Sports
N’golo Kante purchases a football club in Belgium following his relocation to Saudi Arabia
N’Golo Kante has taken over ownership of Belgian third-tier club Royal Excelsior Virton.
The midfielder parted ways with Chelsea earlier this month to join Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad.
The 2018 World Cup champion accepted a contract worth ten times more than the one given to him by the Premier League club.
On Thursday morning, it was revealed that the 32-year-old had invested some of the money he will earn in the future years in becoming the owner of a football team.
Kante and his friends have agreed on terms to take up Royal Excelsior Virton, who was recently demoted to Belgium’s third division.
R.E. Vitron finished 12th and bottom of the Challenger Pro League, missing out on survival by a point, and Kante will be in charge of rebuilding at Stade Yvan Georges.
Kante succeeds Flavio Becca, with the club stating in an official statement that the retiring owner had relieved the club of all debt.
With regards to Kante, it added: “Driven by his passion for football, the will of N’Golo Kante is to continue the structuring of the club in order to consolidate its foundations, stabilize the staff and eventually reconnect with the tradition of training RE Virton, via its Youth Academy.
“The club aims to establish its local roots in order to become a driving force in football in Gaume and in the province of Luxembourg.
“Like N’Golo Kante, work, generosity, and humility will carry the ambitions of RE Virton for the coming years. With the desire to carry high the colours of Gaume, the province, and Wallonia, N’Golo Kante invites all the living forces of the territory to join a project which wants to be unifying and worthy of the supporters of Excelsior. Altogether, always higher.”
According to the statement, R.E. Vitron is continuing its effort to get a professional licence, which is presently being refused by the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA).
Source:SPORTSMOLE
Sports
Black Stars fitness coach Ricky Roy reportedly dead
Romeo Ricky Roy, the fitness coach for Ghana’s senior national team, has died.
According to Ghana Football Association president Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku’s Facebook post, he died in Accra on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
Roy joined the Black Stars’ backroom staff in 2021, during Milovan Rajevac’s second spell as coach.
He remained with the national squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the current Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Roy rose to prominence as a member of the coaching staff for Division One League club Vision FC in February 2020, before joining the national squad.
Sports
Veteran Sports Commentator Joe Lartey dies at 96
The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has reported the death of Joe Lartey, a veteran Ghanaian football pundit and sports writer.
He passed away on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the age of 96.
Joe Lartey was born on June 6, 1927, in Accra and attended Accra Academy. Lartey, often known as “Over to You,” was a well-known broadcaster and SWAG’s founding president.
Lartey began his media career as a football commentator with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in 1961.
He grew to be a popular figure in Ghana’s sports community.
He subsequently spent a decade at Radio Nigeria before returning to GBC in 1990. During his stint, he presented shows including Sports Digest on GTV.
In appreciation of his achievements in sports journalism, Lartey received the coveted “A Life in Sport” award from the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) during the AIPS Sport Media Awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar, in June 2022.
Lartey’s impact stretched well beyond Ghana, with numerous Ghanaian football analysts praising him for moulding their careers.
Fans and colleagues alike will remember him warmly for his pioneering work in sports broadcasting.
Sports
Xavi to stay as Barcelona’s coach until at least June 2025
Barcelona coach Xavi will stay with the club until at least the end of his contract in June 2025, having changed his mind about this being his final season.
The 44-year-old stated in January that he will stand down as manager this summer.
However, with president Joan Laporta desperate for him to stay, the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder has made a U-turn.
Xavi took over as manager of Barcelona in November 2021, after leaving Qatari club Al Sadd, and led the team to the Spanish title in his first full season in charge in 2022–23.
However, they are 11 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with six games remaining in the current season.
Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League last week after losing to PSG in the quarterfinals.
Xavi, who won 25 honours during his brilliant playing career at Barcelona, said he felt “liberated” with the revelation that he would leave the position at the conclusion of the season.
When he announced his departure following the defeat to Villarreal, he felt he was not being safeguarded by the club and there was no clear direction.
However, the team’s fortunes have improved since Xavi felt comfortable taking a more casual attitude.
They went ten games undefeated in the league before falling 3-2 to Real Madrid on Sunday.
On Wednesday, there was a meeting at Laporta’s residence, and the club’s desire for him to stay was clear.
If Xavi is unable to strengthen the squad before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Barcelona will attempt to persuade one of the high-profile managers out of contract, including Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Mikel Arteta.
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