Batshuayi Refutes Gay Accusations On Twitter

A Twitter handle was on hand to inform the general public of Michy Batshuayi's decision to come out as gay after secretly coming out to his Chelsea teammates. The twitter account made the world know of this 'false claim' about 16 hours ago but king of twitter bants Batshuayi was on hand to shutdown those claims.

This was the account's claim.

Michy Batshuayi set to become the first openly gay footballer in the premier league after coming out to teammates 🏳️‍🌈 #CFC pic.twitter.com/ly9tqR3T6h

— TCD (@TheChelseaDaily) November 15, 2017

Batshuayi's response

😂😂😂😂 bro even your mother knows thats false 🙈 https://t.co/Vs0gEl711b

— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) November 16, 2017

In Premier League history no player has openly come out as gay while still playing. Former Aston Villa midfielder and ex-Leeds winger Robbie Rogers both came out as gay after leaving English football.

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Chelsea Star Has A Message For Antonio Conte Over David Luiz Feud

Chelsea's Brazilian defender David Luiz was an absentee in their last league game before the International break as Chelsea were narrow winners against Manchester United. Eden Hazard has stressed the importance of the centre-back in the Chelsea squad following the much talked about fall out with the manager.

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Although Conte insisted his decision to pick Andreas Christensen ahead of David Luiz was a tactical one, the Italian said after the game that he was unsure of Luiz's future at Stamford Bridge (is he sure of his own??). The manager-player bust up has been largely linked to Chelsea's game v. Roma about a fortnight ago when the English Champions were drubbed 3-0.

When asked who was the biggest joker in the Chelsea squad Hazard replied to Soccer AM 'Luiz, The geezer, always smiling, so he's in a good mood all the time.

'It's good to have people like this in the team.'

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David Luiz has been permitted to train with the group but relationship with the manager is far from getting better since September. In Chelsea's two games against Roma they conceded six goals a slight on Antonio Conte's reputation. The 3-0 loss in Rome was only the third time Conte lost by that score-line which is his joint biggest defeat. Chelsea's victory over United and a clean sheet in Luiz's absence was a political victory for Conte over his player.
 

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Manchester United Ready To Offload Midfielder

According to Mirror Manchester United has told Jose Mourinho that he must sell before he buys and Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini will be first outta the exit door in January to make way for Jose's dream signing.

The report claims the big Belgian should be on his way out of Old Trafford in seven weeks time as Mourinho plans to further reshape his squad. Fellaini turns 30 in ten days time and is also out of contract in June 2018 and the Old Trafford club is said to have agreed an £8million deal with Besiktas.

Fellaini will not be the last departure from Manchester United as the Portuguese plans to keep his squad in shape in the title race and despite praising the Belgian after United's defeat at Stamford Bridge it appears the manager's mind is made up.

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Fellaini impressed Mourinho Against Chelsea

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Fred was in fine form recently against Man City

Shaktar Donestk's Fred is the man whom Fellaini is reportedly making way for, the gifted Brazilian midfielder was handed a long term contract last summer after being a stand-out performer for the Ukrainian giants but a number of top European clubs including Manchester United are prepared to test Shaktar's resolve for the 24 year old Brazilian.

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Ex Nigerian Striker Inducted Into Newcastle United Hall Of Fame

Former Super Eagles forward Shola Ameobi has been rewarded for his contributions to Newcastle. The 36-year-old graduated from the Magpies' youth set-up and went on to have a stellar career at the St. James' Park. Ameobi has now been inducted into the Newcastle United's foundation hall of fame as a reward for a stellar career with the Geordies.


In a career that spanned 14 years Ameobi scored 79 goals in 397 appearances across all competitions, he now joins the likes of Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn and Sir Bobby Robson in the prestigious hall of fame.

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Ameobi At The Dinner

Ameobi was inducted alongside ex-England International Les Ferdinand in recognition of their achievements while at the club.

Ameobi who is currently employed by Notts County feels honoured to be inducted by his boyhood club and wants to help youngsters fulfill their dreams.

"I'm actually quite embarrassed to be mentioned in the same vein with the other hall of famers," Ameobi told the club website.

"It's such an honour. This club has meant the world to me.

"It has been my lifeblood, growing up a stone's throw away from the stadium and aspiring to play football.

"To get a chance to do this is such a dream come true and to get a chance to share it with so many passionate people in this passionate football city, it just means such a lot.

"I grew up watching the likes of Rob Lee and Nikos Dabizas, who are also here at the dinner, and they inspired me - and I just want to be able to help inspire youngsters now."

goal.com

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Klopp Believes Liverpool Can Still Win The League

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp still believes The Reds can lift the Premier League title at the end of the season despite their position on the log. Klopp who is currently in South Africa took part in a fans' question and answer session where he said "there are two teams who are owned by a Country in Europe, so it makes it difficult to win the Champions League. But in England, we can win the Premier League, but we need a bit of luck."

