Tag: Liverpool

Erling Braut Haaland has simply been a sensation for Borussia Dortmund this season. Before the current campaign was derailed by COVID-19, the Norwegian wunderkind lit up the Bundesliga along with a host of fellow young stars.

The statistics speak for themselves: nine goals and an assist from just eight games in the league are a testament to his clinical finishing in front of goal.

There is also, of course, his now-famous volley against PSG from the edge of the box that somehow made a sound after smacking against the net.

Best African player in football

Haaland sat down for an Instagram livestream session from the confines of his house yesterday.

The teen sensation revealed that although Africa has many top players, he considers Liverpool and Senegal’s forward Sadio Mane as the best.

🗣 Erling Haaland thinks Sadio Mané is currently the best African player in World Football 👏pic.twitter.com/BOPz4NH6fB

— Steven Gerrard (@Gerrard8FanPage) April 4, 2020

Mane played a pivotal role in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side as they not only went on to win the Champions league but are also on the verge of securing their maiden Premier league title.

Mane has created an astonishing 46 goals and 15 assists from 91 games for Liverpool. And that is despite overlooking the significant impact he has for the Merseyside club as a winger – the man has successfully provided 104 crosses in the same period of times, with a whopping 33 being executed this season alone.

It doesn’t hurt the club at all that he is just as adept defensively, with a cumulative 98 tackles successfully effected, 36 of them coming from the 26 games having been played this time around.

He has been a force of nature on both ends of the pitch. He even took his nation Senegal in the Africa cup of nations final where they eventually lost to Algeria.

But he was appropriately awarded for his efforts as he won the African player of the year for the year 2019 and also came 4 on the Ballon d’Or rankings.

Even Messi who voted for Mane to win the FIFA Best award admitted it’s a shame that Mane finished 4 in the Ballon d’Or rankings. 

Liverpool’s five-year deal with their kit suppliers New Balance is finally drawing to an end.  

Nike, a behemoth of a company as far as sportswears are concerned, will soon be at the helm, providing Liverpool with new outfits come the start of next season.

Having perhaps already won over fans with their decision to allow New Balance to provide the kits for the Reds’ coronation as Premier League champions, Nike has to deal with the huge pressure on their shoulders to supply enthralling strips for the next season.

Needless to say, Nike would have their fingers crossed as fresh pictures, after the initial leaks, surfaced online, all but confirming Liverpool’s away kit for next season.

The strip sees some radical changes from the previous years. Following the current Nike template, the kit consists of a black logo, crest and collar with a teal shade accommodated to get the contrast kicking in. A unique wave pattern describe the overall look of the jersey.

💥🚨 💥 Liverpool 2020/21 Away Kit Leaked 💥🚨💥

📸(@fachrianantyo) pic.twitter.com/jUelkHqpac

— esvaphane #evdekal (@esvaphane) April 1, 2020

The changes made by Liverpool’s new kit sponsors are heavily distinctive in nature.

One has to wait and see how this bold move pays off for Nike as well as the club.

From being a very highly-rated defender at Celtic Park and St. Mary’s, Virgil van Dijk has been a player transformed since his arrival at Anfield.

This season has been no different as Liverpool have only conceded 22 goals, while they have added a Super Cup and Club World Cup to their trophy cabinet.

They are also in line to lift their first League title in 30 years and that is thanks to, in no small part, Virgil van Dijk. Those performances have seen his transfer value grow exponentially.

In a recent report by KPMG Football Benchmark, the Liverpool man-mountain was valued at € 115 million, making him the highest-valued defender in the world.

At €86 million, next on the list is Van Dijk’s compatriot and Juventus teenager Matthijs de Ligt.

French duo Raphael Varane and Aymeric Laporte come in 3rd and 5th, with values of €83 million and €76 million, respectively.

What is surprising about the list is the fact that Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, currently the most expensive defender, is valued at €73 million, which leaves him on 4th in the list.

This list just shows how far ahead Van Dijk is in the race for the best centre-back on the planet and he is not likely to fall behind any time soon.

