Neymar: It will be an honour to face Cristiano Ronaldo

New Barcelona signing Neymar says he is already relishing the chance to come up against Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. The 21-year-old hailed the ability of the Bernabeu star and said he hopes to come out on top when his new side do battle with their Clasico rivals next season. The forward will join the newly-crowned Liga champions this summer and the Brazil international also claimed his religious beliefs helped him to decide on making the switch to Spain. “Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player," Neymar told reporters. "He is skillful and it will be an honour to face him. Hopefully I can win. “I talked to God to give me wisdom and directed me the right way, so I chose Barcelona. “I chose to join Barcelona because it was a wish that came out of my heart. Change is always difficult, but I hope to be able to adapt as soon as possible." Madrid were amongst a number of sides who were also chasing Neymar's signature until his transfer from Santos to Camp Nou was officially confirmed last week.

Man spent 15 years with pencil in his head

A scan of the 24-year-old's head revealed a 4-inch pencil lodged from his sinus to his pharynx that injured his right eye socket. BERLIN — German doctors say a man spent 15 years with a pencil in his head following a childhood accident. Aachen University Hospital says the 24-year-old man from Afghanistan sought help in 2011 after suffering for years from headaches, constant colds and worsening vision in one eye. A scan showed that a 4-inch pencil was lodged from his sinus to his pharynx and had injured his right eye socket. The unnamed man said he didn’t know how the pencil got there but recalled that he once fell badly as a child. The German doctors removed the pencil and say the man has recovered. Hospital spokesman Mathias Brandstaedter said Wednesday the case was presented for the first time at a medical conference this week.

Toyin Adegbola detained for 10 days by police

Ibadan-based actress, Toyin Adegbola, has opened up on her ordeal when she was incarcerated by police after a friend crushed a pedestrian with her car describing it as the most challenging experience of her life. She made this disclosure when she was recently hosted by Odua TV Channel. She said police detained her for 10 days at Iyaganku Police Station. She was only released after thorough investigation has been carried out: “That was a trying period for me. I was not only arrested but detained for 10 days. It took intervention of well-meaning Nigerians and thorough investigation before I was released,” the actress said. The event, which started with Red Carpet also witnessed an influx of stars including Shitta Bay, Orisabunmi, Lanko and Nike Peller, who serenaded the audience before the MC ushered in Toyin Adegbola, who was surprised at the depth of the documentary Odua TV put together on her. Toyin who disclosed that her hobby is dancing gave a brief history of how she started her career and the high and low points of it. Her face lit up when she disclosed that the happiest day of her life was the graduation of two of her children from one of the best universities in the world: “I was so happy that day; it was the happiest day of my life. To see them graduate from one of the best universities in the world was emotional for me because since my husband died 13 years ago I’ve been playing the role of father and mother to the kids. So to see them gradate was very gratifying, I was happy.”

