Sports
Family threatened to blackmail me if I stopped sending money – Mikel
Family threatened to blackmail me if I stopped sending money – Mikel
Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, on Thursday, revealed how members of his family tried to blackmail him if he failed to send them money.
Mikel, who was an integral part of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League winning side with Chelsea, made this expose on a podcast with ‘Vibe With 5’.
“Because anything I was getting, I was giving so much to the family. They got so comfortable that they were expecting you to do that and I got to that point 5 years ago where I had to say guys I don’t care what you say.”
“If you don’t do it we are going to go to the press, you are thinking, your brother, your family after all I have done for you guys. It happens a lot,” the 35-year-old said while explaining how he was able to manage his finances with the help of his agent.
Speaking further, he stated that African footballers were oftentimes burdened with catering for others who weren’t their immediate family.
“When you come from Africa and make money, it is not just your money. You have all these relatives, cousins, and a lot of them. Then your sisters get married to some guy who just wants to get married to John Obi Mikel’s family because my life is sorted. You start looking after the guy. You send money to your sister, but the money goes to him. And he does whatever he does with it,” Obi said.
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“When you get the money, after you’ve shared it, you’re left with little remaining. And they keep having so many kids, and you’re asking who is going to take care of them, but they are looking up to you to look after them. You are looking after the kids, the husband, and the husband’s family, and it becomes absolutely crazy. For them, you owe them that. It is the culture you owe them that and you stop to think, I don’t owe you anything,” he said.
A former Arsenal and Man City player, Emmanuel Adebayor had also revealed he was driven to suicidal thoughts because of how his family attempted to manipulate money out of him.
Adebayor has made a vast fortune for himself during his career, boasting wages of over £170,000 per week while at Manchester City and Tottenham.
‘I felt like killing myself so many times. I kept this to myself for years and years. I am disgusted that things reached this stage, but I feel relieved to have talked about it.
‘My football career will be finished in three or four years. By contrast, my family name will remain with me – together with these people,” he said in an interview with So Foot 6 years ago.
Family threatened to blackmail me if I stopped sending money – Mikel
Sports
Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]
Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]
The winners of the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards were unveiled Friday evening in Dubai, celebrating outstanding achievements in football over the past year.
The event honored players, managers, and clubs across various categories.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior stole the spotlight, clinching both the Best Player and Best Forward of the Year awards, reinforcing his status as one of the world’s finest talents.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Al Nassr captain, added another accolade to his storied career by securing the Best Middle Eastern Player Award, while Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was recognized as the Best Emerging Player of the Year.
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was awarded Best Coach of the Year, and Jorge Mendes received the Best Football Agent Award, further cementing their influence in the football world.
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2024 Globe Soccer Award categories and winners
Alongside the standout men’s and women’s categories, here is a rundown of the other winners:
Best Men’s player (18 finalists): Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Best Midfielder (11 nominees): Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Best Forward (10 nominees): Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Best Women’s player (12 finalists): Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Best Men’s club (10 finalists): Real Madrid
Best Women’s club (4 finalists): Barcelona
Best Coach (7 finalists, all in men’s football): Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
Best Emerging player (7 finalists, all men): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Best Agent (7 nominees): Jorge Mendes
Best Sporting Director (6 nominees): Piero Ausilio (Inter Milan)
Best Middle Eastern player (5 finalists): Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Best Middle Eastern coach: Jorge Jesus (Al Hilal)
Best Middle Eastern club (4 finalists): Al Ain
Revelation award: Olympiacos
Maradona Award: Jude Bellingham
Ronaldo, Vinicius, Yamal win big at 2024 Globe Soccer Awards [Full list of winners]
Sports
Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo
Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has reignited controversy surrounding the 2024 Ballon d’Or, accusing the organisers of unfairly denying Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior the prestigious honour.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Friday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner openly criticised the decision to crown Manchester City’s Rodri as the year’s top player.
“In my opinion, he [Vinícius] deserved to win the golden ball [Ballon d’Or award],” Ronaldo declared on stage.
“It was unfair in my opinion. I say here in front of everybody. They give it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinícius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final.”
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Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win, attributed to his pivotal role in Manchester City’s historic treble-winning season, has sparked ongoing debates.
Ronaldo’s remarks have added weight to criticisms that the award often overlooks key performances in favour of broader narratives.
Vinicius’ absence from the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris this October, along with his Real Madrid teammates, was widely interpreted as a silent protest against perceived biases in the voting process.
Despite missing out on the Ballon d’Or, Vinícius has enjoyed an exceptional year.
The 24-year-old Brazilian winger was crowned FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player earlier this year and was recently named the Best Men’s Player at the Globe Soccer Awards.
His consistent performances, including his decisive goal in the Champions League final, have cemented his reputation as one of football’s most dynamic players.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who received the Best Middle East Player Award during the ceremony, praised the Globe Soccer Awards for their fairness and transparency.
Vinicius should have won Ballon d’Or, not Rodri – Ronaldo
Sports
Why I named my dog Messi – AC Milan star
Why I named my dog Messi – AC Milan star
AC Milan midfielder, Tijjani Reijnders, has shared the reason behind naming his dog after Argentina football legend, Lionel Messi.
The 26-year-old Dutchman, who joined AC Milan from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 for a reported €20 million, said Messi had always been his idol.
Reijnders explained that he made the decision to name his dog Messi due to his admiration for the legendary player.
“My dog’s name is Messi, when I was young I always said if I got a dog I would name him Messi, because for me [he] is the best player in the world,” Reijnders said in an interview with All About Argentina.
“Then we decided we would get a dog, and the first thing I said to my wife is if we got a dog we would name him Messi.”
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Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami in the US after an illustrious career at Barcelona, is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
He has won the Ballon d’Or record eight times and is the highest goalscorer in the history of European football, with 704 goals and 303 assists in 853 games. Additionally, he has scored 112 goals and assisted 58 in 191 matches in the US.
Reijnders’ dog is a Pomsky, a crossbreed between a Pomeranian and a Husky, as he had previously revealed in an interview with Sempremilan.
The midfielder’s deep admiration for Messi has now extended to his furry companion, making the dog’s name a tribute to the football icon.
Why I named my dog Messi – AC Milan star
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