Craig Bellamy has been appointed as the new head coach of the Wales men’s national team....Read Full Article

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) on Tuesday, confirmed that Bellamy has signed a contract until 2028.

Before making the move, he worked as an assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley for two seasons.

The former Manchester City winger has now joined Wales after Kompany decided to leave for Bayern Munich.

“It’s an incredible honour for me to be given the opportunity to lead my country and it’s the proudest moment of my career. It was always my ultimate dream to become the Cymru head coach and I am ready for the challenge.

“I will give my full commitment to develop this team and I am passionate to bring continued success into Welsh football. I can’t wait to get started with our Nations League games in September,” Bellamy said.

Former Liverpool and Brazil star, Roberto Firmino, has announced his new role as a pastor of an evangelical church....Read Full Article

The 32-year-old was consecrated at a church he founded in his hometown of Maceio on Sunday, June 30.

Firmino and his wife, Larissa, shared the news on Instagram, describing the occasion as “memorable and unforgettable.”

They expressed their deep spiritual commitment, stating, “From our encounter with Christ, a longing burns in our hearts that people may know this love that has reached us. Now we have another yearning and responsibility to be pastors after God’s own heart and who cooperate with the Kingdom.”

According to graphic.com.gh, the transformation follows Firmino’s baptism in 2020, conducted in the swimming pool of his former teammate Alisson’s house.

Known for his faith, Firmino frequently shares religious messages and snapshots of himself preaching on social media.

In 2023, Firmino joined the Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, where he has since made 34 appearances and scored nine goals.

He is well-remembered for his eight-year tenure at Liverpool, where he formed a formidable attacking trio with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

During his time with the Reds, he won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the 2021-22 Champions League.

On the international stage, Firmino earned 55 caps for Brazil and holds the record as the highest-scoring Brazilian in Premier League history with 82 goals.

Craig Bellamy has been appointed as the new head coach of the Wales men’s national team....Read Full Article

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) on Tuesday, confirmed that Bellamy has signed a contract until 2028.

Before making the move, he worked as an assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley for two seasons.

The former Manchester City winger has now joined Wales after Kompany decided to leave for Bayern Munich.

“It’s an incredible honour for me to be given the opportunity to lead my country and it’s the proudest moment of my career. It was always my ultimate dream to become the Cymru head coach and I am ready for the challenge.

“I will give my full commitment to develop this team and I am passionate to bring continued success into Welsh football. I can’t wait to get started with our Nations League games in September,” Bellamy said.

Victor Osimhen has resumed pre-season training with Napoli despite the uncertainty surrounding his future at the club....Read Full Article

According to Football Italia, Osimhen arrived Napoli’s training base in Castel Volturno on Tuesday morning.

The 25-year-old underwent the mandatory medical examinations, before starting pre-season training under new manager, Antonio Conte.

The Nigeria international is expected to leave the former Serie A champions this summer.

The Partenopei are however yet to receive a suitable offer for the powerful striker.

Osimhen’s contract includes a €130 million release clause, and despite links with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli have not yet heard from potential suitors.

He scored 15 goals in 25 league appearances for the Naples outfit last season.

New Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, is looking to change the culture and bring more aggression into the team to turn around the fortunes of last season’s Premier League under-achievers....Read Full Article

Chelsea languished in mid-table for the larger period of the campaign before a late charge under former manager Mauricio Pochettino secured sixth place and qualification for the Europa Conference League.

Maresca, 44, guided Leicester City to promotion to the English top flight in his first season in charge.

“In this moment, when you join a club you try to analyse what the club and team needs to improve and do the right things,” Maresca said at his first news conference on Monday.

“For me, it’s clear we need to create as soon as possible the right mentality and culture, a culture the fans can be proud of.

“We are going to try to be an aggressive team on the ball and off the ball and we need to create this connection between the fans and the club, especially at home.”