Judgement on Rape of ex-corps member to be made on june 4: Monarch to know fate

The traditional ruler of Ilowa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun state, Oba Adebukola Alli, who is on trial before a High Court in Osogbo for alleged rape of a former Youth Corps member, Miss Helen Okpara, will know his fate on June 4 as the court delivers judgment in the case. During the nearly two years trial, the health of the monarch, who had been remanded in prison custody, deteriorated and on two occasions, he travelled abroad for medical treatment. The embattled traditional ruler of an Ijesha-speaking community, in the eastern part of the state had on one occasion, slumped inside the court during proceedings. Despite the weighty allegation leveled against the monarch, his subjects still admire him and have vowed to ensure that he continues to rule the town. A 23-year-old former member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who served in his domain, Helen Okpara, had alleged that the Oba had unlawful carnal knowledge of her. Although the monarch denied the allegation, Okpara in her evidence, gave a blow-by-blow account of how she was allegedly raped inside the private residence of the traditional ruler in Osogbo. Her words: “The monarch came over me and I panicked and ran into a toilet where he struggled with my clothes and pulled it off. He collected my clothes and said he would soak them in water. He came inside the room, switched off the light, and struggled with me on the bed; and that was how he raped me. I kept shouting but the Oba told me that nobody would hear me. And after, I noticed that something was dropping from my private part.” Narrating her ordeal in the hands of the royal father in one of the court sittings, Okpara said: “I was engaged by the monarch to distribute forms for a computer training he organized. After distributing the training form to the participants, I told the Oba that we were through for the day and he said I should wait, that he was going to drop me off on the way to my house. So, I waited for him and he drove me in his car but when we got to the front of my house, he said I would have to follow him to Osogbo for registration of the forms, because the state government was expecting the forms.” She stated further: “I told the monarch that it was late and that I couldn’t make it to Osogbo but he promised to bring me back to the village no matter how late. When we got to his house in Osogbo, he didn’t mention anything about the registration of the forms, so I told him I wanted to leave but he said it was already late and that he couldn’t risk driving at night. “I told the Oba to drop me in front of a police station, that I would find my way home, but he refused. Instead, he went inside a room and came out with a bundle of N200 notes and threw it at me, saying that I should collect it, because he was impressed with my performance at the computer-training centre. But I told him I didn’t need his money.” According to Okpara, Oba Alli went in with the money and when he returned, he had undressed, adding: “When I told him I was leaving, he said I wasn’t going back that night and that he had tried many ways to get at me but I always turned down his advances. He threatened to harm me that night.” However, the monarch in his defense, told the court that he had sexual intercourse with Okpara on several occasions before the one that landed him in trouble. He said: “Helen is my girl friend and both of us have been enjoying ourselves without any problem. I don’t know why she decided to turn things against me.” At the last hearing of the case, E.A Gbadegesin, counsel to the monarch, said that he had filed a written address on the matter which had been confirmed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state Ministry of Justice. Gbadegesin urged the court to discharge the accused monarch and dismiss the claims of the prosecution. But leading other counsels from the state Ministry of Justice, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Dapo Adeniji, said he had proof that the monarch committed the offence and urged the court to expedite action on the judgment. Consequently, the trial Judge, Mr Justice Oyejide Falola, fixed Tuesday, June 4, for judgment. From BAMIGBOLA GBOLAGUNTE, Osogbo

Barcelona to sign Neymar

Real Madrid offered Santos more money but the Brazil international, 21, has chosen to jump the Sao Paulo ship to join Camp Nou on a five-year deal Barcelona have secured a deal to sign Santos starlet Neymar for an estimated €28 million on Saturday. The Brazil international will join Camp Nou on a five-year contract having rejected overtures from Real Madrid - who are believed to have offered the Sao Paulo club €7m more than the Blaugrana to no avail. The forward will earn a base amount of €7m-per-year at Camp Nou which, although is less than he was being offered by the Santiago Bernabeu side, will see him earn extra due to an agreement with international sports brand Nike. Neymar has been on the radar of numerous top European clubs for a couple of years, having shone in South America and earned plaudits including a Ballon d'Or nomination for the 2013 edition. The Selecao starlet has been tentatively linked with the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain but by far the favourites to snap up the 21-year-old were La Liga giants Barca - whose increasing interest Goal revealed in April - and Madrid. The new Primera Division champions, Barca, have beaten their arch-rivals to the signing of Neymar, though, and will see the attacker join this summer ahead of the 2013-14 season. As part of the deal, the Catalunya club will play the Brazilian in two friendlies - valued each at €2 million - in the near future, with one on each continent. The Brazilian will join other South Americans on Camp Nou turf including the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez, Javier Mascherano and national team-mates Dani Alves and Adriano. Neymar has said in the past that he wanted to wait to move to Europe until after World Cup 2014 but, due to his contract running out next year, Santos' hand has been forced in order to make money from the player they have nurtured.

