23042021 - Insecurity: Our nation is bleeding now — DEFENCE MINISTER

30 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
•Benzema
Champions League semi-final:
Real Madrid vs Chelsea might
not go ahead --- Uefa’s Ceferin
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has said
there is a “small possibility” Chelsea’s
Champions League semi-final against Real
Madrid will not go ahead next week, as
European football’s governing body
decides whether to punish the clubs
involved in the failed Super League
breakaway.
•Dirty Dozen
Chelsea and
Real Madrid
were two of the
12 clubs to sign
up to the Super
League, which
collapsed on
Tuesday after
Chelsea withdrew
from the
Perez: European Super
League is not dead
R
eal Madrid president Florentino
Perez has affirmed that the European
Super League is not "dead"
despite the recent calamitous col-
competition due to fierce public backlash, and are
set to play each other in the semi-final first leg on
Tuesday 27 April.
Following the clubs’ formal announcement of the
Super League on Sunday, Uefa executive committee
member Jesper Moller said that the teams still
involved in this season’s European competitions -
Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Manchester
United and Arsenal - were to be expelled at a
Uefa executive committee meeting on Friday.
Ceferin has since vowed to “rebuild the unity” of
European football after the English clubs climbed
down from the proposals, but it is unclear if there
will be punishments for the teams involved.
The Uefa president said this season’s Champions
League and Europa League were set to go ahead
due to television contracts, however, but admitted
there is a chance Chelsea and Real Madrid’s semifinal
does not go ahead as planned.
“The key is that this season has already started, so
broadcasters would come at us for damages if we
don’t play the semi-finals,” Ceferin told Slovenian
station 24UR.
“So, there’s a relatively small possibility that
this match isn’t played next week. But, things
could be a little different in the future.”
Ceferin, who labelled those at the heart of
the Super League plans “liars and snakes”
in an extraordinary press conference on
Monday, but later welcomed the decision
from the Premier League clubs to withdraw.
lapse.
Twelve founder members of the
breakaway competition confirmed
that they had signed up to the Super
League on Sunday evening, but
48 hours later, the Big Six Premier
League clubs had announced their
withdrawals from the tournament.
Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid and
AC Milan followed suit the next day,
but Perez has affirmed that the Super
League is simply on "standby"
despite condemnation from all corners
of the game.
Speaking to El Larguero, the 74-
year-old said: "If anyone thinks the
Super League is dead, are they
wrong? Absolutely.
"We're going to keep working and
what everyone thinks is for the best
will emerge. The project is on
standby. The Super League still exists."
Perez has also claimed that without
a European Super League, it
would be "impossible" to sign Kylian
Mbappe or Erling Braut Haaland
this summer.
•Perez
Chelsea, Terry,
Czech salute
Mikel @ 34
Rummenigge to act as a
mediator between the Dirty
Dozen and rest of Europe
ayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz
BRummenigge has given his verdict
on the plot to change European
competition, saying that 'real football
won' when the breakaway European
Super League fell through.
Twelve clubs, dubbed the Dirty
Dozen, initially agreed to join a new
controversial league, but the project
was suspended after Arsenal, Chelsea,
Manchester United, Manchester
City, Liverpool and Tottenham
withdrew two days later.
The concept was met with widespread
criticism from fans, players,
managers and pundits and
Rummenigge has revealed that he
has been asked by UEFA president
Aleksander Ceferin to help unite the
football world again.
'Bayern didn't win, nor
Rummenigge, but real football. The
one we are all in love with,' he told
Tuttosport.
'I'm known for being a man of dialogue
and not of war. So the president
of UEFA, Ceferin, asked me to
give him a hand in order to solve
the problems and start again after
very difficult days for the world of
football.
'I would immediately bring back
happiness, harmony and loyalty to
the whole world of football. Unfortu-
By John Egbokhan
ootball youngster, Pascal Iheme,
Fhas revealed he was ready to drop his engineering
career to pursue his football dream with a professional
club in Europe
Iheme, a second year Civil Engineering
undergraduate of Yaba College of Technology, said his
romance with football started many years ago when he
started playing football as a kid with his mates on the
streets of Owerri, Imo State.
Speaking in an interview with Sports Vanguard, the
20 year-old supporting striker recalled how his passion
for football grew in secondary school, where he
captained his school team to win several competitions.
According to Pascal Iheme, ''I attended Arah
Secondary school in Owerri and I played well and later
became the Games prefect. I won some trophies with
my school. I was the captain of the team and it was fun
playing as a supporting striker. I can also play as a
striker or holding midfielder, depending on the formation
and tactical plan of the coach.
''When I was a kid, I enjoyed playing soccer and as I
grew, my love for the game became stronger. Now, I
enjoy the game so much that I can't divorce myself from
it. I am presently studying Civil Engineering at Yaba
nately, I don't have it, so we'll have
to work.
• Rummenigge
•Cerefin
I will dump my engineering career for
football —Pascal Iheme
College of Technology'', added Iheme.
When asked if he was going to give up his engineering career
to pursue his soccer career, Iheme said, ''yes because football is
my first love and I am convinced I will succeed in it''.
In order to stay active in football while studying engineering at
Yaba College of Technology, Iheme trains regularly with Juventus
Football Academy at the FIFA Legacy Pitch, National Stadium,
Lagos.
''I came to Lagos about two and half years ago when I got
admission into Yaba College of Technology. Even through
combining academic work and sports has been challenging, I have
created time to keep my football dream alive by training with
Juventus Football Academy. I also train at times in my school
because I want to make something out of playing professional
football'', said Iheme.
The youngster is aware that the road to football stardom has
rough edges but insisted he was ready to pay the sacrifice to turn
his dream into reality like his role model, Portuguese and Juventus
star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
''Ronaldo means everything to me. He is a delight to watch. He
is my role model. His fitness level is unbelievable. I see myself in
him and I want to be like him'', said Iheme, who is also fond of
retired Eagles forward, Odion Ighalo.
''My father is a strong source of support to me and I thank him
for helping me this far and my only message to him is that I
would not fail him'', he said.
nglish Premier League side
EChelsea, their legendary players
John Terry and Petr Cech have
sent birthday greetings to John Obi
Mikel, who celebrated his 34th
birthday today, Thursday, April 22.
Mikel proved to be a top signing
for the Blues, who paid Manchester
United and Lyn Oslo compensation
to bring him to Stamford
Bridge in 2006 after a bitter transfer
dispute.
The defensive midfielder was on
the books of Chelsea for ten and a
half seasons, totaling 372 appearances
in all competitions and scoring
six goals.
The former Nigeria captain was
part of the Chelsea squads that won
a Champions League crown, the
Europa League, two Premier
League titles, two League Cups
and four FA Cups.
Writing on Instagram, Chelsea
posted : "Have a great birthday,
@Mikel_John_Obi! ?? #CFC
#Chelsea".
The post has been liked by
113,287 Instagram users, including
Mikel, and drew reactions from ex-
Chelsea captain John Terry and
former goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Replying to the post, Cech said :
"Happy
birthday
????@Mikel_John_Obi".
Terry added : "Happy Birthday
@mikel_john_obi Love ya geez ??".
•Pascal Iheme