Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka To Be Offered Switch From Switzerland To Kosovo

Granit Xhaka is expected to be offered the chance to represent Kosovo when the national team’s squad is announced later this week.

Kosovo was formally recognised as a country by FIFA just four months ago and is preparing for a first ever full international against Finland on Monday, Sep. 5.
And Arsenal midfielder Xhaka is one of a number of players now eligible to represent the 211th FIFA nation.
“Kosovo has called up publicly and privately every Kosovan player who currently plays for any other national team,” a statement from the Football Federation of Kosovo said. “Everyone is welcomed to join us on our new and very important challenges.”

And the Arsenal supporters’ club of Kosovo has also urged Xhaka, who played for Switzerland at the recent European Championship, to answer the call.
“As much as we appreciate what countries like Switzerland have done to raise our children, we want them back as we need them,” an open letter from the supporters’ club read. “Kosovo needs the likes of Granit Xhaka.
“Granit, it is high time for you to become an idol Kosovo-wide, a living hero.
“Playing for Kosovo’s national team you might not benefit materially as much as you would playing for Switzerland, but you would win something much more valuable and significant; our hearts.”

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You won't believe what the Olympic gold medal is worth until you see this

An Olympic medal is worth glory and fame , just not very much cash.The 500-gram gold medals earned by Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles are nearly 99 percent recycled silver. They contain just 1.2 percent gold, mostly used as plating,Daily Mail reports.

They are worth about $587 in current market prices.
Victor Hugo Berbert, head of medal-making at Brazil's National Mint in Rio de Janeiro,said

It's a great honor and a great responsibility,'  Each of the 5,130 Olympic and Paralympic medals took about 48 hours to make

Much of the silver is recycled from old mirrors and X-ray plates. The gold is free of mercury, which is often used to separate gold from ore and can poison local ecosystems if not carefully disposed of.
The last time athletes earned medals made of pure gold was at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.

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See This Hiding Truth That Just Came Out of the Olympics [Must See]

Prayer is good but you must back it with serious work if you want to make "positive" progress. #Life

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Breaking News: So Sad! Former FIFA President Is Dead

Former FIFA President Joao Havelenge has died aged 100.

Havelenge was the President of the world football's governing body (FIFA) from 1974 to 1998 before Sepp Blatter replaced him. He passed away in Samaritano Hospital in Rio de Janiero after been in and out of the hospital due to respiratory problems.

He was an Olympic swimmer and water polo player for his country Brazil before becoming the first non-European to head the International Football Federation (FIFA) in 1974.

During his tenure, FIFA was transformed and saw rise of its flagship event, the World Cup into a multi-billion dollar venture.

On leaving the office of President he was made a honorary President but Havelenge resigned as the honourary President due to corruption allegations levied against him and others in 2013.

Joao Havelenge who was a Lawyer and businessman also served as a member of the International Olympic Committee between 1963 and 2011.

The Engenhao stadium in Rio de Janeiro is named in his honour.

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Stunning Victory! Usain Bolt WINS his 3rd straight Olympic 100m gold (See More Photos)

Usain Bolt completed an historic hat-trick of Olympic 100m titles,securing his place as the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the only man or woman to win the Olympic 100 three times, which he accomplished at three consecutive Games.

The champion of Beijing and London added Rio to his list of conquered cities by striding to victory in 9.81 seconds.
Bolt expressed disappointment that he not gone quicker, telling BBC One:

"I'm really happy but I expected to go faster. After the semi-final I felt extremely good. I wanted to run faster but with the turnaround time - we normally have two hours, but we had one hour 20 minutes - it was challenging.
“This is what we train for. I told you guys I was going to do it. Stay tuned, two more to go."

His main rival, Justin Gatlin of the United States, the 2004 Olympic champion who later served a suspension for doping , took the silver medal in 9.89 seconds. Andre De Grasse of Canada won the bronze in 9.91.