The German is adamant Liverpool can be Champions in May despite picking up 19 points from their first 11 games and falling 12 points behind leaders Manchester City.

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Manchester City lead the chasing pack by eight points but Klopp is unfazed apparently

The Reds have managed to put an early season poor form behind them to put together three straight wins but their overall performance this season have been underwhelming. Telling defeats against Manchester City (5-0) and Tottenham (4-1) have been the major talking points of Liverpool's season so far.

futnsoccer.com

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Leicester City Seek A Big Name Replacement For Shakespare

Leicester City are in no rush to replace sacked manager Craig Shakespeare and the 2016 Champions are ready to bid their time as they seek a 'big name' replacement. The Sun reprots that Leicester City manager Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha wants to make a high profile appointment to replace Craig Shakespeare after his sacking on Monday, but it is understood no immediate successor is lined up and caretaker manager Michael Appleton would not take permanent charge.

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Shakespeare Was Sacked After Four Months In Charge

Three time UEFA Champions league winner Carlo Ancelotti is the stature of manager the foxes are looking to sign, but the Italian would be likely looking for a bigger job after recently leaving Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Roberto Mancini a former Leicester City player who also led Manchester City to the title in 2012 has distanced himself from the job, Sam Allardyce who has helped Sunderland and Crystal Palace escape relegation in the past two seasons is more interested in the vacant USA national-team job instead of taking over a relegation-threatened team again.

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Sam Allardyce has been linked to Leicester City but he is interested in a job abroad

Wales manager Chris Coleman has also been fingered as a possible replacement after Wales failed to qualify for the World Cup. Burnley manager Sean Dyche has also been linked to the vacant position at the King Power but the Leicester City chiefs are inclined to look abroad first.

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UCL Matchday 3 #BetTalk (1)

Group E

Spartak Moscow v Sevilla

Sevilla sit pretty at the summit in Group E, an opening day draw at Anfield was followed up by a 3-0 victory at NK Maribor, since Sevilla's debut in the competition close to a decade ago they've tried but not with a lot of success to establish themselves as a force in Europe's elite competition. The Spanish club have owned the Europa league for the better part of five years but they will fancy their chances in Russia against Spartak Moscow, Both teams suffer indifferent league forms but it's Sevilla who have the experience on this stage. Should Sevilla and Liverpool both win the Spanish club will need just 4 more points to make the knock out stage.

Tip

Sevilla should win this one, not easily

There should be more than 2 goals

Maribor v Liverpool

Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp has come under fire recently following Liverpool's questionable performances of late. The Anfield club played out a 0-0 draw against Manchester United on Saturday. Liverpool need inspiration from somewhere and they need it as quickly as possible. They have a great chance against the Slovenian champions who are unbeaten at home in the league this season.

Tip

Liverpool to win

Group F

Manchester City v SSC Napoli

This game will be Pep Guardiola's second big test of the season. The citizens left the home of English champions Chelsea unscathed thanks to a moment of brilliance from Kevin De Bruyne, but this is a different kind of test. Napoli are unbeaten in the Serie A and deservedly so. An opening day defeat to Shaktar is their only loss this season. Manchester City will need to do a Shaktar at the Etihad on Tuesday evening, meanwhile Hamsik is still in search of that record breaking goal. Manchester City are in a very buoyant mood in front of goal even without Sergio Aguero and so are Napoli So....

Tip

Both teams should find the back of the net

Any team can actually win the game

The goals should exceed two

Feyenoord v Shaktar Donestk

Feyenoord has experienced first hand the sting of Manchester City and Napoli but Shaktar managed an opening day victory over Napoli and will look back on that as a driving force as the travel to Feyenoord's home, both teams should realistically be looking at Europa league berths  but this is a game both teams will believe they have a chance of winning this one but Shaktar are in a better form overall.

Tip

This is not a group of draws so any side can win this

There should be a lot of goals

Group G

Monaco v Besiktas

Monaco who are still without a win in this season's competition play hosts to a rejuvenated Besiktas. Besiktas' exploits in the transfer market seems to be paying off at least in Europe, the Kara Katallar sit 8th in the Tukish league but will not be short of confidence when the travel to the Stade Louis II Stadium.

If Monaco want to entertain any hopes of progression in the business end of the group stage this is a game they have to win, a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at Lyon on Friday did not do their confidence any good but we fancy Falcao and company to rise to the occasion.

Tip

Both teams to Score

Monaco to win

RB Leipzig v FC Porto

The surprise package of the German Bundesliga last term have had a difficult start to life in Europe with 1 point from a possible 6. They play host to the 2004 winners and RB Leipzig who are fresh from an away victory against Borussia Dortmund are in a 'good place' as they play Porto today.

