Tag Archives: premier league

Chinese Super League Can Rival Premier League – Oscar

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New Shanghai SIPG recruit Oscar believes that the Chinese Super League could eventually compete with the Premier League if more star names make the move to Asia.

Oscar made a massive €60 million (£51m) switch from Premier League leaders Chelsea to SIPG earlier in January, linking up with fellow Brazil international Hulk and coach Andre-Villas Boas.

The 25-year-old, who scored in his first appearance in a friendly win over Al Batin, arrives at a time when Carlos Tevez, Axel Witsel, Ramires, Alex Teixeira, Ezequiel Lavezzi, John Obi Mikel, Graziano Pelle, Burak Yilmaz, Paulinho, Renato Augusto, Fredy Guarin and Jackson Martinez all call China home.

And Oscar feels that the lucrative CSL will only get better with further investment.

“If they continue in this way, maybe yes, because they have lots of good projects,” he told Sky Sports.

“Of course the Premier League [has higher] level of players in the world but the Chinese guys are very good. They help the new players a lot and I hope they continue this because I come to help.

“The transfer was good for me, good for Chelsea, good for Shanghai, and I’m so happy to come to the Chinese Super League.

“I think the Chinese clubs [spend] a lot of money for the players to go to China, to make the league stronger. They made me an offer and I’m very happy to come.”

Bundesliga tactically, technically better than Premier League, says Okocha.

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Former Super Eagles’ Skipper, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, believes the German Bundesliga is tactically and technically better than the English Premiership.

Speaking at a forum organised by digital television company, StarTimes and DFL Deutsche Fussball Liga, in Lagos on Friday, Okocha, who started his professional career in the German league, said the Bundesliga’s current average attendance of about 42,000 fans per match is the highest in a professional football league worldwide and only second after the American National Football League (NFL) compared to all professional sports leagues.

He added, “The Bundesliga is better than Premier League in terms of tactical approach, technical approach, discipline, stadium attendance and number of goals scored per week.”

Also at the forum were christened Bundesliga Legend Tour with Jay Jay Okocha, were Manager for International Marketing – DFL, Tobias Ross; Manager for Sales and Marketing – DFL, Bundesliga, Henning Brinkmann, and Manager for Events and Promotion – DFL, Jana Bernhard.

Startimes said in a statement that the programme is a move to change the Pay TV landscape in Africa and offer surplus entertainment access to subscribers.

According to StarTimes Marketing Director, Mr. Dare Kafar, “The Bundesliga Legends Tour is a continuation of the journey that was started more than 12 months ago when StarTimes signed the exclusive broadcast right of the Bundesliga for five years in Nigeria.”

He added that StarTimes is also using the platform to allow subscribers and fans to interact with their Bundesliga legends. Okocha while in Lagos and Accra will share his experience on the Bundesliga during live studio shows and serve as co-commentator for Bundesliga matches. Moreover he will take part in various activities like football clinics and autograph sessions for African football fans.

Another Bundesliga legend, Sunday Oliseh, will visit Kenya between tomorrow and December 22, where he will appear as an analyst and guest with media partners, holding training sessions with local football managers and meeting with football fans in Nairobi.’

Speaking on behalf of the Managing Director, DFL Sports Enterprises, Mr. Daubitzer, Tobias Ross stated that, “Bundesliga is very proud to partner with StarTimes and Jay-Jay Okocha. He underlined that it is very important for us to take the Bundesliga experience out of Germany with activities such as the Legends Tour. We want to be close to our international supporters and show them what makes the Bundesliga so special.”

Premier League: I made a mistake in freezing Yaya Toure out – Guardiola

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Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has admitted he may have made a big mistake in freezing Yaya Toure out of the team.

 

Toure scored a match-winning brace, as City defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday, after being left out for almost three months by the Spaniard.

 

The Ivorian midfielder will be unavailable when Guardiola travels with his team to face Borussia Mochengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday, as he was excluded from the squad for the competition.

 

“I’m here to take decisions. Maybe I make mistakes, but I have to take decisions and I respect that all the people cannot agree with me. That happened,” Guardiola said.

 

“I spoke in the last month, many times with Yaya because he was my player with Barcelona, I know him very well. So I know how he is like a player.

 

“As a player there is no doubt — if there was a doubt he would not be here. He is another guy to compete with our midfield players and increase our level.”

Just In: Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte is EPL Manager of the Month [Video]

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Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte has been voted as the October EPL Manager of the Month.

 

In a video posted on Twitter by the English Premier League account, Antonio Conte was seen appreciating the award he was honored with.

 

Antonio Conte has now joined an illustrious list of previous Chelsea FC bosses to be crowned Barclay’s Football Manager of the Month!

 

Watch Video Below:

 

 

Switch To 4-4-2 Means £25m Rated EPL Striker Could Become A Gunner

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When a transfer window is close to reopening, smaller clubs inevitably starts getting weary about the possibility that the financially endowed clubs could come knocking for some of their prized assets. One of such club and player is Swansea’s Wilfred Bony. The Ivorian international who is in his second season with the Welsh side has again started attracting interest from other clubs. The 25 year old is currently the highest scorer in the Premier League for the calendar year, 2014. And he is likely to keep that record until the year ends.

As a result of renewed speculations about his future, Swansea City manager Garry Monk has claimed that it would take something huge to take Bony away from the Liberty Stadium.

“We are not a selling club, we don’t have to sell anyone. We’re very much committed with our players and they are committed to us. It’s a good achievement for Wilfred (to be the top Premier League scorer in 2014) because he works incredibly hard on the training ground. Money does dictate things but it would take an astronomical fee for anyone to take him anywhere.” he said.

In one go, he claims that Swansea City are not a selling club, and in another go, he states a huge fee could force the club’s hands to part with the player. Going by the goals he has scored since he joined Swansea from Dutch side FC Twente for £12 million, his price is expected to have doubled since that time. Reports last summer claim the player could be bought for £25m.

Now, his availability is subject to how high any club is willing to go to pay for his services, this could arouse a number of clubs including Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s recent switch to a 4-4-2 formation could open the door for the club to sign another striker. And what better player than Wilfred Bony who has strived in the Premier League since he arrived England, making mockery of the myth that players from the lesser European leagues cannot hit the ground running when they come to the Premier League.

He has remained in the radar of Arsenal for sometime, and the club followed his progress when he was lighting up the Dutch League, he was linked several times to Arsenal when speculation heighten in January that Arsene Wenger could bring in a striker to complement Oliver Giroud. But it still did not go further than speculations.

Having proved that he can indeed extend his art and craft from the Eredivise to the Premier League, he is very unlikely to stay in Wales for a long time; it would be a matter of time before he joins a bigger club. And if Arsene Wenger decides to embrace a 4-4-2 formation with more regularity, then the club could well have need for another striker after all.

Source – arse talks .com