: “FFP is a good idea. It is there for protecting teams and the competition, so that nobody overspends and has to make sure the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.”

In February, Europe’s governing football body Uefa banned City from the Champions League for the next two seasons after they were said to have falsely inflated their sponsorship revenues to avoid falling foul of FFP regulations from 2012 to 2016.

But the CAS on Monday overturned the ban and reduced City’s fine from €30 million (S$47.6 million) to €10 million after it found the alleged breaches to be “not established”.

FFP was introduced by former UEFA president Michel Platini in 2009 to prevent clubs from spending beyond their means. Following CAS’ decision, UEFA said that FFP is likely to undergo changes, but did not provide more details.

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Klopp hopes that it will stay, saying: “If the richest people or countries can do what they want to, that would make it really difficult and that would lead to a world super league with 10 clubs.”

City’s bid for the European title would at least benefit Liverpool as they try to retain their Premier League title, suggested Klopp.

“They won’t have 10 or 12 games less now – no other team would have had a chance in the (Premier) league,” he said.

The charismatic manager, who led the Reds to their first League title in three decades, also hailed striker Mohamed Salah for his contributions, calling his signing in 2007, “a good day for Liverpool”.

The Egyptian has formed a formidable partnership with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino as the trio amassed 250 goals under Klopp.

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But the 53-year-old remained coy about the future of Croatian Dejan Lovren who has been linked with a move away from Anfield, saying that the centre-back is “always an important part of the squad”.

He also expressed regret at Liverpool not being able to tour internationally in this year’s pre-season owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The newly-crowned champions were initially scheduled to fly to Singapore this month for the International Champions Cup, but the tournament has been cancelled.

Klopp said: “Now we cannot go anywhere, we realise how nice it would be that we can start doing this again, the tours and all of this because it’s important for the club, it’s important for the fan base and it’s exciting as well.”

As the Reds ready for their title defence next season against the likes of City, Manchester United and Chelsea, Klopp has also added Arsenal to the mix, backing manager Mikel Arteta to lead them in the challenge for the top four.

Ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal on Thursday morning, Klopp said: “Arsenal are an exciting squad. They have offensive players with massive quality and they’re coming up with really good ones and it looks like Arsenal will be challengers again.”

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-The Straits Times

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Governing Bodies

Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.

Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.  

 The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.

It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May  1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.

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 Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.  It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.

The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.

In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.

This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.

 They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.

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The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).

The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open. 

Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.

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Governing Bodies

Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports

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Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.

  The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”

  He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered  a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that  participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.

 According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.

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“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.

“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.

“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”

Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.

 The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as  the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.

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  “The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.” 

RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul

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Governing Bodies

CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of  ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball

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The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.

The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA” 

The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.

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