Maresca is Chelsea’s seventh Italian manager and is aiming to follow compatriots Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte and Roberto Di Matteo, who won six major trophies between them at the London club.

Ex-Premier Chelsea striker, Chris Sutton, has predicted the scorelines of the two Euro 2024 semi-final clashes....Read Full Article

France will play Spain in the first game on Tuesday, while England face the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Sutton got all four quarter-final results correct in his BBC column, and the Three Lions will be hoping he has repeated the trick for the semis.

Sutton believes England will defeat the Netherlands 2-1 and qualify for their second consecutive Euros final.

He has gone with the same scoreline for France against Spain, despite being impressed by the Spaniards so far.

If Sutton’s predictions come though, the final will be between France and England.

Anthony Joshua has urged two-weight UFC champion Alex Pereira to switch to boxing....Read Full Article

The Brazilian retained his light-heavyweight title in fine style against Jiri Prochazka last month, adding another knockout to his impressive resume.

Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion, sent Pereira a message on social media, saying: “Alex Pereira should make a boxing debut one day.”

Pereira has quickly become of the UFC’s biggest stars, winning world titles in two divisions since making his octagon debut in 2021.

“I’m honoured you think so,” Pereira said in response to Joshua. “It’s always been my dream – [but] I’m 37, I cannot make a career in it, so who do you recommend I fight?”

Joshua replied by saying the “options are endless”, urging Pereira to get in touch with his management company about transitioning to boxing.

Pereira headlined UFC 300 earlier this year and stepped in at two weeks’ notice to replace Conor McGregor as the main event for UFC 303.

He would not be the first mixed martial arts star to try boxing in recent times, with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou taking on Tyson Fury and Joshua in a boxing ring.

Nigeria midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has expressed his excitement after linking up with Serie A club, Lazio....Read Full Article

Dele-Bashiru joined the Biancolestti from Turkish Super Lig outfit, Hatayspor, on a season-long loan deal on Sunday.

Lazio have the obligation to sign him on a permanent contract next summer.

The 23-year-old was presented to the media and fans on Tuesday.

Dele-Bashiru stated that he is determined to make a big impact at the club.

“I am very excited to join Lazio. It is a big club, with incredible fans, in a big city. I can’t wait to start the season,” he told the club’s official website.

“The club first showed interest in me in January, but at that point I was just focused on finishing the season with Hatayspor. Subconsciously, however, I already knew what I wanted and that this was the next destination.

“I hope to play as many games as possible, hoping to win some trophies and finish the season in the top four in the league table.”

Tens of thousands of fans have signed a petition, which is demanding that UEFA orders a replay of the Euro 2024 quarter-final between Germany and Spain....Read Full Article

The match which was played last Friday, saw the hosts lose 2-1 in extra time, with Mikel Merino heading in a 119th-minute winner.

Dani Olmo had opened the scoring in the second half, before Florian Wirtz volleyed in a dramatic 89th-minute equalizer for Germany.

The controversial moment came in the 23rd minute of extra time, when Spanish left back Marc Cucurella’s left hand blocked a shot from Jamal Musiala inside the penalty area.

Germany fans and players were adamant that this should have resulted in a penalty kick.

However, referee Anthony Taylor waved play on, with his VAR team also in agreement.

As at Monday morning, more than 30,000 have signed a petition via change.org asking for the game to be replayed.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo following the legendary forward’s performances at Euro 2024....Read Full Article

Wright said that Ronaldo simply cannot deal with the level of competition at these stages.

Ronaldo came to Germany on the back of a season that saw him bag 35 Saudi Pro League goals.

He, however, failed to influence his team’s performances.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright said, via GOAL, “The way he played in Euro 2024, as great as he’s been, surely Diogo Jota must be disappointed that he couldn’t get on the pitch. What I saw of him, he can’t cut it at this level now.”

Ronaldo will be over 40 years old when Portugal play their next major tournament being the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It is unlikely he will play a major role in that competition.