Mario Balotelli Is Not Leaving AC Milan

The Italian Serie A giant AC Milan, has been forced to release a statement concerning their talented and restless striker, Mario Balotelli (23), who the media reported will be sold in the January transfer window.

''AC Milan firmly and absolutely deny statements, that have been attributed to the chairman, about Mario Balotelli being put on the transfer list,'' the club statement read.

The media in Italy reported that the president and owner of the club, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, is now fade up with the irresponsible and childish behaviours of the footballer and will be selling him in the January transfer window.

Mario Balotelli with the Azzurri

The coach of the club, Massimiliano Allegri, said that the player will not leave in January, that Mario should be left in peace and he is not difficult to manage.

''He will not leave in January. Absolutely not. I think Mario should be left in peace. It's not difficult to manage him.

''There is far too much discussion of the man's private life. I think that Balotelli should be judged for what he does on the pitch like all other players.''

Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com

In January, AC Milan paid €22m to Manchester City, for the services of the footballer. He is a gifted player, but it seem like his antics and irrational behaviours, which made Man City to sell him is still dogging his heels. He is often in the news mostly for bad behaviours.

Some European League Results (21/12/13 & 22/12/13)

EPL

Liverpool      3  -  1   Cardiff
C. Palace       0  -  3   Newcastle
Fulham          2  -  4   Man City
Man United   3  -  1   West Ham
Stoke             2  -  1   Aston Villa
Sunderland    0  -  0   Norwich
West Brom    1  -  1   Hull
Soton             2  -  3   Tottenham
Swansea        1  -  2    Everton
Arsenal             -         Chelsea

Dutch Eredivisie

RKC Waalwijk     1  -  1   Twente
Feyenoord             3  -  0   Zwolle
NAC Breda           1  -  0   Cambuur
Heracles                2  -  2   Vitesse
AZ Alkmaar          1  -  5   Heerenveen
PSV                       2  -  0   Ado Den Haag
Go Ahead Eagles   2  -  1   Utrecht
Groningen              5  -  2   NEC
Roda JC                 1  -  2   Ajax

German Bundesliga

E. Frankfurt           1  -  1   Augsburg
Nurnberg               0  -  0   Schalke
Freiburg                 2  -  1   Hannover
Hamburg               2  -  3   Mainz
E. Braunschweig   1  -  0   Hoffenheim
Dortmund              1  -  2   Hertha
M'gladbach            2  -  2   Wolfsburg
Bremen                  1  -  0   Leverkusen

French Ligue 1

Monaco     1  -  2   Valenciennes
Toulouse   0  -  0    Guingamp
Sochaux    2  -  1    Rennes
Reims       4  -  1    Ajaccio
Nice          3  -  1    Evian Thonon
Bastia       0  -  0    Montpellier
St Etienne  2  -  0   Nantes
PSG          2  -  2    Lille
Lorient     2  -  2    Lyon
Marseille  2  -  2    Bordeaux

Italian Serie A

Livorno       1  -  2   Udinese   
Sampdoria  1  -   1   Parma
Cagliari       1  -  1   Napoli
Inter            1  -  0   Milan
Verona        4  -  1   Lazio
Torino         4  -  1   Chievo
Sassuolo      0  -  1   Fiorentina
Roma           4  -  0   Catania
Atalanta       1  -  4   Juventus
Bologna       1  -  0   Genoa

Spanish La Liga

Elche                0  -  1   Malaga
Athletic Club   2  -  1   Rayo Vallecano
Granada           1  -  3   Real Sociedad
Atletico M.      3  -  2   Levante
Real Betis        0  -  1   Almeria
Villarreal         1  -  2   Sevilla
Espanyol         4  -  2   Real Valladolid
Getafe              2  -  5  Barcelona
Celta Vigo       1  -  1  Osasuna
Valencia          2  -  3   Real Madrid

Portuguese Premeira Liga

Maritimo                 2  -  2   Sporting Braga
Porto                       4  -   0   Olhanense
Vitoria Setubal        0  -  2   Benfica
Sporting Lisbon      0  -  0   Nacional
Pacos Ferreira         0  -  0   Rio Ave
Vitoria Guimaraes  3  -  0   Academica
Gil Vicente             0  -  3   Arouca
Belenenses              0  -  0   Estoril Praia

Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com

Klitschko Quit Boxing For Politics

The WBC world heavy weight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko (42), has given up his boxing career for politics.

