Category: General

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Messi Will Stay at Camp Nou Forever According to Barcelona President

Josep Maria Bartomeu, the president of Barcelona, has recently told reporters that he wants the football superstar, Lionel Messi, to stay linked to the football club forever and that he is planning to sit down with the Barcelona. He is looking to extend his contract with the team.

Messi managed to sign a deal less than two years ago that will run until the end of 2021, taking him through to his 34th birthday. Messi, the Argentina international, is showcasing absolutely no signs of slowing down when it comes to playing for the club. He already managed to score 42 goals this season in all competitions and the Barcelona president is already considering what would be his 10th, and perhaps the last, football deal at the club for Lionel Messi.

Josep Maria Bartomeu Comments on Lionel Messi

“We truly want Lionel Messi to have a long football career so everyone can continue enjoying his skills and abilities on the pitch,” Bartomeu stated. “Messi has broken down several borders. Everyone truly admires the talent he has, and he gets applauded around the world by rival fans.

Bartomeu added, “We want to renew Messi’s contract as soon as possible. He is still a young player at heart, and everyone can see that. He still has two years to go on his current contract at Barcelona and is always innovating and improving with every game he plays. I think he still has loads of years ahead of him on the pitch for Barcelona and in the next few months, I will sit down with Lionel Messi to ensure he has many more years at Camp Nou.

Bartomeu continued stating that “Messi is undoubtedly a one-club man; there’s no denying it. However, it goes far beyond what he does on the pitch against other opponents as his relationship with his current club will last forever. We want Lionel Messi always to be part of Barcelona, whether he continues playing for the team or simply linked to the club in another way after he retires.”

Lionel Messi’s Career

Lionel Messi is also considered the top goalscorer for Barcelona with a total of 594 goals. This allowed him to surpass Andres Iniesta when it comes to appearances for the club. He is currently second in the history of the club as Xavi Hernandez is the only player ahead of him with 767 appearances. Lionel Messi has appeared a total of 676 times for Barcelona.

Since Lionel Messi made his incredible debut during 2004, Barcelona has managed to enjoy more success than any other span in the history of the club. The club has claimed 8 of the last 11 La Liga titles, 4 out of 5 Champions League titles, and won 4 Copa del Reys.

However, there’s no denying that a time will come when Messi decided to hang up his boots and the president of Barcelona states that it’s vital for the club to prepare for when that happens.

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Jusuf Nurkic Suffers Severe Compound Fractures in Leg

Jusuf Nurkic, the centre for the Portland Trail Blazers, suffered several compound fractures to the fibula and tibia in his lower left leg during a double-overtime victory against the Brooklyn Nets that took place on Monday evening and will, unfortunately, be out for the rest of the season.

Jusuf Nurkic’s Injury

Nurkic jumped for a rebound where he came down in a very awkward position in a tangle of bodies that occurred under the net. Once he hit the floor, the players from the Brooklyn Nets that were around him witnessed the severity of his injury and started sprinting away. The basketball arena immediately went into silence as the medical personnel of the Blazers rushed to attend to Nurkic’s injury. A stretcher was instantly called, and with the assistance of a handful of Blazers, including Al-Farouq Aminu, Rodney Hood, and Damian Lillard, the 7-foot Nurkic was quickly loaded onto the stretcher.

Damian Lillard’s Comments

“It made me feel incredibly sick,” Lillard stated. “I believe he attempted to tip it in before he crashed the glass and I witnessed him hitting the ground and quickly roll over, and I was under the impression someone might have hit his face again. While I was walking over to see what was going on, I noticed that everyone was turning around and walking away quite quickly, and then I noticed his leg. I truly hate to see it happen to someone like him.”

Lillard stated that it reminded him of the Team USA exhibition in 2014 that took place in Las Vegas when Paul George had his injury, a match Lillard was also playing in. “Nurkic’s injury looked exactly like that to me,” Lillard stated. It also brought back memories of the gruesome ankle injury of Gordon Hayward that occurred during the 2017/18 opening night game.

