Sports
Facts About The New Champions League Rule
By Ojomah Austin.
The draw has been revamped accordingly, with each team now set to play eight fixtures rather than being sorted into groups. From England, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have secured their spots, with Scottish champions Celtic also in the mix.
As usual, teams cannot face opponents from their own country, but this year’s format introduces the possibility of some blockbuster matchups.
Gone are the traditional group stages in the Champions League, replaced by a new league phase that UEFA hopes will inject more excitement into the competition’s early rounds.
For the first time, clubs can face rivals from the same seeding pot, meaning last season’s champions Real Madrid could potentially clash with Manchester City. Madrid triumphed over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last season to claim a record-extending 15th European title.
Highlights to note
New Format: The traditional group stages have been replaced with a league phase where each team will play eight matches.
Teams to Watch: From England, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have qualified, with Scottish champions Celtic also in the running.
Potential Blockbuster Matches: Teams from the same pot can now face each other, raising the possibility of major matchups like Real Madrid vs. Manchester City early in the competition.
Aston Villa’s European Return: Aston Villa, a former European champion from 1982, makes a long-awaited return to the Champions League after 41 years. Under Unai Emery, the team clinched a top-four finish last season, including notable victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.
Villa also reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, where they were narrowly defeated by Olympiacos. Emery, with a record four Europa League titles, brings a wealth of experience to Villa’s Champions League campaign.
Fans at Villa Park can look forward to some electrifying European nights, though the team will need to find the right balance to avoid the pitfalls that hindered Newcastle’s campaign last season. The new format adds another layer of complexity to their journey.
How the draw works
The draw is set to be a mix of manual and automated processes. All eight matches will be against different teams, with four at home and four away, determined by seeding. Teams will be seeded into four pots based on their club coefficient, and the draw will ensure that no team faces an opponent from their own country.
The draw will be conducted manually, with automated software randomly assigning each team’s opponents, revealing the matchups on screen during the draw ceremony.
By Francesca Hangeior.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has signed a new 10-year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2034, the club announced on Friday.
The 24-year-old Norwegian, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, has been a pivotal figure in the club’s recent successes.
His initial contract was set to expire in 2027, but the new deal reflects the club’s confidence in Haaland’s importance to their future.
“Erling Haaland has signed a new 10-year Manchester City contract, keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2034,” the statement said.
Reflecting on the new contract, Haaland expressed his delight at extending his stay.
“I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club.
“Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters, and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody,” he said.
Haaland thanked his teammates, manager Pep Guardiola, and the City staff, stating, “They have made this such a special place to be, and now I am City no matter what. I want to keep developing, keep working to get better, and help us achieve more success going forward.”
Since his arrival, Haaland’s impact has been nothing short of extraordinary. In his debut 2022/23 season, he scored 52 goals across all competitions, the highest-ever tally by a Premier League player in a single season, breaking the previous league record of 36 goals.
His goals were instrumental in City’s historic treble-winning campaign, which included the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles.
In addition to collective success, Haaland garnered numerous individual accolades in his debut season, including the PFA Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year awards.
Despite an injury that sidelined him for nearly two months during the 2023/24 season, Haaland continued his prolific form, scoring 38 goals in 45 appearances, including 27 in the Premier League, securing a second consecutive Golden Boot.
By Francesca Hangeior.
Osun State Police Command has confirmed the death of Adeyemi Adewale, a football player for the Ilesa West Local Government Area team, who slumped during a match in Osogbo, the state capital.
Adewale, 29, was participating in the Adeleke Memorial Cup Final match at the Ataoja School of Science on Thursday when he collapsed on the field.
Efforts to save him proved futile as he was rushed to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead upon arrival.
Spokesperson for the Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death have commenced.
“Today, (Thursday) while the Adeleke Memorial Cup Final match was going on at Ataoja School of Science, one Adeyemi Adewale ‘M’ 29yrs, a player of Ilesa West Football team, slumped on the pitch.
“He was rushed to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, where he was later confirmed dead by a doctor,” the statement said.
The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the teaching hospital’s morgue.
Sports
Remarkable Comeback As Amad Diallo 12 Minute Hat-trick Seals Victory For Manchester United Vs Southampton
Three late goals from Amad Diallo dragged a below-par Manchester United to a 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday.
Amad Diallo proved the saviour for Manchester United once again as they came from behind to sneak a late win against basement club Southampton.
United will have fancied their chances of getting back to winning ways against bottom of the table Southampton, but the hosts were second best from the off, deservedly falling behind to a Manuel Ugarte own goal just before halftime.
Staring down the barrel of another home defeat, United upped the ante after the break, getting back on level terms through Diallo eight minutes from time, before the Ivorian completed the turnaround in the 90th minute.
Amad Diallo is the hero for the hosts, his hat-trick getting them out of a huge hole against a Southampton team who deserved more than they got from the game.
An absorbing and entertaining game ends in a home victory.
Manchester United and Ruben Amorim have Amad Diallo to thank for saving their blushes.
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