No Player Is Worth 105 Million
Dollars _ Giovani Trapatoni
Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni feels no player is worth the £105million fee Real Madrid are reportedly ready to pay for Wales international Gareth Bale.
The Tottenham winger has been included in Wales boss Chris Coleman’s squad for Wednesday’s friendly against the Republic in Cardiff, despite his club boss Andre Villas-Boas stating he is unlikely to be fit for their Premier League opener at Crystal Palace due to a foot injury.
The 24-year-old continues to be linked with a world record move to Spanish giants Madrid but, no matter his talents as a footballer, Trapattoni insists there is no one player who justifies such a vast expenditure.
He said: “Today with the media, and a famous name, the more you speak about players the more the money goes up, especially with all the money in the game.
“I once had a great club president in Gianni Agnelli at Juventus, who was head of Fiat.
“He had a lot of money, but there were situations when he said I could not spend a lot of money because he had many people working for him who were working class. He told me to look for other players. I remember his words like it is today.
“This money (the reported fee for Bale), for me there is no player valued at that much money.
“One player cannot win a game on his own. Even players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele or Johan Cruyff, all these famous players needed a team.”
It remains to be seen whether Bale will play any part at Cardiff City Stadium, but Trapattoni admits he has some empathy with the situation opposite number Coleman finds himself in.
He said: “I had this with many teams when I managed Italy.
“When there is a friendly game, the players are very busy, and Bale is an important player.
“It would be good if he can play, maybe in a friendly my habit would be to guarantee club managers of my intention to only play a player for 45 minutes.
“But it is not my habit to speak about what other managers ask of their players. I don’t know what he will do with Bale.”
Trapattoni’s squad has been heavily hit by injuries ahead of the friendly contest, as the Republic build towards World Cup qualifiers with Sweden and Austria.
Anthony Pilkington, Simon Cox, David Forde, Sean St Ledger, Aiden McGeady and Stephen Quinn are among those absent.
Norwich midfielder Pilkington’s knee injury comes after three previous occasions where he has had to with withdraw from the national squad.
But Trapattoni has no doubt Pilkington wants to represent the Republic and the Italian also made it clear he does not believe Pilkington has done anything wrong in not reporting to have his injury checked
He said: “We have a good relationship with our doctor, he knows many club doctors and with Pilkington I also asked Wes (Hoolahan) and he told me his knee is swollen, he has been having injections and he has pain and I am confident about the professional doctor.
“The doctor is important, he is not a manager, and it is a specialist position with a big responsibility.”
He added: “The clubs pay the players and they can tell them not to report for international duty. I have asked FIFA and UEFA to have rules where when a player is called by his country he must go. But for UEFA and FIFA you cannot take control over the clubs.
“Only if FIFA and UEFA introduce an obligation in the rules can our federation say you have to come here to be checked before you go back. But the club is personal shareholders of the players.”
Nigerian Super Eagles will also be in action on Wednesday as they take on South Africa in the “Mandela Challenge”. The home based players and the technical Crew left Nigeria on Sunday.
Okagbare Changing Nigeria’s Face In IAAF Championship
Blessing Okagbare won Nigeria’s first medal in Moscow as she leaped 6.99 metres to clinch the silver medal in the long jump event final.
The Sapele-born athlete qualified for the final of the Women’s long jump event at the on-going IAAF World Championship in Moscow with a jump of 6.83m, placing second in the qualification behind Great Britain’s Shara Proctor who jumped a distance of 6.85m in her first attempt to automatically qualify for the final.
The minimum qualification requirement was 6.75m or at least the 12 best performances.
Blessing Okagbare, who is the country’s hope to win its first gold medal at the World Athletic in Moscow, became the first Nigerian and African woman to duck under 10.80 seconds in the women’s 100m dash when she smashed the African women’s 100m record twice on her way to victory at the London Anniversary Games two weeks ago.
Her performance on the track this season has given Nigerians hope of medals in the world championship.
Based on her achievements lately, Team Nigeria registered Okagbare for four events, including the Long jump, 4x100m relay, 200m and 100m.
Okagbare had on June 30, won the 200m in the Birmingham Diamond League in 22.55 seconds. She also won the long jump event at IAAF Diamond League on July 5 in Lausanne, with 6.98 meters before crossing to Monaco IAAF Diamond League, where she recorded a personal best of 7.04m also in the long jump.
Nigeria last won a medal at the Athletic World Championship in 1999, a drought Blessing Okagbare has ended with her victory.
After Ndubuisi What Next For Heartland Fc…?
It is no longer news that the coaches of Heartland Football Club of Owerri has been suspended as only two Mbwas Mangut and Bob Acholonu were asked to take charge, but the question now is what next?
According to report, Heartland did hit all but two of their coaching staff with an indefinite suspension and placed the players on half salaries after Sunday’s 1 0 home loss to Kwara United.
Head coach Ndubuisi Nduka and his staff was given a target of 12 points from their next five games after their week 20 home loss to Enyimba.
Rather than improve, the team went on to lose three more games, prompting the action from the club management. “They were on an ultimatum to get 12 point from a possible 15, “Media Officer Cajethan Nkwopara said. “But they have lost three more games, meaning they cannot meet the target.
Nkwopara went ahead to state that the management met immediately after the loss to Kwara United and decided to take action.
The action we already know but what we do not understand yet is if these actions will interpret to better results and if the next coach will receive total support from the players, management, supporters and the entire fans of our darling club who won back-to-back the Federation cup in 2011 and 2012.
The waiting game has just begun and everyone will be keen to know if the coaching crew will be re-instated and if not who will be the next man to take over the job of ensuring that the Naze Millionaires do not go on relegation.
A couple of coaches will likely interest the management but of course they are the ones that can make the call. Former Heartland gaffer and an ex- international Kelechi Emetole who returned Elkanemi Warriors back to Premier league but refused to be with them this season will be a good choice among others.
Former Sharks of Port Harcourt and U-20 national team coach John Obugh is another name that may ring a bell and could be among the contenders. But the management must outline the qualities they want from the next coach and also draw up a program for him possibly against next year after surviving this season.
We must as a matter of fact also understand that it doesn’t just end in firing and hiring a gaffer, the psychology of the players and their welfare must be well taken care of while a bond must be struck between the coaching staff and the players for a better working relationship.
Now that the team has been knocked out of every trophy it entered for including the only rout to continental competitions, the real quesiton nos is what next in other to avoid relegation?
NPFL WEEK 25 GAMES
Bayelsa Utd — Akwa Utd
Wikki Tourist — 3SC
Kano Pillars — ABS fc
Lobi Stars — Sunshine
Dolphins — Sharks
Gombe Utd — Heartland
Kwara Utd — Rangers
Kaduna Utd — Nasarawa Utd
W. Wolves — Enyimba
Elkanemi — Nembe City
INTRENATIONAL FRIENDLIES (158/13)
S/Africa — Nigeria
England — Scotland
Japan — Uruguay
Germany — Paraguay
Italy — Argentina
Belgium — France
Portugal — Holland
Switzerland — Brazil
Bosnia H. — USA
Ecuador — Spain
16/8/13
Mexico — Ivory Coast
NPFL WEEK 24 RESULTS
Heartland 0 –1 Kwara United
Enyimba 2 — 0 Nembe City
Akwa United 1 — 0 Wikki
3SC 3 — 1 Kano Pillars
ABS fc 2 –1 Lobi Stars
Sunshine 3 –0 Dolphins
Sharks 3 –0 Gombe United
Rangers 2 –1 Kaduna United
Nasarawa 1 –1 W. Wolves
Bayelsa Utd 3 — 0 El Kanemi
