Rafa Benitez releases statement after being sacked by Real Madrid

Rafa Benitez has released a statement following his sack as Real Madrid manager after just seven months and three losses. In a statement released on his website, the 55-year-old Madrid native thanked those at Real Madrid for allowing him to work at the club and wished his successor Zinedine Zidane luck for the future. Read the statement after the jump...

He wrote: 

"Now, at the end of my time as first team coach of Real Madrid, I would like to use this article to say goodbye to everyone at every level of the club. I want everyone at the club from the board of directors, executives, workers and all of the fans, know that it has been an honour and privilege to be in charge at this club where I grew up as a person, player and coach from the lowest categories through to the first team.

"As a Madridista from Madrid, steeped in the traditions and values of this institution, which I learned in the old sports city of Castellana, it has been an honour to work for these colours. I would especially like to thank everyone at the new sports city and the Santiago Bernabéu who since my first steps through the door have supported me and made my work easier. Thanks to all for helping.

"With all that I have said still in mind, I would like to wish good luck to Zinedine Zidane, my successor, and his staff. To all the players, coaches and staff in both Valdebebas and Bernabéu, I wish all the best and also good luck.

"With all my respect and thanks... HALA MADRID and NOTHING ELSE. "

 SOURCE: LINDAIKEJI BLOG

Manchester United targets key win in Germany

WOLFSBURG: Louis van Gaal says Manchester United just have themselves to fault in front of Tuesday's victor takes-all conflict at Wolfsburg as they offer to stay away from an early Champions League exit. 

Van Gaal's Red Devils must beat Group B pioneers Wolfsburg to guarantee their place in the knockout stages having permitted the Germans to usurp them at the highest point of the table by being held to a goalless attract at home to PSV Eindhoven a fortnight back. 

Pioneers Wolfsburg will achieve the thump out stages without precedent for the club's history with only a draw, while United, who are a point behind, know anything not exactly a win could see them wiped out. 

Nonetheless, United could in any case qualify regardless of the fact that they attract or lose to Wolfsburg, if PSV don't better their outcome at home to CSKA Moscow in the other gathering match. 

In any case, Van Gaal needs to leave nothing to risk in Germany. 

"We have a tremendous Champions League match at Wolfsburg," Van Gaal told the club's United Review magazine. 

"After the baffling result against Eindhoven at Old Trafford, we now realize what we need to do so as to advance to the knockout phases of the opposition: win. 

"We have not made it simple for ourselves, but rather we realize that triumph in Germany won't just ensure capability, additionally guarantee we complete top of our gathering." 

Completing top of Group B will mean United keep away from any semblance of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the last 16. 

United lost at the same stage four years prior when a 2-1 rout at FC Basel saw them bow out in the 2011/12 gathering stage and Van Gaal's side is as yet searching for their first away triumph in the gathering for this battle. 

United's general away record against sides from Germany is won five, lost five with four draws. 

Their fans will have great recollections of their last outing to Wolfsburg when previous England striker Michael Owen scored a cap trap in their 3-1 win in December 2009 as the Red Devils came to the quarter-finals. 

Diego Benaglio and Marcel Schaefer are the main survivors in Wolfsburg's first group and VfL have lost seven in succession against Premier League clubs in Europe. 

Their last home thrashing to an English club was a 2-0 misfortune to Everton last season in the Europa League's gathering stages. 

Amid his two-year rule as Bayern Munich mentor, Van Gaal was unbeaten in four experiences with Wolfsburg, winning three of them. 

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is set to play his first diversion for the Red Devils in Germany since transfering from Bayern Munich. 

United were held to a goalless draw by West Ham at Old Trafford on Saturday which left them fourth in the Premier League table, while Wolfsburg endured a 2-1 rout at home to Dortmund on Saturday. 

In all rivalries, Wolfsburg have lost only four of their last 42 home recreations and have a 100 for each penny record there in the Champions League this term. 

"We need to win to advance, so we need to return to business and get ready for what is an enormous amusement for us," said Wolfsburg mentor Dieter Hecking as his side hope to keep their fantasies alive of coming to the knockout stages.

Source : Dawn

Samson Siasia's mother released by kidnappers

The mother of Nigeria's U-23 mentor, Samson Siasia, Madame Ogere Siasia, 72, who was kidnapped from her home in Bayelsa on November seventeenth has been discharged by her ruffians. The lady was discharged a couple of days back unharmed. The Bayelsa police order affirmed her discharge however ,did not say if a payoff was paid for her discharge or on the off chance that anybody has been captured.

FG threatens to stop Sunday Oliseh’s unveiling as new Super Eagles head coach on Wednesday

The Federal government through the National Sports Commission (NSC) has threatened to stop the planned unveiling of Sunday Oliseh as the new head coach of Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday July 15th.

According to The Guardian, a letter was sent to NFF from the office of the NSC yesterday July 12th, stating that Sunday Oliseh's appointment as the new head coach for Super Eagles after Stephen Keshi's sack did not conform with the Procurement Act procedure for engagement.

According to NSC, the office of the head coach of the Super Eagles is still vacant and no one has been appointed to take over from Stephen Keshi. A source in the Nigeria Sports Commission's management team said

"The procedure for hiring Sunday Oliseh did not pass through the Procurement Act. It was the same when the NSC employed the High Performance Directors. The Sports Commission requested for waiver for selective bidding, which enabled us to select people based on their credentials. We selected people and interviewed them in the United Kingdom. The Deputy Director in charge of Procurement attended because it is a procurement exercise, which must go in accordance with the Procurement Act. The engagement of Oliseh is a contractual one but it is unfortunate that the federation may not have been guided accordingly. If the federation goes ahead to unveil Oliseh on Wednesday without following the due process, they would be violating the Procurement Act, they would be found liable. The truth is that even if they have secured the consent of a private company to pick Oliseh’s bills, the law of the land on engagement must be observed. The procedure is for the NFF to write to the Sports Commission informing them of their plans to engage a technical expertise like the Eagles chief coach and his assistants, specifying the terms of relationship. If they don’t want to advertise, they can do selective bidding. If they must interview and hire Oliseh alone, they must apply for waiver of certificate of no objection giving reason for the decision to settle for him alone. Unveiling him on Wednesday is tantamount to violation of the due process of the procurement in accordance with Procurement Act. Writing to NSC is just a point of information and point of information is not a legal process. NSC has no business with their day-to-day operation but if the operation violates the law, we will draw their attention to it and take any managerial and administrative measure that must be taken. As I speak to you, NSC does not know whether there is any unveiling this week because we are an institution guided by official communication and far as we are concerned, nobody from the federation has communicated to us officially if there will be any unveiling". he said