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RB Leipzig have struggled in Europe

FC Porto are more seasoned in this competition and will be looking to add to their three points. Domestic form is great for both sides.

Tip

Both Teams To Score

Fc Porto To Win Or Draw

Group H

APOEL Nicosia V Borussia Dortmund

The two winless clubs in this tough group go head-to-head. Dortmund are a stronger team and have a lot of ground to make up  as they chase Real Madrid and Tottenham. Football is not mathematics but this should be a straightforward win for Dortmund.

Tip

Dortmund to win

Real Madrid v Tottenham

Tottenham proved against AFC Bournemouth over the weekend that they are not a one man team afterall. Christian Eriksen's goal helped the lily whites to all three points, their first victory at their makeshift home, but this game is different in complexion. This is a game away at the home of the European Champions. Real Madrid are beginning to get their acts together in the Spanish league and should Tottenham push them a little bit there might be cracks for Harry Kane to exploit. The truth is that Spurs are underdogs going into this game and they could use that to their advantage.

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Harry Kane went home with the match ball against APOEL Nicosia

Real Madrid are a different team in Europe, they have the confidence to win a against any team and that was illustrated against Dortmund on Matchday2. 

Tip

Real Madrid Should Win

A cagey fist half 

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Transfer Gossips : Rafa Benitez Heading Back To Liverpool

Ex Liverpool Rafa Benitez boss could be on his way back to Merseyside, not with Liverpool but with Everton. The Sun reports that if Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri decides to fire Ronald Koeman after a poor start to the season Benitez will be the employer's first choice to replace the Dutchman.

Manchester United Plan Another Big Money Transfer

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The Sun also reports that Jose Mourinho is willing to splash a whooping £62 million on Lazio star midfielder Sergej Milinkovic. Mourinho scouted the player during the International break when Serbia took on Austia and the player's agent former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman says Manchester United Is willing to launch a bid for the Serb.

Arsenal Reaches Conclusion On Alexis And Mesut

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Arsenal duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez who are out of contract by the end of the season could be sold in January. Daily Star reports that Arsenal are ready to sell those two in January to avoid losing them both for free in the summer... .Wait Wenger had the chance that a few months ago right? well  Ozil recently turned 29 and Sanchez will celebrate his 29th birthday before the end of the year. It is believed. PSG and Manchester City will be on red alert on Sanchez who can be sold for £20 million in January.

Real Madrid Track U-17 Star Amine Gouiri

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Real Madrid are continuously  turning their attention to French starlet according to Marca. The 17 year old has been in fine form for France who are now in the last 16.

Nigerian Striker Plots Move Back To The Premier League

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Reports emerging from Liverpool Echo claim that Anderlecht's Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru has confirmed to have had a meeting with Everton over a possible early return to Merseyside as the striker continued his top form for Anderlecht. The 20 year old is currently on loan at Anderlecht from Everton. Onyekuru was singed in the summer for a fee of around £7m in the summer and quickly sent out on loan to Anderlecht due to UK work permit issues.

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Sunday Football Prediction

Saturday Football Predictions are here.

Brighton should be strong enough at home to see off an Everton side who have been poor lately, maybe due to the rigors of continental engagement. Newcastle travel to the St.Mary's and we fancy Benitez's side being able to get something out of the game.

In Italy

Inter Milan who have been spectacular this season play 'hosts' to an equally good Milan side, but it's never a good idea to bet against Luciano Spalletti in big games so we fancy Inter for the win or draw.

The rest of the prediction below.

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Saturday Football Prediction

Club football is back and we couldn't be more excited, below are ziccifoot picks for the weekend. Watchout for our UEFA Champions League #BetTalk on Monday, in the mean time make your pick below 👇👇👇

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Tottenham Set To Adjust Their Wage Structure OR Lose Their Major Star

Daily Mail reports that Tottenham and England midfielder Dele Alli is ready to challenge Tottenham's wage structure as talks for a new contracts near. Alli is ready to put himself on a collision course with Tottenham over his proposed new contract.

Alli who is on £50,000-a-week is set to insist on becoming the club's top earner, the 21-year-old's demand will test Spurs' rigid pay structure which has Harry Kane as the best paid player at the club at £100,000-a-week.

Alli will reportedly ask for well over what his compatriot Kane is earning at the club, knowing fully well he can earn £200,000-a-week somewhere else.

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Alli Is Ready To Test Tottenham's Wage Structure With His Demand

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Kane Is Currently The Highest Earner At Spurs

It's anybody's guess whether Tottenham will be willing to grant Alli's heart desires, the club are currently building a new stadium and the lack of trophies in the past two seasons (despite performing well) is another factor for the club. The stringent wage bill at Spurs has been well documented in recent seasons with their best players knowing they can actually earn more at other clubs.

