Author: Chief Editor

The Italian government has ruled out team training before May 18, leaving Serie A chiefs with their backs against the wall if they are to finish a season interrupted by the coronavirus crisis. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday delayed a decision on restarting football despite allowing top athletes to resume training in a week’s time. From next Monday, individual athlete will be able to resume training. But for team sports, in particular football, it remains a waiting game, in a championship suspended since March 9. So, while cyclist Vincenzo Nibali will able to resuming his usual training, Cristiano Ronaldo…

Arsenal’s squad will be allowed back to their training ground from next week, although the club stressed they would still have to maintain British government guidelines designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The Premier League side’s players will have access to training pitches but on a strict rotational basis that will see them uphold social distancing measures. “Players will be permitted access to our London Colney training grounds next week,” said a club spokesperson. “Access will be limited, carefully managed and social distancing will be maintained at all times. “All Colney buildings remain closed. Players will travel alone,…

Chelsea have said they will not impose a pay cut on their first-team squad in response to the coronavirus outbreak. But the Premier League side added Saturday they had asked players to continue donating to charities during the ongoing pandemic. It has been reported the west London club have been in talks with their players about a salary reduction of around 10 percent in a bid to reduce costs at a time when football has been suspended because of the virus. That figure, however, is significantly lower than the Premier League’s suggestion of 30 percent for all clubs. But that…

Chelsea has triggered the option to extend France striker Olivier Giroud’s contract by a year until June 2021, a source said Saturday. Giroud, 33, signed for Chelsea in winter 2018 from cross-city rivals Arsenal. The 33-year-old has scored 39 goals in 97 appearances for France, making him his country’s third-highest goalscorer behind Michel Platini (41) and Thierry Henry (51), and the striker will be vying for a spot at next year’s European Championship. [GuardianNG]

A group of stakeholders in the Niger Delta has alleged that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) fraudulently awarded a N5, 474,647,125 contract to a Port Harcourt-based company, Signora Concepts Services Limited. The contract was for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers in the fight against coronavirus in the nine member-states of the commission, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI) said in a statement signed by its National President, Ozobo Austin. But NDDC and Signora Concepts Services Limited, in separate reactions, dismissed the claims, insisting that there is no such contract and no fraud in the interventionist…

By Rois Ola It is not new that couples will argue all the time, could be serious issues or not so serious issues. The fact is it is a natural thing for both short term and long term relationships. There will always be disagreements based on difference in opinions, lifestyle, upbringing and so on, but there are times when it reaches a point where everything is starting to fall apart. This often leads to devastating breakups – but it doesn’t always have to end that way. It may be easier said than done but it’s always important to have a…

The English Premier League are eyeing a resumption of the season on June 8, behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, and reaching a climax on July 27, according to The Times. The paper claims football chiefs, along with other sports governing bodies, have been holding talks with the British government about when they can resume and at only “approved grounds”. The Premier League has 92 games remaining since it suspended the season on March 13 with Liverpool agonisingly close to their first-ever EPL title. The Times says Premier League bosses shared their idea ‘Project Restart’ with the shareholders…

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has said talk of mega-money football transfer moves “ignore the realities that face the sport” because of the coronavirus outbreak. United have been linked with a £200 million ($247 million, 228 million euros) bid to lure England captain Harry Kane away from Tottenham Hotspur. But Woodward’s comments suggest any such deal is unlikely in the current climate. It is six weeks since the Premier League suspended all matches and, with no certainty as to when or if the season can resume, club finances are under strain at all levels. United, one of world football’s…

Health workers risking their lives in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic have received premium life insurance cover to the tune of N112, 500,000. The Chairman Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, announced the receipt of the massive insurance boost for the frontline health workers during its media briefing in Abuja Friday. He said the insurance cover was fully paid for by the Nigerian Insurance industry in line with the principle of No Premium, No Cover. While thanking the insurance industry for the payment, Mustapha, called on other sectors of the economy to rise up to support…

Nigeria’s first COVID-19 mobile testing booth has been launched in Ota, Ogun State. The booth was designed by the founder of the Flying Doctors, Dr. Ola Brown. The Deputy Governor of Ogun state, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, were present at the flag-off of the drive-in testing centre. Speaking on the rationale for choosing Ota as the location of the Drive-in Centre, Onanuga said: “Ota was chosen for the project as it is an area of the state that borders Lagos and is therefore deemed to be higher risk. We are committed to the…