The Ukrainian world champion is the leader of the opposition party (Udar) in his country and is expected to challenge the president in the next presidential election.

Klitschko is a boxing giant who is 6ft 7inch and has won 45 matches out of 47 of his professional fights, 41 was through knockouts.

The World Boxing Council has made him a champion emeritus, which means if he later change his mind and wants to come back, he will be allowed to challenge immediately who ever is holding the belt.

''That is something I currently cannot imagine. My focus is on politics in Ukraine and I feel the people there need me,'' Vitali said.

''I thank the WBC and it's president Jose Sulaiman, for the support in our battle for democracy and freedom in Ukraine,'' he added.

Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com

His younger brother Wladimir Klitschko (37), holds three heavy weight belts - WBA, IBF and WBO.

Wladimir told a German newspaper the ''Bild" that, he will be contesting for the WBC belt his big brother vacated, in other to keep the belt in the family.

The heavy weight champion also wants to be the next boxing undisputed heavy weight champion.

The last undisputed heavy weight champion of the world was British Lennox Lewis in 2000. If Wladimir succeeds in winning the WBC belt, he will be holding all the major belts of the heavy weight.

Boris Becker Is Djokovic's New Coach

Novak Djokovic (26), the world number two tennis player, has appointed Boris Becker, the former top tennis player as his head coach.

The 46 year old German, who won six Grand Slams and a total of 64 ATP titles as a player will start with immediate effect.

There is no time to waste. The first Grand Slam of the year, the Australia Open is beginning on the 13th of January and Djokovic is the defending champion of the trournament.

Novak like Becker has won six Grand Slams and is hoping to add more titles to that figure.

Novak Djokovic

" I am proud Novak invited me to become his head coach. I am sure we can achieve great things together,'' Becker said.

Novak Djokovic thinks that Boris Becker and Marian Vajda will make a good winning combination for him.

''Boris is a true legend, someone who has great tennis knowledge and his experience will help me win new trophies, Grand Slams and other tournaments,'' he said.

Vajda said that he don't think that Becker's appointment as the head coach will affect his position and he will continue to do his best to help the player. He believes that he will get along very well with Becker to help Novak in his progression.

Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com

''Becker's assignment will not affect much my position in the team. I will do all I can for Novak, just like I did before,'' he said.

''On the othe rhand, choosing Boris as the head coach is a good solution. I am sure we will get along very well and that Novak will continue to progress,'' he added.

Djokovic himself said that his goal for 2014 was to be in good shape and play his best tennis and ready for the Grand Slams and the Masters. He wants to be in a position to prove his worth as these afor-mentioned tournaments have the biggest weight in tennis.

''My goal for 2014 is to play my best tennis and to get in shape for the Grand Slams and Masters 1000. These tournaments have the most weight in our sport and I want to prove my worth at them,'' Djokovic said.

Some European Weekend League Results (07/12/13 & 08/12/13)

EPL

Fulham            2  -  0    Aston Villa
Man United     0  -  1    Newcastle United
Arsenal            1  -  1    Everton
Crystal Palace  2  -  0    Cardiff City
Liverpool         4  -  1    West Ham United
Southampton    1  -  1    Man City
Stoke City        3  -  2    Chelsea
west Brom        0  -  2    Norwich City
Sunderland       1  -  2    Tottenham

Luis  Suarez of Liverpool

Dutch  Eredivisie

PSV                   2  -  6    Vitesse
RKC                  2  -  2     Cambuur
AZ                     1  -  2     Twente
Ajax                  4   -  0     NAC
Roda                  1  -  3      Heracles
Go Ahead E.     4  -   1      Zwolle
Groningen         1  -   2     Ado Den Haag
Heerenveen       1  -   2     Feyenoord

German Bundesliga

Dortmund               0  -  1    Leverkusen
Stuttgart                  4  -  2    Hannover 96
Bremen                   0  -  7    Bayern
Hamburg                 0  -  1    Augsburg
E. Frankfurt            1  -   2    Hoffenheim
M'gladbach             2  -  1     Schalke 04
Freiburg                  0  -  3     Wolfsburg
E. Braunschweig    0  -  2      Hertha Berlin