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Hungry For Gold!! Nigerian boxer Efe Ajagba knocks out opponent in just 23secs at Rio (More Photos)

This Naija boxer, Efe Ajagba, is damn strong. It took him just 23 seconds to knockout his Trinidad & Tobago opponent, Nigel Paul, in Boxing Super Heavyweight 91kg category at Rio 2016 Olympics.

Efe is Nigeria's sole representative in boxing at the Olympic Games and he outclassed his opponent in round one, to show why he is highly rated and tipped as a prospective medalist in the event.

Ajagba, who won the 2015 African Games showed a high level of confidence, aiming all his punches accurately which paid-off, and in less than a minute he sent Paul crashing.

No boxer has won by a knockout in Rio except the Nigerian, who won Bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. Ajagba has qualified for the quarter-finals and is billed to face a very stern test against Ivan Dychko from Kazakhstan on Tuesday, August 16. We wish him well!

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Sprinter in hijab becomes the first woman to compete for Saudi Arabia in the 100m at the Olympics

Sprinter Kariman Abuljadayel  became the first Saudi Arabian woman to compete in the 100m sprint  at the Olympics today .She is one of four females from the country to be taking part in the Rio games.

Despite her full body kit,he 22-year-old still managed to flash some mid-riff as she finished seventh in her first-round heat. Though she did not qualify for the finals,she garnered praise around the world...

Abuljadayel follows in the footsteps of Sarah Attar, the first female track athlete to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics in 2012, and the first to compete in a hijab...

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Rio Olympics: Bolt, Gatlin Ready For 100m Duel

The battle to be crowned world’s fastest man takes centre stage at the Rio Olympics on Sunday with Usain Bolt facing another showdown with Justin Gatlin where the image of athletics will be on the line.

Twelve months ago, when Bolt vanquished Gatlin in the World Championship 100m final, many suggested the Jamaican sprint king had “saved” his sport from a bruising reputational body blow.
The prospect of 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin — twice found guilty of doping during his career — was too much to stomach for many in athletics.
Yet the notion that Bolt’s victory in Beijing had set track and field on a road to redemption turned out to be woefully premature.
In the 12 months since, athletics has been left reeling by a corruption scandal involving top-level administrators and revelations over Russian doping that plunged the sport into the worst crisis in its history.
It means that Sunday’s 100m final at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium, set for 10.25pm local time (0125 GMT Monday) will inevitably once more be framed as a battle of “good versus evil” — Bolt vs Gatlin.
In a global audience of hundreds of millions, many fans, including International Association of Athletics Federations chief Sebastian Coe, may be tempted to watch through their fingers.
Gatlin, 34, wearily rejects a narrative he sees as unfair, adamant that his story is far more nuanced than the bald, oft-applied label — “two-time dope cheat” — implies.
His first doping suspension in 2001 arose from the use of a drug to treat attention deficit disorder that he had been prescribed since childhood.
The US panel hearing that case found he “was certainly not a doper.”
A second positive in 2006 — for excessive levels of testosterone — was more problematic.
Gatlin blamed the results on sabotage by a therapist but was banned for eight years, later reduced to four on appeal.
– Hurt by ‘villain’ tag –

“It’s hurtful, it’s hurtful to be looked at as a villain because that’s not how I portray myself, that’s not how my son portrays me or my family,” said Gatlin, who booked his ticket to Rio with the fastest 100m time in the world this year last month, 9.80sec.
Gatlin may find it hard to escape the opprobrium, however, if he defeats Bolt on Sunday to deny a fairytale swansong for the sport’s greatest showman.
Bolt is aiming to sign off a majestic Olympic career by successfully defending his triple crown of 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles for a third straight Olympics.
The 29-year-old has endured a frustrating season, repeatedly bothered by a hamstring problem that has required extensive treatment and forced him to cut short his appearance at Jamaica’s trials in Kingston in July.
However he appeared in relaxed mood on Monday at his first press conference since arriving in B.razil, shimmying with scantily-clad samba dancers and wise-cracking with journalists.
Even when asked about his sport’s year of shame, which culminated with Russia barred from the Olympics, Bolt was upbeat.
“For me, I think we’re going in the right direction, I must say,” Bolt said. “We’re weeding out the bad ones,” he added, stating he was unconcerned by the prospect of lining up against opponents who are not clean.
“In life, nothing is guaranteed. But for me going out there, I never worry about it,” said Bolt, who has a knack of raising his game when titles are at stake.
“As a young kid, you grow up looking forward to the big Games,” he said. “Championships are what matters. This is what I do, I enjoy doing it.”
The likeliest challenge to Bolt and Gatlin could come from the next generation of sprinters led by Trayvon Bromell of the United States and France’s Jimmy Vicaut.
Bromell, 21, has the world’s second fastest 100m time this year (9.84) whie Vicaut, 24, has the third fastest (9.86).

