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Ballon d’Or: Absent Ancelotti Wins Coach Of The Year Award

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An absent Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti clinched the Coach of the Year award at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris on Monday.

Ancelotti alongside seven players from the Real Madrid contingent who were shortlisted for the individual award, including Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, Fede Valverde and the retired Toni Kroos, did not show up to walk the red carpet before the ceremony began.

The Italian beat the likes of Bayer Leverkusen’s manager, Xabi Alonso, Man City’s Pepe Guardiola, Argentine head coach, Lionel Scaloni and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente.

The Spanish and European champions told the press earlier Monday they questioned the methods behind the selection of the Ballon d’Or winner, saying that their defender Dani Carvajal, another of the 30 players nominated, had also been unfairly overlooked.

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“If the award criteria don’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” Real Madrid representatives had said.

“As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”

For this year’s edition, the organisers had decided to keep the winner’s identity secret until the on-stage announcement.

Ancelotti guided the Spanish giants to their 15th UEFA Champions League title against Borussia Dortmund.

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Just in: Chelsea maintains top 4 position after thrashing Everton 1-0

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Chelsea on Saturday maintained its top four position in the Premier league after thrashing Everton 1-0 at home.

A lone goal was put behind Everton’s goal keeper at the 27th minute of the second half by M.Jackson of Chelsea, his first goal in the Premiership.

Details….

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Weightlifting Heroes Lift Nigeria’s Spirits with Record-Breaking Gold Medals

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Team Nigeria has wrapped up its participation at the 2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Moka, Mauritius, with a stunning haul of 18 medals—13 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze—cementing its status as a continental powerhouse in the sport.

Nigeria’s final day of competition saw Sarah Ovayioza deliver a show-stopping performance in the women’s 76kg weight class, lifting a combined total of 237kg in the snatch, clean, and jerk. Her flawless execution earned the nation three more gold medals and drew roaring applause from the crowd as she closed out Nigeria’s campaign in style.

Earlier in the tournament, Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele dazzled in the women’s 64kg category, completing a clean sweep of the three gold medals in her weight class.

Following suit, Onome Omolola Didih was the star of the 55kg division with another triple-gold performance, dominating her weight class from start to finish (three gold medals).

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Two-time African Games gold medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal , continued her golden streak in the 59kg category. Her lifts of 95kg (snatch) and 118kg (clean and jerk) for a total of 213kg secured yet another hat-trick of gold medals for Team Nigeria.

In the men’s events, Umoafia Joseph Edidiong powered through the 73kg category with a 147kg snatch to win gold, while narrowly missing out on a gold rush with two silvers in the clean and jerk.

Without minding what day of the week it was, Tuesday Emmanuel contributed to the medal count in the 67kg category, bagging two silver medals and a bronze after a combined lift of 276kg (130kg snatch, 146kg clean & jerk).

Although the championship continues until April 28, Nigeria’s contingent has concluded its events, proudly leaving the stage with one of the most impressive medal tallies recorded in recent history. The team’s performance yet again showcases Nigeria’s continued dominance and rising momentum in international weightlifting.

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Teams that have qualified for the 2025-2026 Champions League

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Today we dive into some of the clubs that have already qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League group stage based on the current standings in some of the top European leagues and teams that have mathematically secured a top finish  as of today, April 22, 2025:

Liverpool: They have mathematically secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing their Champions League spot due to England’s strong UEFA coefficient ranking.

Arsenal: They are highly likely to qualify, holding a significant point advantage over sixth place.

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Bayer Leverkusen: They have secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich: They have also secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Barcelona: They are currently in a position to qualify through their league standing.

Real Madrid: They are also in a strong position to qualify through their league standing.

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Paris Saint-Germain: They are in a qualifying position in Ligue 1.

Now, those are the usual suspects. There are several other teams that have qualified as league champions in their respective countries, though their entry point, i.e., group stage or qualifying rounds, depends on their league’s UEFA coefficient ranking. Some are familiar; others, not so familiar. They are:

Qarabag (Azerbaijan)

Differdange 03 (Luxembourg)

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Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Malmö FF (Sweden)

Kairat (Kazakhstan)

KuPS (Finland)

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Shelbourne (Ireland)

RFS (Latvia)

Víkingur (Faroe Islands)

Breiðablik (Iceland)

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Linfield (Northern Ireland)

The New Saints (Wales)

Virtus (San Marino)

Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

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Galatasaray (Türkiye)

Ajax (Netherlands)

Sporting CP (Portugal)

Genk (Belgium)

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As the current season winds down, the number of qualified teams will increase. Follow the league standings in the major European leagues and the results of the current Champions League and Europa League to stay updated.

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