The adjournment of the current season amid the coronavirus outbreak means that various football associations and clubs need to derive a common solution to the obstacles that bar further proceedings of the current campaign.

Liverpool, who were en route to their first league title in 30 years, might have to forego the trophy given the growing number of Premier League clubs are reportedly pushing for the cancellation of the current league campaign.

However, if the FA decides to get the season completed somehow, Nike, which takes over the Reds’ kit sponsorship deal from June 1, 2020, will have to concede huge amounts of money attached to the images of Jurgen Klopp’s men lifting the Premier League trophy, to the current sponsors New Balance.

Nike and New Balance seemed to be locked in an interesting battle for attrition over which team kit would be used while lifting the trophy.

While earlier it seemed home and dry, with New Balance having a watertight contract till the end of the regular season, the coronavirus pandemic put proceedings out of gear.

The dispute between the two sporting goods manufacturers can be explained in very simple terms – New Balance’s current contract gives them exclusive rights as kit suppliers for Liverpool until the 31st of May, after which suppliers’ rights would be transferred to Nike.

However, with the league being shut down until further notice, this means there is a great likelihood of a few fixtures being played after the said date, where both contracts would be overlapping for a short period of time.

The two companies will most definitely find themselves at odds with each other in financial terms – Nike would like to maximize the potential of an expensive contract where it is paying out 70 Million pounds a year, while New Balance would stand to gain a lot of merchandising moolah from the Reds’ players lifting the trophy in its kit.

New Balance and Nike Settle Fight Over Liverpool’s Livery

It has now quite surprisingly emerged that Nike has given the green light to let New Balance provide the kits for the Reds’ coronation as Premier League champions.

With some fresh information trickling through from top-dog journalist for The Athletic, James Pearce, Nike are of the opinion that it’s ‘only right’ that New Balance be allowed the rights to clothe the eventual title winners.

This was further confirmed after Liverpool’s managing director and chief commercial officer held a round of talks with both clothing giants.

A general consensus emerged that there will not be a change of kits before the end of the season despite uncertainty over when the remainder of the fixtures will be held.

A rare win-win-win for all parties involved as – Liverpool can breathe a sigh of relief, without a stressful court battle on the cards; New Balance get a nice little parting gift, and Nike get to enjoy the moral high ground even while they conserve their revenue.

An important utility player on the field, James Milner has shown his humorous side off it, in a video that would instantly bring a smile to your face.

The Liverpool star put his free time to a unique use by putting forth his ‘isolation XI’, consisting of some of the huge personalities in English football.

In what was a hilarious pun-filled interchange with the fans, Milner described the players in his XI by relating them to a household object.

The defence consisted of Joe ‘Heart’ guarding the goal with Kyle Walker, John Terry, Dominic Matteo, and Leeds legend Trevor ‘Cherry’ just in front.

While, City’s David Silv(er)a, Leeds born David ‘Bat’ty and fellow teammate ‘Genie’ Wijnaldum completed the midfield trio.

The attack was lead by Patrik ‘Burger’, Theirry Henry and former Lincoln City striker Geoff ‘Hors’field.

Milner opted for a strong presence on the bench with major personalities such as ‘Bread’ Friedel, Gabriel ‘Heinz’e, Frank ‘Lamp’ard making the squad managed by none other than the former England manager Fabio ‘Cap’ello.

Check out the video below –

Had plenty of time to think about this… here’s my #isolationXI – let me know who would make your squad… #dadjokeseverywhere pic.twitter.com/zIQ3TedkrH

— James Milner (@JamesMilner) March 24, 2020

It’s still early days to talk about the new season amid the suspension of the current campaign because of the coronavirus outbreak. However, a recent Liverpool kit leak has the fans enthralled as they can’t wait to see the team rocking the mint design from their new sponsors Nike next season.

This will be the first time that the Reds don a green template since the 2008/09 season.

The emergence of the leaks soon followed the concept kits from various designers on the internet.