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FOUR Strong Reasons Why Manchester United Can Win The English Premier League Next Season

So everybody on Naijaloaded is anticipating the new English Premier League Season which kicks off on Saturday, August 13th.
One of the clubs in the Premier League that has, by far, had the most busiest of the summer transfer overhaul is definitely Manchester United.
Naijaloaded highlights some reasons why Manchester United can win the Premier League this coming season.
1) Jose Mourinho Effect-
As evident in the victory against Leicester City, Jose Mourinho is a winner.
His tactical master-class in the Community Shield guided Man United to the trophy as we all saw.
2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic Presence
So he leaped and scored the winning goal for United against Leicester in the community shield game at Wembley? Well for Ibrahimovic, that is another day in the office.
Manchester United made a big bargain to bring the former Paris Saint-Germain striker to Old Trafford on a free transfer.
Expect more incredible moments like that this season from the giant.
3) Paul Pogba is a winner
Tongues have been wagging about the big money transfer for Pogba.
Pogba was allowed to leave United for £1.5m by former boss Alex Ferguson, and in Juventus, he matured into arguably one of the finest young prospects in football, helping Juve win four consecutive Serie A titles, as well as two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
In 2013, he won the Golden Boy award; a recognition given to the most promising young players in the world.
Though Manchester United signed him back for a gigantic price, which is not a problem for the club, expect Pogba to repay ever penny spent on him.
4) United Play As A Team Now
If you saw the game against Leicester, you would observe how Manchester United tactically dismantled the reigning champions. For a team noted to have counter attacking strength, the Foxes struggled to have create any of that in the game. Riyad Mahrez was quiet. Jamie Vardy was lost.
Much of that is due to Mourinho’s well drilled tactical plans.
He’s changed a lot about that team and instilled a winning mentality.
Manchester United are really the team to watch out for in the new season.
Do you think Manchester United will win the League?

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Prodigal Sons!! 5 “Football Returnee Stars” That Staged Heroic Comeback To Their Former Clubs

 
The recent trending news of Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United brings back memories of players that staged a comeback to their former clubs and went on to help these clubs win trophies.
Here is a list of “returnees stars”:

 
Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
United legend, Paul Scholes who spent 19 years at the Old Trafford, retired from football in 2001 only to stage a comeback due to central midfield crisis at the club, he won a Premier League in 2013 before finally hanging his boots.


 
Cesc Fàbregas (Barcelona)
The former Gunners captain left La Masia, Barca academy to join Arsenal where he became famous among the club’s fans but the love went sour when Cesc decided to return to Barcelona where he won a couple of titles with the Catalan giants.

 
Nemanja Matić (Chelsea)
The Serbian international returned to Chelsea in 2014 having he left the Stamford Bridge for SL Benfica few seasons earlier. The defensive midfielder went on to win the Premier League title in emphatic fashion.

 
Didier Drogba(Chelsea)
The Ivorian Legend left Chelsea after 8 years at the Stamford Bridge, he then moved to Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray. Drogba moved back to Stamford Bridge in 2014 lifting the EPL title one last time.


Gerard Piqué (Barcelona)
The Barca Academy graduate moved to Manchester United where he spent four seasons before returning to Barcelona in a £5m transfer, forging a strong partnerships with Carlos Puyol. He went on to win multiple Spanish La Liga titles, 3 Champions Leagues among others trophies.
Which do you think is the greatest come back!!

