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?

December Rush: The Premier League Dilemma

On the heels of a new year comes December. December is a month that premier league stakeholders - players, club managers as well as owners fidgets. It is a month that puts great pressure on players to deliver results in the midst of packed schedule.

The premier league clubs and players have over the years complained about these fixtures and the premier league authority seem not to be bothered. Some clubs like Chelsea FC have as many as nine games to execute within the month. Tottenham has nine, Manchester United has eight. Fulham has a reduced match as they are to execute seven matches in December, Liverpool has nine and City have eight fixtures for December. The teams that have appearance at European club competitions have more matches to execute.

The issues arising from these compacted match fixtures is the most likelihood of injuries among players. Some clubs already have a long list of injured first team players and are already trying to cover up these absentees with second team players. While some are succeeding with these introductions, others have not been able to maximise the players that are currently serving as replacement for these injured players.

So in a month as December, where the title's would-be champion and closest contenders are known is not a period where injuries should be allowed. Any weakness or absentees in the opposing team will always be felt and might even be exploited by other teams. This does not sound fair as these occurrences are not envisioned but could have been curtailed if the Premier league board resolves to spread these games a bit more or in the alternative, the league could be made to start a bit earlier than the normal August ending.

The above measures, I believe if implemented could reduce the December match rush and also reduce these incidents of  injuries among players that could be detrimental to teams performance.

It is 2024 December and what we await is a sweet football entertainment, no injuries.

The Premier league table after match day 13 that saw Liverpool thumping over champions Manchester City in a 2 - 0 win over the weekend saw the winning team in a good nine point gap. Arsenal and Chelsea are at second and third positions with twenty five points each.

The table is shown below,

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''But once your picture becomes tainted, It's what they call; The rise and fall''! - The Manchester Clubs story

In Manchester, the two teams in the top flight of the English league, Manchester United and Manchester City have had enough stories to serve us a great deal. Manchester City has been on the positive receiving note for the past ten years. 

Manchester City celebrates Champions league win

They are the only team with seven league titles to their names in the last twleve years period. Their shelves have not been empty totally in other competitions locally and even at the bigger European scene as they have also won Two English FA cups, Six league cups and One FA Community Shields within the period. They have also won One UEFA Champions league title, One UEFA Super Cup and One FIFA Club World Cup title within the twelve year period.

The Citizens have been a successful team in every regards. This they boost of with the help of a super talented Head Coach Pep Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola with his City Guards?

And on the other side is the Red devils, who in the past ten years have won two English FA cups, two FA Community Shields and UEFA Europa league title. The Manchester United decline began almost immediately after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped aside from his managerial role after a twenty seven reign. He won them major titles during his long stay at the club and serving a fulfilling career ending 2013 with David Moyes taking over the affairs of the team.

Manchester United team photo

The decline began to bring ridicule to the trail blazing team who have in time past dominated and even ''oppressed'' other teams in the league and even at the European scene. It led to several managerial changes at the club with the latest being the sacking of Eric Ten Hag as head coach in October 2024 after a winless run in both domestic and at the Europa league scene. 

Disappointed Rashford at a Manchester United game

Ruud Van Nistelrooy took over the managerial affairs in the interim managing a two game win and a draw in three games since take over. While Ruben Amorim has been named to take charge of the club after the international break. Ruben is the head coach of Sporting Lisbon, Portugal and he has had incredible run while at the club and the team is hoping that he will once again rekindle the Red devil spirit in the club.

Manchester United New Manager Ruben Amorim

Recently, Manchester City have also come under a bad run in the league and the Champions league. The City team under Pep have seen back to back defeat for the first time in a long while since Pep's take over. 

They have lost four games in a roll. Two premier league games, one EFL cup and one Champions league game. Enduring defeat from Bournemouth and Sporting in the space of a week is something that has not been heard of at the club in a very long time.

Pep talking to Brighton player after their 2 goals to 1 loss

The question every one is asking at this time is, has the big picture of this super Manchester clubs been tainted? what exactly is this decline that we are witnessing. Like Craig David and Sting sang in their song titled, Rise and fall. They opined that once your picture becomes tainted, it is what they call, the rise and fall. Is this what we are witnessing.

If the pictures of the two clubs are tainted, what is this stain?

Of course, we are not oblivious of the stories and somewhat conspiracy theories that abound in the media about the two clubs. The Manchester United team under Sir Alex was alleged to be a corrupt team that was dictating and influences match officials to win matches. Of course no truth has been established in this regard.

The WHY question is yet to be answered

While the City team has been said to be a finance influencing team because of the heavy sums that the club have spent to acquire some names within their ranks. They are also been investigated by the FA for allegation that they breached the FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY rules in the league and are rumoured to even be demoted to the lower leagues if found guilty.

Are some of these stories true? We don't know yet and might never know as some of these findings are never made public.

We hope they bounce back and give football lovers and their fans a better and entertaining football match.