14012020 - 50 years after: Let's revisit issues that caused Civil War

For the umpteenth time,
Dangote says he'll buy
Arsenal FC
Aliko Dangote has admitted that he is
planning to buy Arsenal Football Club.
The Nigerian billionaire - the richest man
in Africa - has made no secret of his desire to
take over the north London club in the past
and has made several statements about
launching a future takeover bid in the past.
And the 62-year-old Gunners supporter,
who is at number 136 on Forbes’ rich list, has
been speaking up a move for the club again.
Dangote owns nearly 85% of the publiclytraded
Dangote Cement through a holding
company. He also owns stakes in publiclytraded
salt, sugar and flour manufacturing
companies.
According to Forbes the Dangote Refinery
has been under construction for three years
and is expected to be one of the world’s largest
oil refineries once complete.
And it is that project that is keeping the
billionaire from making a move to buy
Arsenal from Stan Kroenke right now.
Speaking in 2018, Dangote said that he
wanted to buy Arsenal this year.
He said back then: “We will go after Arsenal
from 2020, even if somebody buys, we will
still go after it.”
Now, with the Dangote Refinery still in
process, Dangote has altered his plans and
made the big claim that he will buy the club
sometime in 2021.
Speaking on the David Rubenstein Show
in America, in an interview recorded in
September, Dangote said: “It is a team that
yes, I would like to buy some day, but what I
keep saying is, we have $20billion worth of
projects and that’s what I really want to
concentrate on. I’m trying to finish building
the company and then after we finish, maybe
some time in 2021 we can.
“I’m not buying Arsenal right now, I’m
buying Arsenal when I finish all these projects,
because I’m trying to take the company to the
next level.
Ghana police suspend
officer after fan shot
with rubber bullet
The Ghana Police Service has
suspended one of its officers
pending an investigation into
violence at football game on Sunday that
left one fan with an injury from a rubber
bullet.
Ghana’s Football Association (GFA) has
also condemned the violence and launched
its own inquest into the episode at a match
between Asante Kotoko and Berekum
Chelsea in Kumasi on Sunday.
Fans were apparently angry with some of
the officiating and tried to get close to the
referee as Kotoko lost 1-0 to Berekum
Chelsea.
The police statement said “the incident
occurred when supporters of Kumasi Asante
Kotoko FC went on the rampage after their
league match against Berekum Chelsea FC
at the (Baba Yara) Stadium damaging some
Police Vehicles and injuring some Police officers
with stones that were pelted at the Police.
“It was during this period that a Police
Officer was alleged to have shot rubber
bullets into the crowd injuring one of the
Fans in the face.
“The injured person is currently on
admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching
Hospital receiving treatment and is in stable
condition.
“The Command takes a serious view of
the incident and has subsequently
commenced investigation into the action of
the Police Officer involved in the shooting.
“The officer has been interdicted on the
instruction of the Regional Commander,
pending investigation.”
The GFA has launched their own
investigation into the episode.
•Dangote
Barcelona have started
inserting clauses in the contracts of
new signings to curb their off-field
entrepreneurial ventures - all thanks to
Gerard Pique.
The central defender has been
prominent in his work off the field in the
last 24 months, playing a major role in
the revamping of tennis’s Davis Cup
competition, as well as purchasing a
controlling stake in Andorra FC.
According to ABC, his actions have
angered the powers that be at the Catalan
club, who are concerned that his priorities
have shifted away from football itself.
As a result, to avoid any similar
problems with other stars, contracts
being drawn up by the club now include
a clause that will curb non-footballing
commitments.
One incident which upset those upstairs
Antonio Conte has won his legal battle
with Chelsea and the club will have to
pay their former manager an extra
£85,000 in compensation.
An employment tribunal ruled in the Italian’s
favour and Judge Andrew Glennie found that
he was unfairly sacked by the Blues in July 2018.
‘The complaint of unfair dismissal is well
founded,’ he said. ‘The respondent (Chelsea)
shall pay to the claimant (Conte) a basic award
of £1,524 and a compensatory award of
£83,682, being a total of £85,206.’
The dismissal of Conte from his post, with
Chelsea taking part in pre-season training at
the time, is the most expensive sacking in
English football history.
Chelsea’s latest accounts sensationally
showed the massive outlay on compensation
Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020—45
Chelsea to pay extra £85,000
compensation to Conte
•Tribunal rules Conte was unfairly sacked by Chelsea
•Blues paid out £26.6million for Conte, his staff
Barcelona inserting ‘anti Pique’ clause in
contracts of new signings
Ramos set to
miss 15 days
Sergio Ramos finished the Spanish
Super Cup final against Atlético
Madrid with a sprained ankle.