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Finally! Arsenal Make New Signing

The agent of Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi has confirmed an incredible news that is sure to delight Arsenal fans
Mustafi, 24, has reportedly agreed personal terms with English side Arsenal ahead of a move to the Emirates Stadium, with medicals slated for Monday, August 15th.
Manager Arsene Wenger is eager to improve his defensive options after losing Per Mertesacker and Gabriel to various injuries.
Laurent Koscielny has only just returned to training following his duty call in the Euro 2016.
“Shkodran and Arsenal have reached an agreement, the clubs now only have to agree on the fee,” his agent, Ali Bulut told Spox.
Arsenal fans- Will Mustafi’s signing be enough to win the League?

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See The Odds Leicester City Manager Wants You To Bet On His Team Next Season

 
Football Bet is another means of survival in Nigeria, and luckily, Leciester City’s manager wants you to win big in the coming season.
With the big teams in the English Premier League aggressively buying players to boost their squad’s chances for the title in the coming season, Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester City’s boss that miraculously guided his team to the Premier League trophy last season believes it would be a very difficult feat this time around to achieve.
When asked if his team can win the League again, he said:
“It’s impossible, there is more chance of E.T. landing in Piccadilly Circus!
“But I think now we have less pressure than last season. Everything is different. We have to be clever to repeat it. It’s 6,000-1.”
Remember that many football bet websites gave Leicester City 6,000-1 odds to win the League last season and they shocked everybody by winning it.
So you can take that risk this time!
Can Leicester City again win the English Premier League title in the coming season?

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Rio 2016 Olympics: Siasia Promises To Work On Team’s Defence Ahead Of Denmark Clash

 
Head coach of Nigeria’s U-23 team, Samson Siasia, has admitted that he has to work on his defensive setup, ahead of their quarter-final fixture against Denmark.
The Dream Team VI, who qualified as group winners, will take on the Europeans for a place in the final four on Saturday by 8pm Nigerian time.
Ahead of the game, Siasia is keen to fix lapses in defence, which has seen his team concede six times in just three games.
He said: “Going into the knockout stage, that’s a different ball game. If you lose, you go home, so all those mistakes we have been making mostly in the backline have to be corrected. We didn’t do a good job on the Colombian forwards. We really have to work harder on our defending.
“In the first half, we had a couple of good chances and Etebo had a very good one that he should have scored. But one good thing about him is that he always puts himself in good positions. He didn’t score today; that’s football. Hopefully, in the next game, we can convert our chances and defend better.”

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Manchester United Fringe Players Will Get Chance In Cup Matches – Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has said he understands the frustration of Manchester United’s fringe players but has told them things will be different when the cup competitions begin.

United start their campaigns in both the Capital One Cup and the Europa League in September, giving manager Mourinho the chance to use more of his players.
He told MUTV: “I’m really happy [with my squad]. It’s the first time I’ve worked with such a number of players because I’m used to working with 20 plus the keepers.
“We have, in the squad, 23 plus the keepers — and even so we had to make decisions and let some players go on loan, and try to sell others.
“But this group of 23 is a great group and I think in this moment — and I told them this — there is a little bit of frustration for the ones that I have not selected.
“They work hard to be in the match and they aren’t, and this is going to happen because we have just one Premier League match.

“But in September the Capital One Cup starts, the Europa League starts, we start playing three matches a week and then everybody is involved and the squad is good.”
Mourinho, who dedicated the Community Shield win over Leicester to those left out of the matchday squad, said he was pleased the club had delivered the signings he was targeting following the world record arrival of Paul Pogba from Juventus.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way we did our market because we got four players that we really believe in and we thought about the profile — the tactical profile, the physical profile, the personality,” he added.
“And we got them all before the start of the Premier League, when the transfer window only closes at the end of the month and it becomes normal, almost a tradition, that people delay and delay and delay.”

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Ramsey And Sanchez Could Face Liverpool – Wenger

Arsene Wenger has said Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez will feature in Sunday’s friendly against Manchester City but isn’t sure whether they are fit enough to start against Liverpool.

