Nevertheless, the Ligue 1 giants seem more interested in Osimhen’s teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and have already held talks with the winger’s agent, irritating Napoli.
Sports
Lookman scores stunning hat-trick in Atalanta vs Leverkusen Europa League final
Lookman scores stunning hat-trick in Atalanta vs Leverkusen Europa League final
Ademola Lookman was the star of the night as his hat-trick ended Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run and secured Atalanta’s first European Cup title.
Lookman’s three goals marked the first hat-trick in a European final in 49 years, delivering Atalanta their first-ever continental trophy.
The club from Bergamo, often overshadowed by AC and Inter Milan, has enjoyed a resurgence under Gian Piero Gasperini. This victory adds silverware to their impressive record, which includes four Champions League appearances in recent years.
Leverkusen, known for their late comebacks during their undefeated Bundesliga campaign, couldn’t recover from a slow start this time. Atalanta’s aggressive play was rewarded early when Davide Zappacosta set up Lookman, who exploited Exequiel Palacios’ lapse to score from the back post after just 12 minutes.
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Lookman, whose career has seen him move from the lower ranks of the Premier League to finding stability in Bergamo, cemented his hero status with his performance. His second goal, a brilliant nutmeg of Granit Xhaka followed by a powerful shot into the far corner, showcased his skill.
Despite Leverkusen’s efforts, including near-misses by Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong, they couldn’t break through Atalanta’s defense. Gianluca Scamacca’s fortunate escape with only a yellow card for a rough tackle on Florian Wirtz also highlighted Leverkusen’s missed opportunities.
Coach Xabi Alonso, having quickly risen as a top coaching prospect and choosing to stay with Leverkusen despite interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich, made tactical changes at halftime, including bringing on Victor Boniface. However, the early damage proved insurmountable.
Atalanta, content to absorb pressure and counter-attack, sealed the win with another stunning goal from Lookman. Skipping past Edmond Tapsoba, he blasted into the top corner with his left foot, clinching the victory.
This triumph is particularly sweet for Atalanta, who had previously lost all three finals under Gasperini, including a recent Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus. Their passionate fans, clad in blue and black, celebrated their historic win in Dublin.
Atalanta’s victory also marks the first time an Italian side has won the competition since Parma lifted the UEFA Cup in 1999, ending a long wait and underscoring the club’s remarkable journey to European glory.
Lookman scores stunning hat-trick in Atalanta vs Leverkusen Europa League final
(Channels)
Sports
Osimhen to start pre-season with Napoli
Osimhen to start pre-season with Napoli
With no offers yet in sight despite being linked with a move away from Napoli this summer, Super Eagles’ ace striker Victor Osimhen will reportedly resume pre-season training with the former Italian champions next week.
According to Football Italia, new Napoli coach Antonio Conte could meet Victor Osimhen in Castel Volturno next week as no European club has yet made a formal offer to secure the striker’s services.
The Nigeria international has a €130m clause included in his contract with the Partenopei but despite rumours linking Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United with the 25-year-old, there are still no official bids on Napoli’s table.
No club seems willing to pay €130m for Osimhen, and it may be difficult to find suitable candidates even if the Partenopei lowers the price to €100m.
Conte is prepared to part company with the striker, but if no club steps up over the next few days, Osimhen will have to start the pre-season with Napoli on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Last week at his unveiling as the new manager of Napoli, the 54-year-old Conte described Osimhen as ‘a top player’ despite making a categorical statement about the future of the former upstart with Wolfsburg in Germany.
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“I know very well about the Osimhen situation,” Conte reportedly said. “I know that there are agreements with the club, it’s a totally different situation, which I’ll witness.
“Then if you ask me about the player, he’s a top player, but I can’t get into any discussions about Osimhen because these are previous agreements,” he added.
Yet Italian tabloid Il Corriere dello Sport has given a fresh insight on why English Premiership trio of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have put Osimhen transfer talks on hold.
It was claimed that Arsenal prefer Viktor Gyökeres to Osimhen even if they also consider the Sporting striker’s €100m clause too high.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have changed their transfer targets after the appointment of the Italian Enzo Maresca, while Manchester United have set their sights on Joshua Zirkzee and will continue relying on ex-Atalanta ace Rasmus Hojlund, especially after Erik ten Hag was confirmed in charge at Old Trafford.
Osimhen dreams of playing in the Premier League, but PSG have also been monitoring the Nigerian ace.
Sports
Updated: Amuneke set to be announced new Heartland head coach
Updated: Amuneke set to be announced new Heartland head coach
Super Eagles’ former forward, Emmanuel Amuneke, is set to return to coaching after a year away from the sidelines.
The former Tanzania coach has previously assisted Samson Siasia as well as Augustine Equavoen in the national team.
Amunike’s last role was with Zambia’s Zanaco FC, where he served as both coach and consultant before leaving in 2023.
He recently applied for the Super Eagles head coach position, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) opted for Finidi George instead
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According to reports from Owerri, Amunike is close to joining Heartland, which plans to return to the elite NPFL next season.
The report added that Amuneke, who has been quietly working with his hometown club, has started recruiting players for the upcoming season.
Heartland FC was relegated to the NPFL after finishing in the 19th position on the 20-team table last season.
The club is reportedly planning to buy the NPFL slot of Beyond Limits, who earned promotion from the Nigeria National League (NNL), but face participation issues due to their affiliation with Remo Stars.
Amuneke, 53, has extensive coaching experience in domestic and international football.
Updated: Amuneke set to be announced new Heartland head coach
Sports
Asisat Oshoala scores first-ever penalty for Bay FC in NWSL
Asisat Oshoala Scores First-Ever Penalty for Bay FC In NWSL
Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala has etched her name in the history books by becoming the first Bay FC player to score a penalty in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Oshoala scored the winning goal in Bay FC’s 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville.
She calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot, 14 minutes before the end of the match.
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This record-setting goal adds to the former Barcelona star impressive start at Bay FC, where she previously scored the club’s first-ever goal on her debut in the USA.
Since joining the club, Asisat Oshoala has now scored three goals.
Meanwhile, her international teammate, Uchenna Kanu, did not feature in Racing Louisville’s matchday squad for the game.
Asisat Oshoala Scores First-Ever Penalty for Bay FC In NWSL
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