Sports
UEFA: Madrid, Man Utd Battle, Today
Jose Mourinho insists his next move after leaving Real Madrid will be to return to the Premier League.
Mourinho’s future at the Bernabeu has come under scrutiny as Real prepare to face Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Portuguese, 50, has been linked to United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Asked when he expected to return to England, the former Chelsea boss said: “After Real. I love everything [about the Premier League].
He added: “Normally it will be my next step.”
Mourinho has also been linked with Paris St-Germain – but made it clear he sees his immediate future back in England.
But asked if he would replace Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho said: “I don’t believe so. I think we have to end our career at the same time. [Ferguson] at 90 and me at 70.”
Mourinho was in charge of Chelsea from 2004 until 2007, during which time he won the Premier League and the League Cup twice, as well as the FA Cup.
He has since managed Italian side Inter Milan, where he won his second Champions League title after capturing the trophy with Porto in 2004.
Mourinho has been with Real since 2010 and won the Spanish title last season.
But with Real lagging 16 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona this season, Mourinho’s press conference once again revealed his scarred relationship with the Spanish media.
Local newspapers also turned their fire on Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney yesterday, with one labelling him “a freckled demon” and “a player and hooligan all rolled into one.”
“I didn’t read this,” said Mourinho. “But if I can support Rooney I would just say I was called worse than that week by week.”
Mourinho described the meeting with United as “the match the world wants to see” and he added: “It is the most important match in this round of the Champions League. When you see this press room completely full it represents what this match means to the world of football and everybody is waiting for a big football match.
“That is what we want and if I know the culture of English football and of a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson then I don’t think they are thinking of anything other than to play a big match.
“I hope the world gets what it wants.”
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”
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