One that seems to stand out is this re-imagination from Twitter user @HarrisCreativ3 which combines the kit with the highlights of the lyrics of the famous YNWA chant –

The lyrics engraved in the background were the winner, as many fans unanimously agreed that the kit was definitely better than the leaked kit.

The other significant changes included the shifting of Liverpool’s logo and Nike’s iconic Swoosh symbol to the center of the kit.

Given the possibility that the FA pushes the current campaign even further, the Liverpool faithful might not have to wait for the next season to see their favourite players rock the new mint away kit and even witness the team lifting the Premier League trophy in the very same outfit.

LeBron James is one of the greatest sportspersons in the history of all sports. He is a legend in the NBA and one of the few players who could go toe-to-toe with various athletes in different sports. So when he has favorite players in any sport, you can bet that he knows the quality of those players.

He might be aging like fine-wine on the court and he is yet to meet his match. Off the court though, James has met his match: Technology. He was baffled by the technology he was using. It was hilarious to see him fail to understand the concept of screen recording.

But, he pulled through and handled it like a boss. James went live on Instagram while he was in self-isolation. He covered various topics while answering questions posed by his fans.

Football fans in particular were interested to know whether LeBron James had any favorite football players (not the NFL ones). He had a few football players, whom he liked, namely every player in Liverpool’s squad.

“I got a few great soccer players. First off every player on Liverpool. STRAIGHT UP every player on Liverpool…Mbappe, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo those guys are legends.”
– LeBron on his favorite soccer players pic.twitter.com/xepGBIHLcG

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 20, 2020

The other names he mentioned were Neymar Jr., Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. What was surprising was that he never mentioned Barcelona star, Lionel Messi, until somebody prompted it to him.

There might be a hint of partiality in his affinity for all Liverpool players, owing to the NBA star’s stake in Liverpool. However, when you consider the season they are enjoying under Jurgen Klopp, can you really blame him? They have been excellent all season long and are in line to hoist the league title at Anfield, for the first time in 30 years.

LeBron James and Ronaldo share a mutual admiration, owing to their status in their respective sports. He is also good friends with both Neymar and Mbappe, due to their interest in the NBA.

They have been seen at basketball games when they are not fulfilling professional commitments. What’s oddly common between the trio and him, is that they are all sponsored by Nike.

James has a 2% stake in Liverpool since 2011, and he has been a keen follower of their achievements. He famously celebrated on Twitter, when Liverpool lifted their sixth European crown last summer.

James is certainly going to savor every bit of Liverpool’s title win, when the league resumes after April 30^th.  

Governments of many countries have issued notices to avoid mass gathering due to the outbreak of convid-19 or commonly known as coronavirus.

Due to it, sporting events around the world are either getting postponed, cancelled or being held without the fans. We had never witnessed anything like this in recent times.

Premier League spurred into action when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for coronavirus, as it postponed the games and is scheduled to return on 4th April but that’s highly unlikely. It has led to a trickle down effect that is felt by the clubs, staff, players, fans and even the community in general. 

Many people work behind the scenes during matchday and some of them work on contract basis, with matches being cancelled, they don’t know when is the next paycheck gonna come.

Also, fear of the virus has led to some people stockpiling supplies, leaving the less fortunate ones in the society even more exposed. Foodbanks, which are a non-profit, charitable organisation that distribute food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, were heavily dependent on match going fans to donate money or food. With matches being cancelled, they are bound to struggle.

In such trying times, it is necessary for the whole community to take care of each other and come together. Liverpool players have set an shining example in this regard by donating £40K to Fans Supporting Foodbanks.

A member of Fans Supporting Foodbanks said that Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson contacted him as the players wanted to help and have committed to covering all of the shortfalls that we will incur as a result of not being able to hold our usual match day collections. Earlier Aston Villa donated 850 staffed packed lunches and hot food to support homeless charities. Newcastle United also followed suit. 

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol revealed a piece of news last night that would disappoint a lot of football fans all over the globe.