Spurs Manager Is Furious At Guardiola's Comments

Another factor working against the England midfielder is the fact that he is yet to reproduce his great form of the last two seasons and the Tottenham board feel the MK Dons youth player might be distracted by off-field activities.

In August Alli reportedly parted ways with his long-term agent Rob Segal with rumours of a big money switch in the offing and it is reported that super agents Mino Raiola and Jorge Mendes want to add the midfielder to their list of players.

Real Madrid who are admirers of the 21 year old are monitoring the whole situation and it is understood the midfielder will welcome a switch to the Bernabeu in the future. 

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This Nigerian Club Has Signed A Brazilian Manager

Nigerian Professional football league, NPFL club Abia warriors have announced that they have hired Brazilian Rafael Everton as their new manager.

The Eastern club is yet to divulge much about their new employee for now but the club has high hopes and big dreams for next season.

Nigeria v Algeria Has A New Date

Everton has previously been in charge of FC Ifeanyi Ubah and he helped them win the last Federation Cup. FC Naija.

Abia Warriors only won promotion to the top flight in 2013 after being founded 10 years earlier.

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Tottenham Manager Is Furious At Guardiola's Disrespectful Comments

Tottenham and Manchester City aren't exactly direct rivals but Pep Guardiola's comments about Spurs and Harry Kane did sit very well with Mauricio Pochettino and the Argentine has decided to voice his displeasure.

Guardiola referred to Tottenham as the 'Harry Kane Team' prior to the International break and Pochettino saw those comments as 'disrespectful' despite the Man City boss also considering Spurs legitimate title contenders alongside the citizens, Chelsea and Manchester United (no Liverpool ??).

Well Pochettino did not hesitate to make his unhappiness known in a pre-match interview ahead of the clash against Bournemouth.

"It was funny when I heard him the other day because I know Pep very well. When it's exciting after an amazing victory against Chelsea, sometimes (he) can struggle to keep his position and be a gentleman.

Pochettino went on "It didn't affect me but it's very disrespectful for many people and it's difficult to understand because he was part of the big success at Barcelona with Messi at his best. I always said it was Barcelona or Pep Guardiola.

"I think everyone deserves to be recognized as part of the success of the team.But I think many people took those words very disrespectful for the club, and for many players here I think it's a strange situation. Personally I didn't take it in a bad way. It wasn't disrespectful for myself. Only I express my feeling that, for a lot of people, it wasn't necessary to say.

"But I think we need to move on. For me, Harry Kane is one of the best strikers -  it doesn't change anything. And it's important that our position is clear, to be calm and not to be aggressive with our opponents. Our responsibility is massive. But I think it's important to respect every single opinion.

"I think everyone knows how Tottenham is, how Manchester City, how Barcelona, how Argentina is. It is a collective sport. Everyone needs to do his job. Of course sometimes it's difficult, because in the media the temptation is to be focused on some players." Pochettino concluded.

Tottenham who are yet to win at their makeshift home go into the game against AFC Bournemouth placed third, five points behind the leading Manchester clubs.

NBC

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Liverpool v Manchester United : Three Things That will Decide The Game

Manchester United visit eternal rivals Liverpool in the Premier League's early kick off on Saturday. Club football is back and what a way to welcome back the highly engaging league. The meetings between these two last season lacked a lot of the usual buzz and flair that surrounded it in the past, in January a mysterious Paul Pogba handball in the penalty area that gave Liverpool the lead in the first was the major incident that got pundits busy after the game, well that was nine months ago, this new season has seen both teams begin their campaigns on different gears. Romelu Lukaku has proved to be an inspirational signing for Jose Mourinho and Manchester, Mohammed Salah is attempting to do likewise for Liverpool. The Egyptian has taken to life better at Merseyside than he did in London three years ago, maybe it could be down to the different management styles of Jurgen Klopp and Mourinho. Manchester United have started stronger this season but there are certain factors that can swing the outcome of this game against the red devils or in their favour.

Liverpool Should  Rely On The Counter

The Liverpool's defence under Klopp is not famed for seeing out games with a clean sheet and on Saturday they will be up against a certain Romelu Lukaku who has been a handful for most defences in the 7 games played so far this season. Considering Manchester United's form and swagger at the moment it is only natural that they take the game to Liverpool and unlike last season this time around it will be Klopp's men who will need to do the 'bus parkin' exercise. Why? Well as much as Liverpool have goal minded players such as Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Mohammed Salah and Daniel Sturridge, starting the game with attacks will be ill advised because Liverpool have proved in recent weeks that they do not have a reliable defence and it might come down to a game of who outscores the other.

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Southampton Stopped Manchester United From Scoring More Than Once

As mundane as it may sound Klopp may want to realistically consider the option of sitting back and attack the opponents on the counter i.e giving Jose a taste of his own medicine, IF the reds dedicate more bodies to do their defensive duty and also attack in numbers it's not gonna be smiling faces at the end of the day for Manchester United, like in the game against Southampton where United only scrapped through. Liverpool will need to do a Southampton.

