How Cruyff stopped Barcelona from selling Guardiola

Former coach of Barcelona, Johan Cruyff, stopped the club from getting rid of Pep Guardiola to a second division club, after he took over at the Camp Nou.

The now Manchester City coach was regarded as a liability by Barca coaches and they were willing to sell him before Cruyff intervened.

He later went on to become one of the best players of the successful Barca team, that won four consecutive league titles from 1991 and 1994. They also won the European Cup in 1992.

But Cruyff in his autobiography, which he wrote before he died in March this year, tells of how he was almost rejected.

“Barca wanted to get rid of him,” Cruyff writes.

“They considered him scrawny, bad defensively and ineffective in the air. What nobody saw was that he had the basic qualities to go far: he had game intelligence, speed in his execution, technique. If I hadn’t been at Barcelona, for sure he would have been sold to a Segunda Division club.”

Cruyff promoted Guardiola to the Barca first team in 1990 when he was only 19.

“I told him that above everything else, you have to be the boss, the one that makes the decisions and is responsible for the consequences. In that sense, Pep followed the same path and guidelines that I did,” he stated.

FOR MORE BREAKING NEWS ON BBM ADD: 24D8750B

Read More »

Onigbinde urges Rangers to sustain their NPFL momentum

Former Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, has advises the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Enugu Rangers, to sustain their new momentum.

The Flying Antelopes won the NPFL on Sunday I'm front of their home fans after 32 years of waiting.

“I want to congratulate them [Enugu Rangers] for their effort and great achievement,” Onigbinde told Goal.

“It takes strong determination, discipline and focus to achieve such success.

“I hope they will be regular at achieving this performance again and come back to their parmanent position in the league.

“This can be best achieved through proper planning, programming, coaching and logistics”, he added.

FOR MORE BREAKING NEWS ON BBM ADD: 24D8750B

Read More »

FIFA considering 48-team World Cup

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has revealed the next World Cup might see 16 teams exit the competition after one knockout match.

The president has proposed a 48 teams in the tournament as play-in round added three days before the current 32-team group stage.

Infantino said the proposal will be discussed at a FIFA council next week, before a final decision is taken in January 2017.

“The idea is that 16 teams would qualify directly to the group stage and the other 32 would play in a preliminary phase, in the country where the World Cup is being played – they would play for the remaining 16 places,” Infantino said.

“It means we continue with a normal World Cup for 32 teams, but 48 teams go to the party.”

“FIFA’s idea is to develop football in the whole world, and the World Cup is the biggest event.

“It’s more than a competition, it’s a social event”, he added.

FOR MORE BREAKING NEWS ON BBM ADD: 24D8750B

Read More »

Tyson Fury makes u-turn on retirement from boxing

British world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury has addressed his earlier claim of retiring from boxing as a joke, maintaining that he is “here to stay.”

The boxer withdrew from the 29 October rematch with Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko, due reported mental health issues tweeted, “I’m the greatest, and also retired.”

Three hours later, Fury took to his social media, asserting that his earlier claim had been a joke.

He tweeted, “Hahahaha, you think you will get rid of the Gypsy King that easy?”

“I’m here to stay. #TheGreatest. Just shows you what the media are like. Tut tut.

“Soon as I get better I’ll be defending what’s mine – the heavyweight throne.”

“Good news is I’m getting the right help and I’ll be back even stronger than before, try and stop me!”

FOR MORE BREAKING NEWS ON BBM ADD: 24D8750B

Read More »