Jose Mourinho should have a great relationship with Chelsea supporters.
As
the man who gave them three league titles - 60 percent of the league
championships their club has EVER won - you might think the Manchester United boss could expect a warm welcome when he returns to Stamford Bridge.
Apparently not. During United's 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup quarter-final, a large number of Chelsea fans booed and jeered their former hero.
So how did Mourinho deal with this unexpected abuse? In typical Mourinho style, of course.
"Are these people serious? Do they not remember who am I?" (Photo: AFP)
During the game, he simply held up three fingers, to remind
the home support of those three league titles. Straight after the
match, he went one step further - delivering one of his classic comedy
putdowns:
“Until the moment they have a manager that wins four
Premier Leagues for them, I'm the No1. When they have somebody who wins
four Premier Leagues for them, I'll be No2. For this moment, Judas is
No1."
Ouch. Mind you, the Stamford Bridge boo-boys are not the
first victims of a Mourinho barb. Not by a long shot. After he came up with the outstanding reply to
Chelsea fans booing him, here are the best/wittiest insults ever
delivered by The Special One.
32 - the Foxes are 32 points worse off than at this stage last season, with 21 as opposed to 53. 14 - they have lost 14 games, compared to only two last season. They also have only five wins as opposed to 15. 24 - their goal tally tells a similar tale
of woe, having scored 24 this season against 47 through the same number
of games last term. 0 - away wins this season. They have taken
three points from 13 away games - only Burnley, with one from 11, have a
worse record on the road. 0 - also the number of Premier League goals they have scored in 2017, in six games which have brought them only one point.
11 - in all, Leicester have drawn a blank in 11 games this season - it happened just three times in the whole of last season. 3.2 - Leicester's average for shots on
target per match this season, the third-worst record in the division.
Last season they ranked fifth with an average of 4.8. 343 - minutes the Foxes have spent in the lead in matches this season, compared to 863 at this stage last season. 5 - England striker Jamie Vardy, who scored
in 11 consecutive league games last season on his way to 24 goals for
the season and a Euro 2016 place, has just five this time around. 17/11 - PFA player of the year Riyad Mahrez's goal and assist tallies from last season. He has three goals and two assists this term.
Claudio Ranieri had been under increased pressure throughout Leicester City's poor runCredit:
ap
Claudio
Ranieri was sacked as Leicester City manager on Thursday night, nine
months after guiding the club to the first top-flight trophy in their
133-year history.
Ranieri returned to East Midlands Airport from Seville
in the afternoon to be given the news by Leicester’s director of
football Jon Rudkin in a ruthless move which has stunned football as
much as their remarkable title win.
Could this be the year when Arsène Wenger finally steps down as an Arsenal manager? Wenger’s £8m-a-year contract expires
at the end of the season, and there is a strong possibility that he
might walk away. A new two-year-old contract is on the table, and it is
up to Wenger to decide whether he will stay put.
Newcastle United manager, Rafael Benítez,
has emerged as a shock candidate to replace him. Arsenal have drawn up a
shortlist of four candidates, and Benítez is among them. The Spaniard
will face competition for the post with Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Tuchel, while Barcelona’s Luis Enrique, and Monaco’s Leonardo Jardim remain other options.
Cameroon's last-gasp win ends a 15-year wait for another continental crown
Cameroon came from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 and seal a fifth Africa Cup of Nations in a thrilling, edgy final.
Substitute
Vincent Aboubakar swept in the winner two minutes from time, flicking
the ball over defender Ali Gabr and thumping it home.
Nicolas Nkoulou had earlier equalised for Cameroon, rising highest to power in a header on the hour mark.
The equaliser cancelled out Mohamed Elneny's opener on 22 minutes with a beautifully taken near-post strike.
The wild celebrations for Aboubakar's winner announced Cameroon's return to the continental summit, after a wait of 15 years.
It
also makes them the second most successful nation in the competition's
history - behind Egypt - and marks the first time they have beaten the
Pharoahs in the final in three attempts.
Besiktas striker
Aboubakar ran towards the triumphant Cameroon fans in the Stade de
l'Amitie stands in Libreville to celebrate, pursued by delirious
teammates and coaching staff.
Underdogs Cameroon had already upset the odds to reach the final and stunned the much-fancied Egyptians with the late dramatic strike, after fellow substitute Nkoulou had drawn them level.
Despite
being beset by pre-tournament problems, including the withdrawal of key
players such as Joel Matip and Eric Chuopo-Moting, coach Hugo Broos
managed to assemble a squad that got their reward for being strong,
adaptable and resilient in equal measure throughout.
The Pharaohs -
bidding for an eighth title after seven years in the international
wilderness - started comfortably and Elneny's opening strike capped a
wonderful fluent move down the right.
The Gunners midfielder
started the move and finished it, after receiving the ball from Mohamed
Salah in the box and sweeping it past Fabrice Ondoa into the roof of the
net at the near post.