Distances Travelled During The International Break And The Injuries 

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Coutinho Was In Action For Brazil Two Days Ago

Klopp and Mourinho will be welcoming their players back from International duty, this first task will be for club medics to asses the fitness of these players yeah? but we all know that the final round of the South American qualifiers stretched into Wednesday morning and Coutinho who is a key element of Jurgen Klopp's side played 86 minutes of that game and was replaced by club colleague Roberto Firmino. Mohammed Salah will also be jetting in from Egypt, by the time the game between Liverpool and United kicks of the likes of Coutinho and Firmino of Liverpool and Antonio Valencia of  Manchester United would have had exactly 60 hours to travel, rest, train and get ready for the game. This is not a factor to be overlooked as both teams could be forced to play a slow paced game, tired legs will surely count in the second half and it could be down to the club with the most rested players winning the day, Talent and Ability will be hardly count in circumstances like this.

Total Distance Travelled By Liverpool Players - 75,484 miles

Total Distance Travelled By Manchester United Players -  69,691 miles

Manchester United have the likes of Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Ashley Young who were not involved in any game these past two weeks so the break puts United slightly at an advantage. The injury blow to Sadio Mane and Marouane Fellaini are both significant at the moment but it has not always been so, this is because Fellaini who hasn't been a fans' favourite has suddenly become prolific in front of goal and gives United the added aerial threat when it's needed. Aside from the other long term absentees from both sides there's no fresh concern, so is it safe to say Fellaini's injury cancels out Mane's?

Manchester United Shouldn't Change The Recipe

It is typical for managers to tamper with their usual formations, name different players in the starting line up and may even go ahead to change their training regimes just to overcome a difficult opponent. The results of Manchester United's games this season prove that things can change quickly in football. The positive thing about Mourinho's second season is that he has managed to turn the draws of the previous season into victories this season. The plan of introducing Anthony Martial in the latter part of games have worked like magic and it is only sensible for the manager to stick to the script knowing that there is European football by midweek.

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Anthony Martial Has Scored Three Goals From The Bench This Season

While it is typical of a Mourinho team to park the bus in games like this, It will only make for a boring game as Liverpool will likely accept such an approach from Manchester United and may now search for a mistake that might help them overcome the red devils for the first time since 2014. The key for Manchester United on the day will be to play they way they've played all season.

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Former Manchester United Manager Is Eyeing This National Team

Gordon Strachan's failure to deliver Scotland a World Cup Berth has officially put a time frame on the Scot's stint as Scotland manager, the Scottish football association (SFA) on Thursday took a unanimous decision to not extend Strachan's contract and this implies that the Scottish National team will have a new manager before the end of the year.

Michael O'Neill and Derek McInnes are early favourites to replace Strachan. The 60 year old's inability to deliver the World Cup signaled the end of his tenure which began in 2013. Strachan has been in charge of three qualifying campaigns and the SFA had a key agreement that most countries would not give their manager a third qualifying campaign as was the case for Strachan.

The Guardian reports that Malky Mackay will be in charge of Scotland when they play a high profile friendly game in November but he (Mackay) is not a candidate to Succeed Strachan. Northern Ireland's Michael O'Neill qualified the Country for the Euros last year and has now led Northern Ireland to a play-off place and will be first choice for the SFA.

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O'Neill Is Close To Leading Northern Ireland To Their First World Cup In 31 Years

O'Neill who turned down Sunderland in the summer will surely be a target for many British clubs if he manages to get Northern Ireland to a second major tournament in two years, this will surely make the 46 year old a wanted commodity and here's where the David Moyes Factor comes in.

David Moyes
Moyes was listed as the early bookmakers' favourites to succeed Strachan and is thought to be keen on the prospect of managing his Country but the SFA is worried about the direction of Moyes' career since he left Everton.

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Moyes has had disappointing spells at Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland since leaving Everton in 2013

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Neymar Finally Reacts To Argentina's World Cup Qualification

Neymar has shown that there is no love lost between himself and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, while Argentina needed to win Ecuador in Quito on the final day of the CONMEBOL qualifiers they required Brazil to do them the favour of beating South American champions Chile.

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A Lionel Messi Hat-trick helped Argentina Squeeze Into Russia

Brazil were 3-0 victors on the night against the continental champions and that result gave life to Lionel Messi's exploits for the alibiceleste in the Ecuadorian capital. The emotions exhibited by the Argentine team after the victory only showed how close the 2014 finalists were close to missing out on next year's World Cup. 