His revelation came in the wake of the recent move to suspend the Premier League due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, a virus which has already infected a few people in the footballing world including Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta and Chelsea youngster, Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Kaveh revealed that all the Premier League clubs supported the move to suspend the season and while some clubs believed that if it resumed by April 3rd, the season would be able to be completed by the scheduled date, most of the clubs believed that the pandemic could go on for months and that this season was mostly done, with one club even going on to say that there is a 75% chance that this season would not be completed.

He even said that the start of next season could be threatened due to the rising threat of the pandemic.

🗣”Quite a few of the clubs are resigned to thinking the season is over, there’s a 75% chance this season will not be completed”

Kaveh Solhekol on the current state of the Premier League pic.twitter.com/ToTCRGyVct

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 13, 2020

The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, with TV audiences rising up to hundreds of millions.

With a high chance that this season will remain incomplete, it will come as a blow to all these fans as they want to see all the teams fighting it out until the very end. If this season is suspended completely, it will hit Liverpool fans the hardest, as their team was cruising towards their first Premier League title, with a 22 point lead over second-placed Manchester City.

While there is hope that the action will resume on April 3rd, the ground reality is that there might be no action at all.

How the Premier League champions will be decided, whether there will be champions at all and who gets promoted, and who gets relegated, and how will that be decided, are just some of the questions that the FA and the Premier League will need to answer, but the most important question would be whether they would risk sustaining massive losses by suspending the remaining season or would they risk the health and safety of all those involved, just to ensure that the balance sheet tallies.

Whatever the decision, these next few days are going to be very critical for the world in general.

These are tough times, not only for the football world but for the whole of society.

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has already begun showing its adverse effects in Europe, initially hitting Italy, the virus has now become a point of major concern for the whole continent.

As a preventive measure, the governing bodies have postponed the top five football leagues in Europe until further notice.

UEFA also declared that no football activities will take place as far as the Champions League and Europa League are concerned.

The football community hasn’t been immune to the coronavirus, with big personalities like Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta and Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi been tested positive for the virus.

Naturally, the circumstances have created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty amongst the football fans. Facing such a strange occurrence for the first time, many cannot process the situation and don’t know how to react.

Amid all the panic, an emphatic message from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has provided some sense of relief and direction for the football fans around the globe.

In a message published on the official Liverpool website, the German expressed his views on the decision to postpone the games along with the concerns and anxiety caused in the society because of the pandemic.

The word of class from Jurgen Klopp was duly appreciated by the Liverpool and rival fans alike.

Football has proved time and time again that it’s more than just a sport and has the ability to bring people together no matter which crest, colour or creed.

In the midst of the current crisis, humanity shall prevail in order to bring peace and calm back in society, as intimated by Jurgen Klopp’s words.

Liverpool were in for a rude awakening as Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid were about to give the men from Merseyside a harsh lesson to learn.

It needed a big performance from Liverpool at home to turn around the first leg deficit, however, much for the talk of another ‘Anfield Miracle’ by Andy Robertson and co., the reigning UCL Champions took another daunting hit to their season in a month that has already seen them get knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea.

Although it has to be conceded that the Reds were rather unfortunate, as they saw their chances get thwarted by a magnificent Jan Oblak who turned out to be Atletico’s palisade in goal, followed by two goals in extra time from the substitute Marcos Llorente and the icing on the cake for the Spanish giants by Alvaro Morata, sending the Kop end at Anfield to a complete blackout.

The arrogance of Liverpool was thoroughly broken down on and off the pitch by Atletico Madrid and their fans as they brought in an Everton flag to troll the Reds at the stadium.

Amusingly, this has to be the first occasion in a long time that an Everton flag has witnessed a victory against Liverpool at Anfield.

The loss has spelled an atmosphere of frustration and embarrassment amongst the Liverpool faithful.

Jurgen Klopp now must help the boys keep their heads steady and react accordingly to the defeat in an attempt to hang on to the only title left to fight for, the Premier League.