Loosing half of Your Wealth as a Sportsman Starts with a Step in the Name of Love

The mesmerizing show of skills of some talented sportsmen especially footballers will most certainly convince their fans and the general audience that their out of the sports life is almost perfect. As much as this is what the average spectator will think, this is not really, really the reality for most of them. Going through notable names names that have accomplished certain feats in the football, we will discover that they have a certain 'demon' outside of the pitch that they are trying to curtail and kick behind.

In 2019, Daniel Sturridge, A senior team player and striker for Liverpool FC in the English premier league was banned from involvement in football related activities for the club and also fined seventy-five thousand pounds (75,000) after being investigated and found guilty of breaching betting rules.

In a similar situation, Brentford player and also a prolific striker, Ivan Toney was charged with a Two hundred and thirty two (232) counts of breaching English FA's soccer betting rules. He admitted to gambling addiction and thereafter handed an eight months ban from football related activity.

If we are not contending with the foregoing unfortunate news about athletes, we have will be dealing with sexual addiction, promiscuity and bad adventures of sports men such as having, multiple sex partners, secret lovers, rape allegations, hard drugs abuse and reckless behaviour that should not be common place in the life of public figures such as footballers.

In 2023, the world was left shook about a revelation that emanated from Hiba Abouk's legal proceedings. It was a court proceeding that should have her half as rich as her estranged husband. Following alleged rape allegations against former PSG star boy, Achraf Hakimi, his wife Hiba filed for divorce at a French a court seeking half of his properties and wealth in what could have been a devastating outcome to the young footballer.

But the case was quickly turned around as the court declares that the young footballer has no properties in his names that could possibly be shared as all his wealth accumulations were legally registered to his mother's name and therefore not his. And that was how Hakimi wealth acquisitions remained intact to date.

The step in the name of love that many men athletes take have recently been seen as a scary part for them as their partners and love counterparts always see these engagements as a means to an end. If this is not the case, then how come everyone of these so called love partners are filing for divorce from their rich football or athlete husbands and laying claim to half of their monies and properties. And so, one begins to wonder if these love that are being professed are genuine.

The latest in this love/marriage hitting rock bottoms is the case of the super manager Pep Guardiola. The manager that have taken the world by storm as one of the best with great tactics and accolades laced with sweet trophies to his name. His side, Manchester City have been seen to be having a very poor run of form since October 2024 to end of same year.

It has been revealed that the manager himself have been involved in the latest round of divorce with his wife of thirty years. The partners have been together for the past thirty, 30, years and married for 10 of those years. The wife filed for divorce with claims that the Manchester City manager has neglected his family - his wife and kids. He has been focused mainly with his coaching career and abandoned his fatherly roles.

The married currently stands dissolved with Serra having to get half of his totally of his wealth and properties worth roughly around $126 million. That is quit something. This can only happen after a step in the name of love has been initiated. Why can't this step lead to forever?

Does it really have to end?

Will Eric Chelle save the Super Eagles?

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have just secured the services of former Mali boss Eric Chelle to head it's coaching team. The Super Eagles hhave not been lucky with coaches in recent times as coaches who have come in into the fold have stayed no longer than two years in recent times.

A pattern that have worried stakeholders of the team (Nigerians). Jose Peseiro managed the team till the end of their involvement in the continental competition in Ivory Coast. But of course, staying above two years seems to be a bad luck and so he resigned with former player, Finidi George standing in at the interim.

Finidi took over on the 29th of April and managed the team to a few games that cumulated in poor results. He had to resign following pressure and backlash he received from the Nigerian people and even some of the key players in the team. He left the job same year and also taking a position at NPFL team, Rivers United.

Eric Chelle managed the Mali team since 2022, playing twenty two 22, games. He won 14, draw five (5) and lost three (3). The stats favour him. The team will be hoping that he replicates this success with the Nigeria senior team who have been struggling at qualification for a playing slot at the coming FIFA world cup.

An Upset at Jeddah - Barcelona thrashes Real Madrid 5 - 2 to lift Spanish Super Cup

It was a chilling encounter at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia where the finals of the Spanish super cup competition was held. The competition saw a three match fixture culminate into a frenzy for the Catalan giants on Sunday, 12th January 2025. 

FC Barcelona coming into this cup competition after a back to back home defeats against the duo of Leganes and Atletico Madrid in the La Liga have always seemed to be the underdog considering the size and caliber of players involved on the Madrid  side.

Madrid came into the competition with a winning streak advantage of six wins in seven games without a loss. There run of form was only stopped by FC Barcelona at the Super Cup finals. A finals that was hugely anticipated to deliver key events especially Madrid fans who consider their team invincibles. Now, someone has to remind and convince them that this is football and the unimaginable happens at a time when no one expects.

The game kicked off at 8pm at the King Abdullah Sports City with the Madrid team opening scoring with Mbappe's clean dribble and nice finish at only the 5th minute with Vinicius Jnr assisting the goal. However, the number 19 shirt wearing man, Lamine Yamal equalized with a subline finish off of Lewandowski's sweet assist at the 22nd minute.

Funny thing, was that the Barca team owned the game from the time of the equalizer onwards going on to score other four, 4, additional goals. Two from Raphina, one from Balde and one goal from Robert Lweandoski. At sixtieth minute, Rodrygo made it two for the Real Madrid team but it wasn't enough to cause a comeback or kick an upset despite Barcelona's team reduced to 10 man team following the shot stoppers red card at the fifty sixth minute.

Ancelotti, Madrid's coach has revealed he told the players at the break, “At half-time, I told the players let's see if we can START playing football”.

Hansi Flick was once asked after the game how he was able to manage Barca winning back to back games against Real Madrid with a nine goals score line. His reply was quite simple;

“How did we score 9 goals to Real Madrid in two games? Just FOLLOW THE PLAN”.

The Super Cup final between Real Madrid and Barcelona ended five, 5, goals to 2 in favour of Barcelona.