French Ligue 1

Reims                1  -  0     Nice
Valenciennes     1  -  1    Guingamp
St Etienne          p  -  p    Evian Thonon
Lorient               2  -  0    Rennes
PSG                    5  -  0   Sochaux
Toulouse            1  -  1    Montpellier
Bastia                 1  -  3    Lyon
Bordeaux           1  -  0    Lille
Monaco              1  -  0   Ajaccio

Serie  A

Napoli             3  -  3    Udinese
Livorno           2  -  2    Milan
Verona            2  -   1   Atalanta
Inter                3  -   3    Parma
Torino             1  -  0     Lazio
Sassuolo          0  -  1     Chievo
Sampdoria       2  -  0     Catania
Cagliari            2  -  1     Genoa
Roma               2  -  1     Fiorentina

Portuguese Premeira Liga

Benfica            2  -  2    Arouca
Porto                2  -  0    Sporting Braga
Vitoria G.         0  -  0    Belenense
Pacos Ferreira  0  -  3     Estoril Praia
Gil Vicente       0  -  2    Sporting Lisbon
Olhanense         0  -  1    Rio Ave
Maritimo           2  -  2    Nacional    

Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com         

No Place For Women In Football, Says Gattusso

The former AC Milan hard tackling midfielder, Gennaro Gattusso, told Radio Radio station on Wednesday that he think there is no place for women in football (the beautiful game).

''I'm sorry, but I really don't think much of women in football,'' he said.

''That's the way I see things. I think there should be more respect for somebody like Galliani,'' he added.

He was reffering to the new development at the club, where the daughter of the club president, Barbara Berlusconi, was to share the executive position of General Manager with Adriano Galliani.

Galliani agreed to share the power with her, but according to report, he threatened to resign after being at the club for 27 years, when Barbara Berlusconi, demanded for more power.

Her father, the president of the club, Silvio Berlusconi, asked him not to resign and came up with a good solution for the problem. Galliani is now responsible for sporting project, while Barbara is responsible for marketing and social duties.

Gennaro Gattusso, who played 13 years for AC Milan and won many titles with the club, has criticised his former club for giving a woman so much power.

Since his retirement from playing football, he has coached the Serie B side, Palermo, briefly and the Swiss club FC Sion, where he was sacked in May.
He ended his playing career at Sion.
Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com

Alaba Extends Bayern Contract

The Nigerian - Austrian born, Bayern Munchen young player, David Olatokunbo Alaba (21), has just extended his stay with the club to 2018. His former contract was due to expire in 2015.

After signing the extention contract, he said, ''I've been at Bayern since 2008 and I am very very, very happy.''

The Sporting Director, Mathias  Sammer, said, ''At 21 you have not yet matured. The signal from David, to carry on here with us, is very important.''
Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com

David  Alaba

Karl Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of the club, who obviously was very impressed with the boy's developement, since he joined Bayern in 2008, from Austria Vienna at the age of 16, said, ''He developed wonderfully on the pitch.''

''The coach (Pep Guardiola) is very happy, we are very happy. David has made a major contribution to ensuring, that we have had many successes this year,'' he added.

Alaba has been a vital part of the first team in Munich. He broke into the first team at the age of 17 and has been developing amazingly. David also was called to the Austrian national team at the age of 17 and he remains the youngest player to represent Austria and has played 30 times already.

He has already won so many titles at such a young age, both with the club and individually. He won two league titles two DFB Pokal Cups (FA Cups).
And the best of all, was winning Champions League. He is currently the Sportsman of the year in Austria.

For many Nigerian fans who has been asking why he chose to represent Austria instead of Nigeria. It was reported that in 2007 he wanted to represent Nigeria at the 2007 FIFA Under - 17 World Cup but some agents told him that Nigeria don't invite players that are not living in Nigeria for the Under - 17 team.

I am not sure if that was correct in 2007 but this year two players based outside Nigeria were included in the team. Habib Makanjuola (MF) is a member of the Chelsea Football Academy in London and Francis Uzoho (GK) is in Aspire Academy in Quatar.