Terry Stotts stated that Nurkic was rushed to a local hospital and didn’t have much else to add as the head coach for the Blazers. “It’s horrible,” Stotts stated. Stotts also added that the locker room for the Blazers was tranquil after the injury occurred and Zach Collins felt like the team lost after the injury occurred. Enes Kanter stated that the entire team held a silent moment for Jusuf Nurkic after the match.

“Nobody had anything to say,” Kanter stated. This is a crushing and unexpected blow for the Blazers, who have managed to surge in recent games even though CJ McCollum has been sidelined after a knee injury. They managed to defeat the Brooklyn Nets in a 148-144 double-overtime match and clinched a playoff berth in the process.

Nurkic’s injury occurred with only 2 minutes left on the clock, while the Blazers were leading the game with 2 points. They managed to close the Brooklyn Nets with a phenomenal 3-pointer by Rodney Hood along with clutch free throws by Curry to finally seal the game for the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Denver Nuggets Are Heading to the Playoffs After Six-Year Drought

The Denver Nuggets are finally going to the postseason after a drought that lasted a total of 6 years. Nikola Jokic had 13 rebounds and 21 points, and the Denver Nuggets managed to rally during the 4th quarter to defeat the Boston Celtics in a great 114-105 victory on Monday evening. This allowed them to clinch their very first playoff berth since the 2012/13 season.

Denver Nuggets vs Boston Celtics

Will Barton managed to add 20 points for the Denver Nuggets who have now won a total of 4 consecutive games. The Denver Nuggets, with a 47-22 record, are currently tied with the Golden State Warriors for the best record within the Western Conference.

The Denver Nuggets managed to win a total of 46 matches in the previous season. However, they, unfortunately, missed the playoffs after they lost against Minnesota during overtime on the final day of the NBA regular season. Thankfully, this season, their 47th win worked like a charm.

“It’s a fantastic feeling,” Michael Malone stated in a recent interview who is the head coach for the Denver Nuggets. “This has taken us four years to achieve. Two consecutive years are coming up just short. We will be using that as tonight’s motivation moment.”

There were loads of smiles in the locker room of the Denver Nuggets after the game.
“We are just going to enjoy this,” Jamal Murray stated. “We are going to take a moment and realise how far we’ve come this season. It’s fantastic to look ahead at the moment while enjoying it at the same time.”

Boston Celtics

Kyrie Irving was leading the Boston Celtics with a total of 30 points, while Al Horford managed to finish with 20 points, six assists and six rebounds. This was the Celtics second loss in 7 matches.

“You need to play exceptionally well for 48 minutes against the Nuggets,” Irving stated. “They managed to come back from 18 down and kept firing.”

The Boston Celtics are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference, one and a half games behind Indiana in 4th place and two and a half games behind the 76ers who they will face on Wednesday. This match essentially felt like a game between 2 postseason teams. The game remained tight during the second half, with no team having more than a two-possession lead during the third quarter.

However, the Denver Nuggets managed to get some breathing room during the final period and to an impressive 106-94 lead with only 3:47 remaining on the clock. The Boston Celtics managed to score seven successive times to get within 5 points. However, Barton managed to stop the run thanks to a layup. After Horford missed a 3-pointer, Paul Millsap managed to seal the deal with a 4-point play that allowed the Denver Nuggets to stretch their lead to 112-101 with only 31.3 seconds left on the clock — well deserved to the Nuggets. Now let’s see how they do in the playoffs.

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Golden State Warriors Further Improve Their Top-Seed Chances

When the Golden State Warriors play the way they should and focus, no other NBA team can beat them. The Golden State Warriors at their best is far better than any other team in the league. This was especially true when they claimed a 122-105 victory against the Denver Nuggets on Friday evening at the Oracle Arena.