Ramsey and Sanchez returned to full training on Thursday after extended summer breaks and sat out Friday’s 8-0 win over Viking in Norway.
Speaking ahead of the City game, being played in Sweden, Wenger said: “Yes, they’ll play a part in the game — both of them are in reasonably good form physically already.
“I took this Friday and Sunday to give competition to everybody, so we’ll see how much and how long I will play them.”
On Friday, Wenger confirmed that Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny would all miss the Liverpool game because they are yet to return to training following their Euro 2016 campaigns.
But he said he hoped Ramsey and Sanchez would be able to play, adding: “I don’t rule it out. I want to see how fit they are tomorrow, how much they can cope with the intensity of the game and how they respond to that.
“We will make a decision afterwards — it’s possible.”
Wenger said Sanchez was about “90 percent” after the ankle injury he suffered in the Copa America final in June.
But the Arsenal boss added that he believed the break the Chile forward had after the tournament should mean he is ready.

“The problem with Sanchez is to be cautious with him because it’s nearly impossible,” he said. “But you know what I did, I gave him a long break because I know that this was needed for him.
“I know as well that you give Sanchez five weeks holiday, he will stay quiet one week and after he will start to run everywhere and he comes back fit.
“I hope I got it right, that he had a good rest and regenerated a little bit, because he looks alright. We will see on Sunday.”
Centre-back Per Mertesacker is out with a long-term knee injury, leaving Calum Chambers, Rob Holding and Krystian Bielik competing for a spot alongside Gabriel Paulista in central defence until Koscielny comes back.
Wenger said one of the three was likely to start against Liverpool.
“I might use a few combinations during the Man City game. But I believe with Bielik, Chambers and Holding, it will be between the three,” he added.
Sunday will see Arsenal’s first meeting with former captain Mikel Arteta, who joined City’s coaching staff after retiring as a player.
“It will be weird for us to see him on the wrong bench. That’s a new role for him, and it was a good opportunity for him as well,” Wenger said.
“He wants to a manager in the future, and the best way is to learn to the job from the top managers.”

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Failure To Sign Pogba Will Damage Man Utd Mentality – Ferdinand

A failure to sign Paul Pogba could lead to an unhappy dressing room at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand has warned.

It was gathered Jose Mourinho’s side are set to sign the midfielder form Juventus for €110 million, though a deal is yet to be completed.
United were thought to be keen on striking a deal before Sunday’s Community Shield against Leicester City, but they are yet to make a breakthrough.
And Ferdinand is concerned that United players who have been expecting to line up alongside Pogba could become disillusioned if the deal is not done.
“As a player in the changing room, you’ve been thinking for so long: ‘He’s coming, he’s coming’,” Ferdinand was quoted as saying by The Independent.
“If he doesn’t sign it could have an adverse effect mentally on the players in the changing room. For a short period of time at least.
“It’s important they sign him.”

Some have suggested United are hugely overpaying for Pogba after seeing him leave on a free just four years ago, but Ferdinand feels the transfer fee will soon be forgotten if the France international leads them to glory.
“Of course it isn’t good business but, listen, when Chelsea sold Nemanja Matic and bought him back for £20m-plus it was the same,” Ferdinand added. “It’s bigger than that but it’s still a loss. That’s the way it goes.
“When he comes it’s just going to be down to the black and white: Will he perform? Will Manchester United win trophies? That’s how you get judged.
“People were saying when I went there that £30m was too much but then we started to win and people now look back and think ‘you know what, it wasn’t that expensive’. When you can say you’ve won six Premier League titles in 12 years, it’s okay.
“If he goes there for £100m and in 10 years he wins five titles and earns £100m worth in shirts sales, you’ll say ‘well done, good business’.”

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Mikel Arteta Deletes All Arsenal Posts Off Instagram…See Shocking Reason

Former Arsenal midfielder, Mikel Arteta seems to have cut all ties with the gunners as be opens a news chapter in his sporting career.

The former Gunners captain has wiped clean his social media account following his move to Manchester City, and unfollowed his former club on the website, Goal reports.

