Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci has renewed his contract with Juventus by one year until 2024, the Serie A champions announced on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old centre-back has made 376 appearances for the club, returning to Turin in August 2018 after one season at rivals AC Milan.
He has played the full 90 minutes of all matches Juve have played this campaign, as they sit top of Serie A, one point ahead of Inter Milan in second.
“It’s a long and intense story; the one that links Leonardo Bonucci to Juventus,” the club said in a statement.
Sports Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare, has rapped chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the inability of the country’s national teams to make major impact in major international tournaments this year.
Dare met the leadership of the NFF on Monday and after the brief meeting that lasted barely 30 minutes, the minister demanded that they must hand in a written explanation to the federal government, detailing what was responsible for the poor outing of national teams in four major tournaments.
“We need to run a reality check. Nigerians are not happy with our state of football. We must start …
Construction work has been completed at Tokyo’s National Stadium, set to be the centrepiece of next year’s Olympic Games, the site’s owners said on Tuesday.
The Japan Sports Council said the final work had been completed on Thursday with just the final quality and safety checks remaining before the stadium opens next month.
It will be officially unveiled on Dec. 21, with the Emperor’s Cup soccer final being the first sporting event to be held there on New Year’s Day.
Completed at a cost of more than $1.25 billion, the stadium, which can accommodate 60,000, will also host the athletics …
Cape Town City midfielder Mpho Makola has been banned for six months after shoving a referee — an offence for which he was only yellow carded.
The 33-year-old former international used both hands to push referee Abongile Tom last month after opponents Kaizer Chiefs were awarded a penalty during a League Cup match.
Although a red-card offence, Tom only cautioned out-of-control Makola, who had to be dragged away from the match official by teammates.
The Makola ban has shocked many South African football followers used to offenders receiving light sentences for serious acts of ill discipline.
Match bans and fines …
Conor O’Shea has resigned from his role as Italy head coach with immediate effect, the Italian rugby federation announced on Saturday.
The 49-year-old Irishman’s contract had been due to run through to the end of May 2020.
“We have started a process and generated a new, well-founded hope, but I also believe that the end of the Rugby World Cup represents the best time for everyone to make changes in view of the new cycle,” said O’Shea.
“I loved every minute I spent in Italy and I really believe in what we have done and how it can be achieved …
The Netherlands, Germany and World Cup finalists Croatia expanded a list of big hitters to qualify for Euro 2020 on Saturday as the trio booked their places at next summer’s finals.
Austria also made it through to the multi-host tournament, which kicks off in Rome on June 12, with 16 sides now ensured of a spot at the 24-team event and only four places remaining from the main qualifying route.
They join other big names such like world champions France, Spain, Italy and England, with European champions Portugal one win away from qualification.
Ronald Koeman’s resurgent Dutch needed a point
The South African Premier Soccer League (PSL), boosted by a lucrative TV deal, posted record revenue of more than one billion rand last season.
A statement said TV rights and sponsorships from banks, telecommunication and engineering companies were responsible for the 1,005 billion ($68 million/62 mn euros) bonanza.
“The results are due to the renewal of our broadcast deals because they contribute a high percentage of income,” PSL chairman Irvin Khoza confirmed Sunday.
“We have reached the one billion rand mark and that augurs well for the clubs as the monthly grants to them will increase next season.”
The PSL …
Germany has secured qualification for Euro 2020, but coach Joachim Loew is running out of time to mould his fledgling team into title contenders before next June’s finals.
Despite dominating possession in Moenchengladbach on Saturday, Loew’s young team struggled against minnows Belarus before two Toni Kroos goals sealed a 4-0 win which confirmed their Euro 2020 qualification.
As magazine Kicker pointed out, the victory highlighted the “many obvious sites” under reconstruction.
By Loew’s pre-match admission, “many players still need a few more years to develop”, yet the Euro finals start in seven months.
The Germans and Dutch have now qualified …
Lesotho and Nigeria will face off for the third time on the international scene as they continue their qualification campaign for the 2021 african cup of nations.
Super eagles head into sunday’s encounter as group L leaders following their 2-1 win Over benin at the godswill akpabio stadium on wednesday.
While the crocodiles fought back to hold sierra – leone on a 1-1 draw on wednesday.
The last two matches between the two countries were during the 2008 Afcon qualifiers. With nigeria wining the two leged fixtures. 1-0 in maseru and 2-0 …
Debutant Stefanos Tsitsipas caused a major shock by ending Roger Federer’s chances of landing a record-extending seventh ATP Finals to reach Sunday’s showpiece.
The Swiss master, who was aiming to reach Sunday’s showpiece of the ATP Finals for an 11th time and first since 2015, was bettered by the young pupil from Greece as Tsitsipas landed a breathtaking 6-3 6-4 victory to make it through to the final.
Tsitsipas is now the third debutant (after Grigor Dimitriv and David Goffin to reach the final of the ATP finals in London.
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Ibrahimovic – the Lion, is set to become available in the transfer market as a free agent when he leaves MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of the current campaign. And and the interest of a number of clubs has been ignited by LA Galaxy coach, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s revelation earlier in the week that the big striker will be a free agent.
There is
The Super Eagles have arrived in Maseru for Sunday’s 2021 Africa Cup Cup of Nations qualifying match against the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
The players and their officials left the Akwa Ibom Airport, Uyo in the early hours of Saturday and arrived the Moshoeshoe I International Airport, Maseru in the afternoon.
“We have arrived in Maseru. #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong #LESNGA,”reads a Tweet on the official Twitter handle of the Super Eagles.
Gernot Rohr’s charges edged out the Squiirels of Benin 2-1 In their first match of the 2021 AFCON …