However, after four consecutive journeys to the NBA Finals. Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, has recently acknowledged that it’s not humanly possible for his star players to provide the same level of skills and capabilities through the season. This means that in some matches they have it, and some events they don’t.

Emotions of the Golden State Warriors

After losing by 33 points to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday evening at the Oracle Arena, the worst loss at home for Kerr, the Golden State Warriors understood the embarrassment they inflict on their opponents. In a regular season that has witnessed loads of emotional swings, the Golden State Warriors have played at times with frustration, anger, and joy during several rough patches throughout the season. All these emotions have assisted the Warriors in providing a reminder to both the Denver Nuggets and the rest of the NBA league that they are truly dangerous when everything clicks.

“Once we are challenged, with our backs against the wall, we play the best basketball in the league,” Klay Thompson stated before the match. “Being aware of what is at stake in the next eighteen matches, we have to play our best as we don’t want to lose our number 1 seed. Therefore, tonight is a major game for the Golden State Warriors.”

Golden State Warriors Receives Wake Up Call

After they lost 5 of the eight matches before Friday evening’s showdown. The Golden State Warriors and Kerr were very open about the fact that the team has recently enjoyed a few solid days of group discussions and practice. Kerr stated that he felt like the team owed fans of East Bay a much better performance in the final year at Oracle. More importantly, Kerr’s players were well aware that they expected better performance themselves.

Kerr’s team too often appears that they are merely going through the motions of the NBA regular season. They are patiently waiting for the glimmering lights of the playoffs to wake them up. The horrible defeat against the Boston Celtics seemed to offer a significant wake-up call for the Warriors which is something they truly needed.

Although the Celtics are enjoying a thrilling season, the Warriors provided a potent reminder to showcase how dominant they can be. They continue to play phenomenally in every game they participate in, whether its an elite team or an inferior opposition. If the Golden State Warriors continue to rake in wins, there will be no one to stop them from claiming another sensational season in 2019.

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Namibia Is Going To The Rugby World Cup

The conflict between the NRL (Namibia Rugby League) and the NRU (Namibia Rugby Union), which threatened to place the Rugby World Cup participation for the country at risk. It looks like it’s going to have a happy ending.

The NRL and NRU have been at each other’s throats over who controls the national rugby team in Namibia as well as the day-to-day operation of the country’s beloved sport. World Rugby was contacted to intervene which managed to save the national rugby team, the Welwitschias, a trip to Japan after Corrie Mensah, the NRU president, refused to sign off on the national teams. The NRU president told several reporters that he had done to cause the Namibian Rugby League sidelined the union.

The Rugby Africa Conference

The impasse witnessed how the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Namibian rugby team’s participation was in jeopardy for the 2019 Rugby World Cup that will take place in Japan. However, we now understand that World Rugby. Along with the NRL and NRU, have agreed on a compromise that will be announced next week following discussions between the two Namibian parties at the Rugby Africa

Conference that took place in Morocco recently.

“We have managed to find a way forward where we could successfully find solutions to the problems we were facing,” Mensah informed reporters. There was never a scenario where the Namibian rugby team couldn’t participate at the World Cup. It’s for this reason that we did everything we could to resolve the issues between the NRL and the NRU. Mensah added to his comments saying that, “The only issue that could have surfaced was if World Rugby decided to pull their financial support. Without their help, we never would have been able to travel to Japan for the World Cup. That was undoubtedly our biggest concern. However, preparations are going ahead, and the team is busy training, so everything is going according to plan for the 2019 World Cup.”

Issues Between the NRL and NRU

Mensah informed reporters that the problems between the NRL and the NRU began when the former NRU board developed the NRL, a newly registered company before the term came to an end. The old board decided to transfer the day-to-day operation to the NRL, leaving the new NRY board completely powerless.