Mikel Arteta has risked angering Arsenal fans by deleting all posts on his official Instagram from his time at the Emirates Stadium.

The Spaniard left the Gunners at the end of last season following the expiry of his contract and took up a coaching role under Pep Guardiola at Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Arteta is very much starting afresh on Instgram and now only following City’s official page, along with many of Guardiola’s squad. The likes of Santi Cazorla, Hector Bellerin and Petr Cech survived the cull, though.

Arteta captained Arsenal on multiple occasions, including the FA Cup final win over Hull City in 2014, and made nearly 150 appearances over an injury-hit five-year spell.

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Rooney Reveals New Man Utd Role

The 30-year-old has confirmed that he will be played directly behind a striker this season and will not be used in the deeper role given to him by Louis van Gaal last term
Wayne Rooney admits he is keen to get to grips with his new position after being told by Jose Mourinho that he will play as a No.10 for Manchester United.

The 30-year-old was deployed in a central midfield role during the latter stages of United’s last season under Louis van Gaal and maintained that position throughout England’s Euro 2016 campaign earlier this summer.

But in his debut press conference, Mourinho was adamant that he would not consider Rooney as a midfielder option, and the England captain is relishing the prospect of another change in position.

“It’s almost like a free role and I am excited to play it,” said Rooney.

“He said to me about playing No.10. That is something I’ve now got to work on and get myself in the right position to score goals. I have scored goals all through my career and I have no doubt in my goalscoring ability. Hopefully I can do that this season.

“I like to be involved in the game and I am now playing for Jose who, straight away, has no fears about players coming deep if they want to.

“It’s a different way of playing, a different manager, different ideas and if I can bring my game and qualities to this team, then I know I can create chances and score goals.”

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Wenger Vows To Spend ‘Big Money’

The Gunners boss has brought in Granit Xhaka as the highest-profile signing so far, but he is not ruling out other lucrative moves should the right deal arise
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stressed that he is ready to spend big if the right candidate becomes available.

The Emirates side secured the services of Granit Xhaka before Euro 2016 to get their transfer business underway and have since brought in promising youngsters Takumo Asano and Rob Holding to further add to their ranks.

Wenger has received his fair share of criticism for his failure to bring in a high-profile centre-back and striker, though, as their Premier League rivals have spent big.

Nevertheless, the Arsenal boss has made it clear the Gunners are not done on the transfer market themselves just yet either.

“We are very active. If we find the right candidates then we will spend the big money,” Wenger told the club’s official website after the 1-1 friendly draw with Lens.

“We have already spent big. Overall we have made a big investment already but we are active.

“I wouldn’t like to come out on names because if you don’t get them afterwards, people ask why. We are active, very active every day and it’s not over. Today we are on July 22 and the transfer market finishes on August 31. You know that a lot happens in the last week, so it’s a long time to go, but we are active and we are working.

“Until now, nobody has spent more on a transfer than we have in this country. Even if [Paul] Pogba might fly from Italy to England today, I don’t know…”

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Man Utd Reach Agreement To Sign Paul Pogba For World-record €110m Fee

Manchester United have agreed a world record deal to sign Paul Pogba for €110 million, Goal reports.
Officials from the Premier League club met with their Juventus counterparts earlier on Wednesday to discuss a deal to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford.
It is now understood that United have settled on a fee of €110m for Pogba, which eclipses the previous record set when Real Madrid paid €100m for Gareth Bale in 2013.
The France international will sign a five-year contract for the Red Devils.
Pogba had also been linked with the likes of Real, but they were priced out of a move and the France international was happy to leave Juventus after weighing up his options.

The midfielder is said to be ready to accept a €13m annual salary at Old Trafford, which would almost treble the wages he is currently earning at Juventus.
He originally left United for Juventus four years ago due to a lack of first-team opportunities, but his imminent return to the club will cap a busy start in the transfer market for new boss Jose Mourinho.
United have already added Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to their squad, with Mourinho keen to get his major business tied up as quickly as possible.

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