Messi Fires Argentina To Russia

After Brazil's game v.Chile Journalists asked Neymar if he was happy Argentina made it through to the World Cup and the 25-year-old replied "yes, very happy" and with a huge smile. There's a huge rivalry between Brazil and Argentina in football but it seems Neymar put his personal ties with Messi first as Brazil played professionally. The selecao finished the qualifiers with a 10-point lead on top of the log table.

There were talks and rumours of bad blood when Neymar seemingly took a €222 million step to PSG all in a bid to be away from Messi's 'shadow', the Brazilian captain repeatedly shutdown those talks but after the final South American qualifying round there's little or nothing to show that Neymar has a problem with Messi. In Neymar's absence Barcelona has made a 100% start to life in the Spanish league this season while Neymar who now has the company of Edinson Cavani and co. has scored eight goals in as many games.

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Hamsik Close To Breaking This Maradona's Record At Napoli

Napoli captain Marek Hamsik is on the verge of equaling Diego Maradona's goalscoring record at the club. There were no games in the top European leagues in the past weekend but club football returns on Friday and Hamsik will have the chance to equal and/or break the record against AS Roma on Saturday.

Napoli have won all of their seven games in the Serie A this season and have scored 25 goals in the process. A trip to Rome to play AS Roma on Saturday will represent the biggest challenge yet for the Naples outfit in the 2017/18 season.

Marek Hamsik is one goal shy (114) of equalling Diego Maradona's record (115) of all-time goalscorer for Napoli. #KickOff pic.twitter.com/pAr6MDUoUy

— Kick Off (@KickOffMagazine) October 2, 2017

The Slovakian attacking midfielder lags the legendary Maradona by just one goal.

Napoli top the Serie A log  with 21pts, two points more than Juventus and Inter who are tied on 19pts, but the Partenopei club has played mostly bottom half clubs in the league such as Benevento, Verona, Atalanta, Bologna, SPAL 2013 and Cagliari. AS Roma who play host have played a game less than Napoli but have managed five wins out of six.

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The 30-year-old is one goal short of equaling Maradona's record for Napoli (115) between 1984 and 1991.

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Nigeria Has A New Date For The Game Against Algeria

The Algerian Football Association FAF has announced a new date for their World Cup qualifier against Nigeria next month . Algeria has chosen November 10. as the new date and the game will be held in Constantine, 400Km east of Capital city Algiers, this is according to FC Naija.

The kick-off is slated for 8:30 pm local time , FAF has said that the changes were made so as to enable the Algerian football body arrange for a friendly game within the  FIFA-friendly window.

The game between Nigeria and Algeria is a dead-rubber as Nigeria have already taken the only available World Cup slot in Group B after their 1-0 win over the Chipolopolos of Zambia last week in Uyo,Nigeria.

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Alex Iwobi's 73 minute strike was enough to qualify the Super Eagles for their third consecutive World Cup, their sixth overall since making their debut in the competition in 1994 in USA. Egypt is the only other African nation to have qualified (their first finals appearance since 1990).

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Liverpool winger Mohammed Salah helped Egypt To A First World Cup Appearance in 28 years.

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N'golo Kante Could Miss Over 5 Games... .Worse Than First Feared

Chelsea midfielder suffered a hamstring injury while on International duty. It was in France's World Qualifier that Kante sustained the injury that may rule him out for at least five games. Kante was substituted in the 34th against Bulgaria.

Early predictions put the return date of Kante to 2-3 weeks but Kante will certainly be out of Chelsea's visit to Crystal Palace on Saturday. The former Leicester City player is now being assessed by Chelsea medics after returning form International duty.

The 26 year old who was in the starting line up in 35 out of 38 league games as Chelsea became champions last term with a record number of wins is certainly going to be on the sidelines for a while although the club doctors are yet to put a time frame on Kante's absence.

Chelsea play Italian club AS Roma twice in October and the English side are bracing themselves to be without their diminutive midfield enforcer for both games. Chelsea also play Crystal Palace (A) , Watford (H) and Bournemouth (A) in the league before the end October.

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Kante's  last appearance for Chelsea was in the loss to Manchester City on September 30


Antonio  Conte will have to make do with Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas in Kante's absence as Danny Drinkwater is also sidelined and is yet to feature for Chelsea after his £35 million move from Leicester City.

It's not all doom and gloom for Chelsea, David Luiz is available for selection after suspension and is in contention for selection and will go head-to-head with Andreas Christensen after the Danish defender has put in a string of impressive performances. Eden Hazard, Michy Batshuayi and Pedro Rodriguez are all unscathed after International duties and can form an attacking troika at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

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England Star Wants To Quit Arsenal In January And His Reason Is Genuine

England and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is considering leaving the club as soon as January so as to boost his chances of making Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup next year according to Mirror.

The 25 year old has been restricted to Cup games this season, two Europa League games and one in the EFL Cup. The player now genuinely believes a lack of first team football will hurt his chances of making the World Cup next year. It is believed Southgate is prepared to give Wilshere a chance but has intimated to the player that he must feature regularly for his club to earn a call up.