But Egypt invited the Indomitable Lions to come at them in the second half and they paid a heavy price.
The
excellent Cameroon forward Benjamin Moukandjo whipped in an excellent,
menacing cross and substitute Nkoulou muscled his way through the
Egyptian defence to beat Ahmed Hegazy to the ball and bury it past
44-year-old Essam El Hadary in the Egyptian goal.
The contest
developed into a fascinating cagey final, with Cameroon, inspired by the
excellent Christian Bassogog and Jacques Zoua up front, pinning Egypt
back and limiting them to long balls to Salah and substitute Ramadan
Sobhi.
Fatigue soon set in in the Egyptian ranks and Cameroon got
their ultimate reward for increasing the pressure on the experienced
Egyptian defence.
Aboubakar
controlled a long ball forward with his chest at the edge of the box,
flicked it over the stranded Gabr, before gathering, taking a step and
smashing home off his right foot for a fitting winner.
The Egyptians - featuring the tournament's oldest and most experienced player - El Hadary, were left stunned after looking comfortable for much of the first half.
As
they had done for much of the tournament, Egypt relied on a
well-marshalled defence, led by Ahmed Hegazy, Gabr and Hull City's Ahmed
Elmohamady. They also had the formidable Elneny and Salah leading the
line.
The Pharaohs more than played their part in an entertaining
final, but it was Cameroon's energy that would light up the occasion
and provide a thrilling end to a thoroughly entertaining tournament for
the near-capacity crowd of more than 38,000 in the Gabonese capital.
Belgian coach Broos reflected the unity in his squad's ranks, as he celebrated the first Nations Cup title of his career.
"I am happy for the players," he said. "This is not a group of football players, they are a group of friends."
Egypt
coach Hector Cuper was left to dwell on another defeat in a major
final, having lost two European Champions League finals with Spanish
club Valencia.
"The sadness I have is not because I lost another final," he said.
"It's
because there was so much hope especially among the people in Egypt and
I am sorry for the players who put in so much effort."
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has moved to Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg. The Serbian is
set to call time on his Blues career after nine eventful and successful
years with the club. There were several doubters when he arrived in
January 2008. He didn’t make a single appearance for the club in the
second half of the 2007-08 season, and was linked with a move away in
the summer. Slowly and gradually though, things changed.
376 appearances, 34 goals and 9 trophies later, there is little doubt
that Ivanovic will go down as a Chelsea legend. His form may have
dipped dramatically in his final two years at Stamford Bridge, but he
will forever be fondly remembered by the fans.
After spending nine successful years at Stamford Bridge, it might be curtains for Branislav Ivanovic’s Chelsea career, if reports are to be believed.
With four days to go for the January transfer window to slam shut, clubs like Crystal Palace, Leicester City, West Brom and Zenit St. Petersburg are queuing up to sign the Serbian defender.
After Antonio Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation, Ivanovic has found
his starting berth usurped in part by Cesar Azpilicueta and Victor
Moses. With fitness and form already on the wane, the defender has been a
peripheral figure in Chelsea’s grip on the top of the league table.
Veteran Gabon goalkeeper Didier Ovono has called for the
country to unite behind the team as they face the prospect of having to
beat Cameroon on Sunday to stay in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Panthers have so far only managed two 1-1 draws against
Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso, form that has not been good enough to
rouse the central African state hit by violence after a contested
presidential election last year.
“We have come here to play for Gabon. There will be time
after the Africa Cup of Nations to dress the wounds,” 33-year-old Ovono,
who plays his club football in Belgium, told AFP on Friday.
Tunisia on Thursday boosted their chances of reaching the
quarter-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon with a
2-1 win over neighbours Algeria in Group B.
The the match’s first half was a cagey affair as both sides probed each other’s area in search of an opening goal.
But, both teams failed to take their chances as the first half ended 0-0.
However, it was Tunisia who drew the first blood in the second half, even though it was from an own goal.
French club, Lyon, have agreed to a deal to sign Manchester United forward, Memphis Depay. The Red Devils have agreed to sell him for around €17m (£14.75m), with the fee capable of rising to €25m if a series of add-ons are triggered.
United rejected a £13m bid from Lyon
earlier this month. However, it seems the two clubs have reached an
agreement after Lyon improved their offer in the second bid.
According to reports from the Guardian, United will have a buy-back option as well as sell-on clauses inserted into the deal. Depay joined United from PSV Eindhoven for £25m in the summer of 2015 under Louis van Gaal, but has struggled to make a strong impact for José Mourinho.
Chelsea striker DiegoCosta is being linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge following a recent bust-up with manager AntonioConte.
The duo were involved in a training ground spat and the Chelsea
striker was dropped for last weekend’s game as a result of that. Telegraph are now reporting that Antonio Conte has already identified a long-term replacement for the Spanish international.
Liverpool are are looking to sign Southampton defender, José Fonte, in the January transfer window to plug their leaky defence.