“The biggest problem was for everyone to understand that the NRU needed to be in charge of the company,” Mensah stated. The NRL didn’t make any provision for the brand-new NRU officials to sit on the board or have any influence in the affairs of the NRL.”

Mensah stated that he had to sign off the rugby teams when the Africa Gold Cup was underway. Which also managed to serve as Rugby World Cup qualifiers for Africa as the NRL was not recognised by the NSC (Namibian Sports Council). If the rugby teams were not signed off, then Namibia wouldn’t have been part of the qualifiers. Namibia managed to win the Africa Gold Cup to qualify for the 6th successive Rugby World Cup successfully.

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Duke Blue Devils the team to beat at March Madness

March Madness is fast approaching and this year’s tournament promises to deliver its usual amount of thrilling match-ups.

The 81st edition of the NCAA Men’s division basketball championship is scheduled to begin on March 19 and will conclude with the final game on April 8 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The tournament is always eagerly anticipated, with 68 teams battling to claim the prestigious trophy. The Duke Blue Devils have been a popular pick with pundits making March Madness predictions this season and remain favourites to win the tournament.

However, two defeats in three games towards the end of February have shown that they are not infallible. Star freshman Zion Williamson missed their recent 77-72 defeat against Virginia Tech and Duke will be eager to see him return in time for March Madness.

That result left the Blue Devils with a 24-4 record during the regular season, but this talented group of players have the ability to go a long way in the tournament. Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish will be much sought-after commodities in the next NBA Draft and Duke are still the team to beat despite their recent troubles.

Virginia Tech’s victory over Duke showed that they could be a force to reckoned with at March Madness. The Hokies led for nearly 33 minutes, before holding their nerve late on to secure a memorable victory. Kerry Blackshear Jr finished the game with 23 points from 11 shots and grabbed 10 rebounds – he will be one to watch during the post-season tournament.

Gonzaga Bulldogs are prominent in the betting having enjoyed an impressive campaign. The Bulldogs have also defeated Duke this season and it would be dangerous to underestimate their chances. Other potential contenders include Virginia Cavaliers, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers.

Reigning champions Villanova Wildcats are another team who could come into contention, although they have gone off the boil a little in recent weeks. Despite this, if the Wildcats can rediscover their early season form, they could be a serious threat as they bid to clinch their third March Madness title in the last four years.

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James Harden Could Be The NBA’s Next MVP

Based on the attitudes surrounding the All-Star Weekend, there’s a decent chance that the race for the Most Valued Player might transform into a basketball culture war. Everyone, especially the players that are surveyed on the matter, agrees that James Harden from the Houston Rockets and Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks have incredible seasons. Many nods also go towards Paul George, who has managed to take an unexpected leap during his second year with the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, there’s a culture war breaking out, and it seems to revolve around Harden’s accomplishments

James Harden as Potential MVP

The media seems quite fascinated with the incredible scoring binge of James Harden. Detailing his phenomenal 30 point matches and generating a pursuit of what would have looked like an unattainable Wilt Chamberlain record only a couple of months ago. It’s for this very reason why Harden was the Vegas favourite to repeat as Most Valued Player just last week. However, most sports betting sites have them both at -110 to claim MVP.

While some acknowledge the mastery of Harden, others are put off due to his style. Both in the way, Harden utilises the rules to his advantage and the way the Houston Rockets play. The freedom of movement, along with the relaxation of travel calls on Harden’s step-back. Having helped supercharge his season in such a way that it could irritate other players.

“Most people will say he gets away with travels when it comes to the step-back or that he flings his entire body into players to obtain fouls, but in all honesty, there are loads of us that get away with it,” stated a player that wants to remain anonymous as he doesn’t want to create controversy.

“Harden rarely plays basketball as a team sport. If you take a look at Giannis and how he plays, that is definitely how I was brought up in the game. However, that’s just my opinion on the matter,” he stated.