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Wilshere is capped 34 times for the International side but is yet to play a game for England for over a year. It is reported that a whooping 22 clubs were interested in Wilshere last year and should he decide to leave The Emirates in three months time he should expect a similar level of interest.

Arsenal manager has challenged 'repeatedly injured' Wilshere to play 10 consecutive games without getting injured if he wants an extension of his contract which expires at the end of the season.

"Jack Wilshere has struggled historically with repeated injuries and no one could question his talent, no one would question his ability to beat people with the ball, but in this job you need to have health. The requests and demands of the competition, physically, are so high and you can only be at your best if you can at least play 10 games on the trot. That's what's at stake for Jack Wilshere." Arsene Wenger Said.

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Mourinho Has A Few Words Concerning Fellaini And Lukaku Injuries

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has disagreed with various suggestions that the injury concerns surrounding Romelu Lukaku and Maroune Fellaini will have a bearing on Saturday's trip to Anfield. Lukaku struggled with an ankle injury heading into the International break and missed the game against Bosnia on Saturday.

The 24-year-old however made a second half cameo appearance in the final qualifying game on Tuesday evening and managed to get on the scoresheet as Belgium ran out 4-0 winners against Cyprus.

Mourinho took a sly dig at Belgium as he told Sky Sports "It's a very important match for them (Belgium) , they need the match to qualify so I just wait". C'mon Jose we all know Belgium qualified a month ago.

Mourinho said of Lukaku's injury concern "if he doesn't play, I will play another one". While Lukaku has a decent chance of featuring against Liverpool, Fellaini will surely miss the encounter at Anfield but Mourinho believes the club cannot use injuries as an excuse.

"we don't cry over injuries, we may cry about the process that leads to the injuries, we just trust the players that are going to help."

The red devils manager claims no game is more important than the other and his preparations will not change because of the trip to Liverpool.

"It is good to prepare without any added pressure or emotion, I have to act in a professional way, there are not any matches that are more important than the others.

It would not be the right example to my players to prepare for Liverpool in a different way to say Huddersfield."

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PSG Want Chelsea Star For £90 Million

It is believed according to a report from Daily Mirror that free spending Qatari based club PSG are targeting Chelsea's diminutive midfielder N'golo Kante. The French club made two high profile signings a couple of months ago when they brought in Neymar (from Barcelona) and the Kylian Mbappe (from rivals Monaco) for a combined fee of more than £300m but it appears the 2016 France Ligue 1 champions are not done spending.

If PSG manage to pull off the deal Kante will be Chelsea's highest sale behind Oscar who left for Shanghai SIPG £52 million in January, the French midfielder will also become the Premier League's most expensive export toppling Gareth Bale's fee for 86m in 2013.

PSG want to make Kante who is from Paris the latest Gaulactico at the end of the season.

Manchester United Are Interested In Signing A Player From Spanish Second Tier

According to Daily Express Jose Mourinho is keen on bringing Spanish midfielder Alvaro Garcia who plays for Cadiz in the Spanish Segunda Liga to Old Trafford. The report claims the 24 year old has received various offers from several Premier League clubs but it is Manchester United who are willing to trigger Garcia's £7.2 million  release clause, a fee that will rise to  £13.4 million

The midfielder has scored twice in four games already this season and Mourinho who has spent over  £250 million since his arrival in 2016 is willing to spend further for the Spaniard's signature.

Real Madrid Could Sell Bale In The Summer, But On One Condition

Metro reports that Spanish Champions Real Madrid are becoming willing to sell Bale to Manchester United but only if they match the fee which was paid for Bale in 2013. A recurring calf problem restricted Bale to just 17 starts in the La Liga last term and a further 2 as a substitute.

Bale who missed the International break through the same injury was signed from Tottenham for £85.2 million and Real Madrid's President Florentino Perez is willing to sell the player if the club can recoup the amount he was signed for.

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THEY MADE IT : Messi's Three Goals Sends Argentina To Russia

On Tuesday night, just before the final qualifying round Argentina's World Cup hopes were in tatters as the two-time champions faced the reality of missing out of  next year's World Cup, but as a nation watched nervously a certain no.10 carried the hopes of a nation on his back without pain.

One of the most tension filled nights in South American football saw six teams all in contention to qualify for the tournament next year. For Argentina The venue for the last game of the CONMEBOL qualifiers did not hold much good tidings for them in the past, the altitude of Quito the Ecuadorian capital was high and this was a place where Argentina had won just once.

It was also in the minds of the 43 million Argentines that their team had not scored a single goal from open play since November 2016 but the diminutive captain showed his class not for the first time but perhaps the most important time yet.

Watch The Messi Goals  via Goal.

