Sport
Solskjaer Aims to Replicate Spirit of ’99 at Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to replicate the spirit of Manchester United’s treble-winners at Old Trafford as he plots a route back to the top for the club.
Solskjaer, last month appointed as the permanent United boss, famously scored the injury-time winner in the Champions League final when Alex Ferguson’s United side won three trophies in 1999.
The Norwegian, preparing his side to face Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at home on Wednesday, intends to build the side around the principles that worked so well 20 years ago.
“We challenged each other every day in training,” he told ESPN. “There were fights and there was an inner justice that I’ve not seen in too many teams.
“We never, ever accepted anyone being below par in training. We kicked each other and we had to win every single day. That moved over into games and we never gave in. There was an unbelievable team spirit.
“I want my players to really push each other and demand 100 per cent attitude from each other every single day. That’s the only way you can improve and it’s the only way you can win.
“We had something special. It’s a different group now and the challenge is, ‘How can I make these players winners as we were?’”
United are currently sixth in the Premier League but are just three points behind third-placed Tottenham and are still in contention in the Champions League.
United are the underdogs for the Barcelona tie but Solskjaer, who oversaw a stunning comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the last round, is confident.
“We’re playing against a good team but there is something special about this group of players,” he said. “It will be fantastic.”
And the United boss is not worried that Manchester City could surpass United’s achievement in 1999 by winning a quadruple this season.
“United fans want us to win it (the Champions League) because they want to win it,” Solskjaer said. “I think we should look at what we can achieve and not what we can stop others achieving.”
(AFP)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has unveiled the newly appointed coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle.
The event held at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Monday where sports enthusiasts and practitioners gathered to welcome the 47-year-old Franco-Malian citizen.
Chelle’s appointment was confirmed last Tuesday by the NFF Executive Committee, following a recommendation from its Technical and Development Committee.
The NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, expressed confidence in Chelle’s ability to lead the Super Eagles to new heights.
“We appreciate the fact that Nigerians are very passionate about football, which is why there have been different reactions following the appointment of Coach Chelle,” Gusau said on Sunday.
“However, the NFF appeals to Nigerians to come together and support him, as we believe he has the qualities to achieve success with the Super Eagles.”
Gusau further assured Nigerians that the Federation would provide the necessary backing to ensure Chelle’s success.
“The NFF will give him all the support that he needs to succeed in the job,” he added.
Chelle’s first challenge will be leading the Super Eagles B at the upcoming African Nations Championship in East Africa next month.
Chelle’s first challenge will be leading the Super Eagles B at the upcoming African Nations Championship in East Africa next month.
After that, the focus will shift to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with crucial matches against Rwanda (away) and Zimbabwe (home) in March.
According to the statement, Chelle brings a wealth of experience to the role, having guided Mali’s Aiglons to the brink of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.
He recently left his position at Algerian club MC Oran, where he had been managing the 1989 African Champions’ Cup finalists, to accept the Super Eagles job.
Errol, father of Elon Musk, has revealed that the billionaire entrepreneur has expressed interest in purchasing Premier League team Liverpool.
Musk, whose net worth is estimated at $418 billion, has recently emerged a close ally of U.S President-elect, Donald Trump.
Reports claim that Musk donated approximately $270 million to the Republican Party before their election victory, aiding Trump’s return to the White House.
Since Trump’s November 2024 win, Musk and Trump have been seen together at various events, including celebrations at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, UFC fights, and college football games.
Now, it appears Musk’s attention may be turning toward English football.
Known as the visionary behind Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), the 53-year-old billionaire seems poised to expand his business empire further by acquiring one of the world’s most iconic football clubs.
When asked about Musk’s interest in Liverpool during an interview with Times Radio in London, his father, Errol Musk, was cautious.
“Has he expressed a desire to buy Liverpool Football Club?” a reporter asked.
“I can’t comment on that. They’ll raise the price,” Errol Musk replied with a laugh.
Pressed further, he admitted that his son has shown interest but refrained from confirming any formal negotiations.
“Oh, yes. But that doesn’t mean he’s buying it,” Errol added. “He would like to, yes, obviously. Anybody would want to – so would I!”
Family ties to Liverpool
When questioned about Musk’s specific interest in Liverpool FC, Errol Musk pointed to the family’s generational ties to the Merseyside city.
“His grandmother was born in Liverpool, and we had relatives in Liverpool. We were fortunate to know quite a lot of the Beatles because they grew up with some of my family. So, we are attached to Liverpool, you know,” Errol revealed.
Musk had previously spoken fondly of his grandmother, Cora Amelia Robinson, who was born in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, in 1923.
She grew up in pre-war poverty, working hard to support her family before emigrating to South Africa in 1944.
Musk once described her as “an important part” of his childhood and credited her with instilling strong values.
“My Nana was one of the poor working-class girls with no one to protect her who might have been abducted in present-day Britain,” Musk shared on X.
“She was very strict, but also kind, and I could always count on her. She grew up very poor in England during the Great Depression only to be bombed in WW2. To earn money for food, she cleaned houses, leaving me with a lasting respect for those who do so.”
Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, has been named the CAF Footballer of the Year for the past year.
Lookman was announced as the winner at an elaborate event in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night.
The Atalanta star won the prize ahead of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
It has been an incredible year for Lookman, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League/UEFA Cup final since 1975, netting the three goals within 26 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen.
Lookman was included in the Team of the Year for the Europa League, and ended the season having had a direct hand in 18 top flight goals for La Dea.
The 27-year-old was ranked the 14th best player during the Ballon d’Or gala on October 28.