When you look at the statistics, most would agree with this statement. Earlier on in the season, Harden managed to score a total of 304 successive points that were all unassisted. This incredible streak was tracked with awe by both the media and fans. However, for some players, it developed eye-rolling because it represented the complete opposite of team play.

The counterpoint for Harden is simple. While the Rockets were in trouble and missing Chris Paul as co-creator for weeks on end, Harden took it upon himself to keep the team afloat in the Western Conference.

James Harden’s Record

Harden is currently boasting with 31 successive matches along with at least 30 points per game, tying him with Chamberlain for the longest streak in the history of the sport. During the game against the Golden State Warriors, he managed to finish with 44 points, ten rebounds, and 15 assists which is precisely the performance of an MVP.

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Pogba and Rashford Key Beneficiaries for Manchester United

During his playing career, Solskjaer became known as a ‘super-sub’ as he had the ability to come off the bench and change a match to devastating effect. In fact, he was considered three elite football players in one. He was good enough to enjoy long stretches as both a playmaker and a starting striker from the right flank.


Therefore, it’s no surprise that Manchester United’s immense improvement since he arrived as a caretaker has been based on attack which included the three roles he once played with the best distinction. The forwards in the United squad have been the primary beneficiaries for Solskjaer, placing immense pressure on the ball as well as a desire to push the ball forward whenever possible. The supporters at Old Trafford that have wanted the team to attack has finally been answered.


Manchester United’s Recent Victories


Some will say that United’s six consecutive victories, five in the Premier League and one in the third round of the FA Cup, occurred against inferior teams, including Reading, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Huddersfield, and Cardiff. However, those people must realize that the manner in which United swept through these teams, where they scored 16 goals and only conceded three, is what is expected from a top-tier squad.


Thanks to Solskjaer, the Manchester United squad instantly look like a team that can finish in the top 4 by the end of the Premier League season. The current caretaker has emphasised that he is more interested than just the attack and is well aware that the defence also needs to be improved. However, it’s the forward areas where the team has the best natural ability.


Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba


The best development in the Manchester United team is undoubtedly Marcus Rashford. He is an England international that the country hasn’t seen in a very long time. He has the ability to play as a lone striker through the middle and has the footwork and acceleration of a phenomenal winger. This blend of attributes can make him the most dangerous forward in the Premier League and after scoring a much-needed goal against Tottenham this past weekend, it looks like he will become that player this season. Solskjaer trusts Rashford when it comes to delivering in dead-ball situations and staying calm in front of the box.


Another key player in the Manchester United team is certainly Paul Pogba. Since Solskjaer arrived at Old Trafford, Pogba has managed to score four times and offered three assists. You can even see that his energy levels have improved greatly since Mourinho left the squad. Pogba suddenly has the necessary movement to play at his best and he is making far better decisions on the pitch of late. Solskjaer has given Pogba more freedom on the pitch and it’s certainly working to his advantage as Pogba is playing like never before in the 2018/19 season. Although the future is still uncertain for Manchester United, it’s certainly brighter than before thanks to the forwards.

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Ole Gunnar Is Experiencing A Great Time At Manchester United


After overseeing Manchester United’s 3-1 victory against Huddersfield on 26 December 2018, Old Gunnar enjoyed his second victory as the Man Utd caretaker manager in 4 days. However, Old Gunnar did admit that there hasn’t been a lot of changes made to the team since he took over from Jose Mourinho.

The chaotic holiday schedule did not allow much in terms of training and spending quality time with the team, but most can already see a different squad since he took up the new role at Manchester United. How long this will last is very uncertain at the moment, but he has been given a decent selection of games to start his charge. Whether his charge will be to make it into the top four of the Premier League standings is too early to tell.

However, for now, its more than enough that the brand-new manager made the matches more enjoyable, giving fans a much-needed Christmas present which they are truly excited about. A demand for more ticket sales clearly proves this as well.