Fonte has recently rejected a new contract deal at St Mary’s, and he is looking for a move elsewhere. Southampton will demand a fee of around £10m for the 33-year-old defender.
According to reports from the Mirror, Liverpool are keen to bring the Portuguese to Anfield to reinforce the defensive area. Jürgen Klopp
wants to bring in an experienced defender to his squad, and Fonte fits
the bill. His wealth of experience could be a major asset for Klopp, as
he aims to guide Liverpool to the Premier League title.
José Mourinho, the Manchester United manager, is ready to test Chelsea’s resolve with a shock move for Nemanja Matić next summer.
United will be looking to spend big next summer as Mourinho is keen to build the squad to his own taste. While Atlético Madrid duo Antonione Griezmann and Saúl Ñíguez are the top of his shopping list, according to the Mirror, the Portuguese wants Matić as well to bolster his midfield department.
Chelsea have exercised the option of recalling striker Patrick Bamford
from his year-long loan spell at Burnley. After Nathan Aké, this is the
second player whom Chelsea have recalled to strengthen the push for the
Premiership title in the second half of the season.
Bamford has been one of the numerous young talents perennially on loan outside Stamford Bridge.
The Burnley move was his sixth such loan spell. Bamford has
disappointed by and large in this spell, playing a grand total of only 33 minutes across six games in the Premiership.
With Chelsea raring to win the Premier League,
Antonio Conte needs to carry out some preemptive measures. Not
surprisingly, there have been suggestions that the Chelsea boss wants to
add another striker to the ranks. With Diego Costa being sublime this
season, the Blues don’t need a first-team striker, but they do require a
capable back-up whenever the need arises. Costa has been disciplined
this season, but still carries the risk of blowing up anytime, and
hence, precautions must be taken.
Chelsea signed Michy Batshuayi from Marseille in the summer. The
Belgian had done exceedingly well with the French club in the last
couple of seasons, and it made sense for the player to move to greener
pastures, especially considering Marseille were in deep crisis after
Marcelo Bielsa resigned.
Chelsea are looking to sign the highly talented Middlesbrough centre-back Ben Gibson at the end of this season.
As per Daily Mirror‘s report, The 23-year-old is one of the most sought after defenders in the Premier League alongside vanDijk right now and AntonioConte sees him as the perfect replacement for club legend JohnTerry.
Ahead of West Ham’s Premier League clash with Crystal
Palace, Bilic said in his pre-match press conference that Payet has not
trained with the club, and he will not play this weekend.
Payet joined from Marseille for a reported fee of £10.7m in
2015 on a long term contract. He was simply outstanding for the Hammers
in his first season, and his impressive form also won him back a place
in Didier Deschamps’s France squad for Euro 2016 last summer.
Till last week, the interest in Monaco midfielder, Tiemoué Bakayoko, was limited to three heavyweight Premier League clubs – Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea. To make the transfer saga more appealing, what more can you do? Yes, you guessed it right. Just add more clubs to the mix.
According to reports from Le 10 Sport, Liverpool and Arsenal
have joined the race for the highly rated 22-year-old French
midfielder. The Reds have made a concrete approach and have contacted
Monaco to enquire about their asking price for the player.
The Fifa Council has “unanimously approved” plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 onwards.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s revamped plan for the World Cup
has received the desired backing he has craved. Delegates in Zurich
were asked to vote on four proposals to change the existing format or
stick with the current format of 32 teams.
Cohen Bramall signed for Premier League giants Arsenal on Tuesday
just a week after being made redundant from his factory job with luxury
carmakers Bentley.
The 20-year-old defender — who had previously failed to convince
Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday to take him on after trials with
them — signed for a reported fee of £40,000 (46,000 euros, $48,500) from
non league side Hednesford Town.
Arsenal’s creative fulcrum Mesut Özil has opened up about his stalled contract talks with the Gunners. The German World Cup winner has emphasised the importance of manager Arsène Wenger staying at the club beyond the current season in his signing on the dotted lines.
Özil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid
in a club record transfer in the summer of 2013. The 28-year-old has 18
months remaining on his current contract, and negotiations over a new
deal have hit a roadblock over terms and wages.
However, in an interview with German magazine Kicker, Özil has expressed his desire to sign a new contract and reiterated his commitment to the club.
Chelsea confirmed
yesterday that defender Nathan Ake has been recalled from his loan term
at Bournemouth. The Englishman was supposed to spend the season at the
Vitality Stadium, but has returned to Stamford Bridge
after 6 months. He may have played only 10 games for Bournemouth, but
made a huge impact in that short period. On debut, he scored the only
goal of the game away at Stoke City before netting the winner in a
dramatic 4-3 win over Liverpool at home.
Eddie Howe is facing some big defensive headaches following this
move, with Marc Wilson injured and captain Simon Francis suspended. The
Cherries were eliminated from the FA Cup at the first time of asking in the third round, after being dismantled 3-0 away at League One side Millwall on Saturday.