The moment Lionel Messi made a nation believe again #ARG pic.twitter.com/vlfGB9bAYE

— Goal (@goal) October 10, 2017

Lionel Messi... The best player in history? pic.twitter.com/ih1MxALBHg

— Goal (@goal) October 10, 2017

Messi is simply willing Argentina to the World Cup! pic.twitter.com/lG4VSSW80j

— Goal (@goal) October 11, 2017

While Messi carried his team on the night, the albiceleste needed a massive help from their old foe Brazil. In the World of football Brazil and Argentina do not see eye to eye but the results went Argentina's way on the night and edged Chile out on goal difference.

The Final Standings

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See How The Teams In The Playoffs Could Be Paired

World Cup qualifications in most continents came to a conclusion on Tuesday night. In Europe 8 out of the 9 teams that finished in second place will enter for the playoff draws to be held next week and the playoffs will be played during the International break in November.

On Tuesday evening France and Portugal inched past the qualification line with victory over Belarus and Switzerland respectively. 2014 third placed team Netherlands will not be in Russia after failing to beat Sweden with the required amount of goals and in Group H Greece grabbed second place after demolishing Gibraltar thereby quenching all hopes for Bosnia.

The Eight Teams That Made It To The Draws Are

Switzerland
Denmark
Italy
Croatia
Northern Ireland
Sweden
Greece
Republic Of Ireland

Slovenia and Slovakia are both tied on 18 points in Group F miss out on the Playoffs. The eight teams will be split into two groups of four based on their FIFA rankings - the highest 4 teams on FIFA's list will be in one pot and the lowest ranked 4 will be in another pot.

POT1

Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and Croatia

POT2

Sweden, Greece, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

The draws will be held on the 17th of October and the playoff  first leg will be played on November 9-11 and the second legs will be played across November 12-14.

Metro

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These Football Memes Will Make Your Day

The Accuracy

 A Sad Story.

Hehehe.

Guess Who

... If Only

                                                            The Lewandoski Show

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Antoine Griezmann Could Move To This European Giants... . It's Not Manchester United

Manchester United have been linked to French striker Antoine Griezmann all year long but after a transfer embargo was placed on Atletico Madrid the 26-year-old opted to stay with the Colchoneros out of loyalty, but the transfer embargo ends in January and Diego Costa will be back to the club SO! these two factors are key indications that the former Real Sociedad man can leave in January or after the World Cups this summer.

There's bad news for Manchester United though as Barcelona have joined the race to sign Griezmann. Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo claim that Barcelona have scheduled a series of meeting with Atletico to open talks for the French forward and the Catalan club wants any deal for Griezmann to be done before the World Cup In Russia.

Arsenal Agrees Deal With Former Star

Manchester United will be perturbed about Barcelona's interest with the belief Griezmann would prefer to remain in Spain. The Frenchman will have a release clause in the region of £90 million by January. Jose Mourinho and Manchester United themselves are planning to return to Atletico with a renewed bid for the diminutive striker next summer where he should be allowed to walk.

After Barcelona endured a strange summer with the losing of Neymar to PSG, failure to land their choice target Philippe Countinho and more painfully seeing Real Madrid conquer both in Europe and domestically Lionel Messi personally encouraged the Blaugrana to bid for Griezmann as he believed the player can help the Catalans regain their 'swagger'.

Antoine Griezmann will have the chance to further convince the Barcelona hierarchy when Atletico Madrid host Barcelona on Saturday.

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Leicester City Striker Has Found Another Premier League Club

Leicester City's Striker Islam Slimani who is way way down the pecking order at the King Power stadium is reportedly speaking with Watford's manager Marco Silva in an attempt to move to Watford According to Watford Observer.

Slimani worked with Silva at Sporting Lisbon two years ago when the Algerian netted 15 goals in 22 starts and the pair are looking re-ignite that spark. Slimani's £28million move to Leicester City shortly after they became English champions has not reached expected heights after the striker managed just seven goals in his first season.

Overmars Set To Sign New Deal At The Emirates

The scenario at Leicester has not been all rosy for the 29-year-old with the manager (Claudio Ranieri) who signed him having left and the arrival of Nigerian Attacker Kelechi Iheanacho meant more competition.

Slimani told Algerian newspaper Le Buteur "I had a conversation with Marco Silva, who was my coach at Sporting, and he was very interested in having me on the team,

He presented me with a magnificent project but unfortunately it did not materialize. The leaders of Leicester City told me they wanted me here. But they are things of the past, now I am focused on my team."

Leo Messi Has Found A Club In England

Slimani was linked to Watford in the summer but it appeared to be a rumour until talks about the striker moving to Vicarage road resurfaced recently. Watford however made Andre Gray the club's record signing in the summer to add to Troy Deneey and Stefano Okaka who are also strikers at the club. Gray's signing by Watford might have ended all hopes of Slimani moving to the Vicarage Road.

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