Solskjaer’s Changes

Old Gunnar insists that he was only able to change the mindsets of his Manchester United players since he arrived at the club. Whatever he managed to do, it certainly worked as the team managed to score 8 goals in two games thanks to 6 different scorers. However, there are plenty of old problems that still remain at the club and his players have promised a clean sheet following Huddersfield and Cardiff consolation goals. The team is also still struggling to successfully defend set pieces, but the changes made on the other side of the pitch is definitely noticeable since he arrived.

For the first half of the game on Wednesday, Old Gunnar stood next to the sideline pointing forward and the overall message was certainly clear enough. Obviously, there were times when Old Gunnar simply pointed at Huddersfield’s goal, bringing with it an all too familiar chant of ‘attack!’ from the sidelines. However, it wasn’t considered a plea as it was during the times when Mourinho was in control. By the end of the game, Old Trafford was demanding waves for Old Gunnar which Mourinho stopped receiving a very long time ago.

The biggest roar in the stadium that afternoon occurred before kickoff took place when the announcer of the stadium welcomed back Old Gunnar to the stadium where 76,000 supporters quickly answered with “Ole, Ole, Ole”. If Old Gunnar first job was to bring smiles back, he certainly succeeded.

Old Gunnar stated last week that is was extremely special but that he managed to stay calm. Gunner added,

“I believe my guys have settled me in extremely fast. You trust the squad you put out. It’s quite special hearing the crowd sing my song, but this time round they start chanting when the match begins. It made me feel extremely proud and it’s a day I will never forget.”

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Premier League Breakdown for All 20 Teams

It’s widely known that you should never look at the Premier League table until the month of November. This has been the repeated aid for most managers in the Premier League. However, we are finally in November and it’s the perfect time to evaluate the top 15 football clubs to see where they rank.

Manchester City

Manchester City is looking better than ever and are capable of matching the 100 points from the previous season. It’s quite frightening to see that they are playing so well without the incredible Kevin De Bruyne.

Liverpool

Liverpool is certainly not as vibrant as they were in the previous season, but are certainly more effective. They remain undefeated in the 2018/19 season, while during the 2017/18 season they were already 12 points behind.

Chelsea

Chelsea is doing exceptionally well under their new club manager, Maurizio Sarri. However, the team is relying on Eden Hazard way too much and if he gets injured it might be the end of their incredible performance.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur is currently impressing with the best away record in the Premier League. They are very skilled at winning ugly and are showing splendid firmness to stay at the top of their game.

Arsenal

There’s no denying that Unai Emery, the head coach of Arsenal, has been an instant hit among football fans. The squad is likely to score countless goals this season but their defending is nowhere near the same level it was in previous seasons.

Bournemouth

Is it possible for Eddie Howe to lead his team into Europe? Callum Wilson deserves his call-up for England and David Brooks provided the attack a brand-new dimension.

Watford

Watford is a perfect mix of steel and silk, making a top-half finish very likely. The team managed to start the season with four consecutive win which greatly assisted their current standings.

Manchester United

They are already out of this season’s title race and frequently looks like dinosaurs on the pitch. Their performance against City perfectly indicates how far they have fallen.

Everton

Everton is looking much better under Marco Silva and Richarlison is certainly becoming the headline act for the team.

Leicester City

Everyone can sympathise with the sense of trauma and emotional strain this team has endured. However, the squad is way too good to fall into trouble.

Wolves

The display against Arsenal and Manchester City perfectly symbolises an ambitious and gifted team.

Brighton

Glenn Murray continues to score and Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk keep things tight. Difficult team to beat at home.

West Ham

They looked sensational against Man Utd, but are a fitful, erratic team who make too many mistakes.

Newcastle

Two victories have managed to lift the mood of the team and Rafa Benitez has the ability to keep them afloat, but it won’t be easy work.

Burnley

Starting in the Europa League qualifiers during July has managed to mess things up during the pre-season and it’s certainly showing.