The Real Madrid captain scored the winning
penalty after 120 minutes of action as
the game was decided by spot-kicks.
In the 61st minute, it looked like Ramos
might have to be replaced after he fell on
Alvaro Morata’s foot and twisted his ankle.
He grimaced in pain, limped to the sideline,
recieved further treatment but returned to
the field for another hour of action. Once
the adrenaline wore off, however, it was clear
that Ramos had injured himself.
The sprain will leave Ramos sidelined for
15 days. He will miss two league games and
Madrid’s first outing in the Copa del Rey
this season. The first absence comes on Saturday
against Sevilla with Real Valladolid
after that. Real Madrid don’t know their
opponent in the Copa yet with the draw yet
to be made.
at the Nou Camp was Pique’s
disappearance after the Spanish
Super Cup in 2018.
The 32-year-old was
contacted by Ernesto Valverde
after he left for Orlando without
permission, before assuring his
manager that he would only
miss one day of training.
Pique’s business acumen is
such that former president Joan
Laporta has even backed him to
take charge of the entire club
himself one day.
Speaking about his own
possible return, Laporta told
RAC1 in December: ‘If I [become
president], it wouldn’t be bad if
Gerard Pique followed me as
president because I see him as
an ideal person.
•Abrahamovich
Real Madrid president
Florentino Pérez has
described manager Zinedine
Zidane as a "blessing from
heaven" after his latest Spanish
Super Cup final triumph.
Ziidane has won each of his
finals as Madrid coach, taking
his tally of successes to nine with
a tense victory against Atlético
Madrid in the Supercopa de
Espana on Sunday.
Madrid won 4-1 on penalties
after a goalless draw, scraping to
a shoot-out after Federico
Valverde was sent off for a cynical
foul on a goalbound Alvaro
Morata late in extra time.
This was the first title of Zidane's
second stint as Madrid boss - the
first returning three straight
Champions League wins - but
Pérez is confident the Frenchman
Sergio Aguero’s phenomenal
goalscoring exploits for
Manchester City make him one of the
best in world football, but Pep
Guardiola maintains Lionel Messi still
stands apart.
Aguero fired a hat-trick in City’s 6-1
•Conte
for the manager, his staff and legal proceedings
totalled £26.6million.
Roman Abramovich has now paid out a total
of £90m on sacking managers since he took over
at Stamford Bridge back in 2004.
Conte remained out of work until May last
year when he took over at Inter Milan.
The former Italy midfielder steered Chelsea to
the Premier League title in 2017 but was
dismissed a year later with 12 months left on his
contract as the Blues finished fifth and failed to
qualify for the Champions League.
Conte also led Chelsea to victory in the 2018
FA Cup, with a 1-0 win over Manchester United
in the final.
Maurizio Sarri succeeded his compatriot at
Chelsea but left to take charge at Juventus last
summer after just a year in charge.
Abramovich has had to dig
deeper into his pockets to pay
the compensation and the
billionaire continues to pump
money into the club.
He invested £247m into
Chelsea in in 2018-19 despite
barely being seen in the country
due to ongoing issues over his
UK visa amid a souring of
diplomatic relations between the
British government and Russia.
The club’s wage bill also went
up by £41m in 2019 despite not
playing in the Champions
League.
Abramovich, 53, is the most
•Pique successful owner in the club’s
history.
The Blues have won the
Premier League five times, the
FA Cup five times, three League
Cups, the Europa League
twice and the Champions
League under his ownership.
Zidane's a blessing
from heaven – Pérez
is ready to deliver further
success.
"Zidane has a loving
relationship with Real
Madrid. He decided to rest
for a year and now he's
returned with renewed
energy. Zidane is a blessing
from heaven."Pérez felt the
triumph at the King
Abdullah Sports City
Stadium in Jeddah was
particularly impressive
given the absence of a
number of key men,
including Eden Hazard,
Karim Benzema and
Gareth Bale.
•Zidane
Aguero not in Messi’s class — Guardiola
demolition of Aston Villa on Sunday,
replacing Thierry Henry as the most prolific
overseas player in Premier League history.
A 12th treble in the competition represents
a new all-time best mark, edging City’s record
goalscorer ahead of Alan Shearer.
Asked afterwards whether Aguero was the
best he has worked with, City manager
Guardiola felt compelled to highlight his
alliance with six-time Ballon d’Or winner
Messi at Barcelona.
The Spanish manager worked with Messi
from 2008-12 during a period where Barca were
at the height of their powers, winning four La
Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, two Copas
del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups, two Club World
Cups and three Spanish Super Cups.