Fresh oil spill hit Bayelsa communities, pollutes Taylor Creek

Communities in the downstream of the Taylor creek traversing Bayelsa communities in Yenagoa local government area have been hit by a fresh oil spill from a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) facility. The latest incident, it was learnt, occurred from a spill site three hours after it was clamped by SPDC personnel. A source told Vanguard, “about three hours after Shell clamped and left, the clamped spot re-erupted resulting in the massive spill we are now witnessing.” It was gathered that the latest spill, which occurred at Shell site at Biseni has impacted the Taylor Creek which serves JK4, Betterland, Ikarama and Kalaba communities. Though the cause of the initial spills had been a subject of disagreement between the company and the community folks, while the locals were convinced that some of the spill points were traceable to equipment failure the company blamed sabotage for the spills. Environment Rights Action team led by Comrade Alagoa Morris who visited the area to monitor the spill on receiving distress call from JK4, Betterland, Ikarama and Kalaba in relation to the crude oil slick noticed on the Taylor Creek were reportedly arrested by soldiers at the spill site. They were however release after about 30 minutes of alleged intimidation by the arms bearing soldiers. “I was surprised when Shell used the JTF to intimidate me and my colleagues, including the driver of the hired taxi and a member of the family that own the land when the spill happened. They should allow us do our legitimate job while they do theirs. “We were on a public road and not on Shell’s facility. I wonder why we should be harassed like that at gun point,” Morris, ERA Field Officer in Bayelsa told Vanguard. But when contacted, the SPDC which expressed concern over the spate of spills in the Biseni blamed the latest incident on sabotage. The SPDC through its Spokesman, Precious Okolobo said the spill was caused by unknown persons who tampered with a previously clamped flow line adding that this year alone between April 9 and 29, five spills all caused by sabotage had been recorded in the area. He said, ”SPDC is worried by the recent increase in the spate of spills in the Biseni area, caused by oil theft and sabotage of flowlines. Between 9 and 29th April this year, we recorded five spills all caused by sabotage. Joint Investigation Visits comprising NOSDRA, DPR, the community, SPDC and security agencies discovered that the spills were caused by hacksaw cuts to the flowlines. Cleanup of residual impacted area is planned for later in the year. “Yesterday, (22 May) it was observed that unknown persons had tampered with a previously clamped flowline resulting in a spill. A Joint Investigation Visit is planned for the site. SPDC is very concerned about these sabotage spills because of the negative impact on the people and the environment. “In 2011, SPDC set up a website www.shellnigeria.com/spills that captures all spills, sabotage and operational, and information on all the incidents under reference are fully listed there. This is the only such website in Nigeria, and we believe the initiative brings a new level of transparency in spills reporting in the Niger Delta.” Source- Vanguard News

NASA Says Recently Discovered Planets Are Most Earth-Like Yet

Researchers have discovered what’s being considered the most Earth-like planets ever, orbiting in that rare Goldilocks Zone of their parent stars. If scientists are correct, and data from NASA’s Kepler mission is on the money, these three planets, located 1,200 and 2,700 light years from Earth, respectively, could contain liquid water, and maybe even life. We’ve seen a lot of reports recently describing Earth-like planets quietly idling way out there in the great abyss. Right now, scientists believe there are thousands out there, just waiting to be discovered. The three recently discovered planets, known as Kepler-62f, Kepler-62e and Kepler-69c, are just the latest researchers consider to be in that so-called habitable zone. According to Dimitar Sasselov, who recounted the discovery in the latest issue of Science, described what the environment might be like on these distant Earths. “Kepler-62e probably has a very cloudy sky and is warm and humid all the way to the polar regions,” Sasselov said. “Kepler-62f would be cooler, but still potentially life-friendly.” The two planets, which coexist in a five-planet system, are not only noteworthy because of their distance to their parent star, but because of their size as well. Smaller planets (such as Mars) are typically more rocky, io9 explained, and less gaseous. Both 62f and 62e are roughly the same size as Earth. “The discovery of these rocky planets in the habitable zone brings us a bit closer to finding a place like home,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. “It is only a matter of time before we know if the galaxy is home to a multitude of planets like Earth, or if we a rarity.” Considering everything we’ve discovered over the past few months alone, it seems unlikely Earth is all that rare, especially given the size of the universe. But, who knows, maybe Earth is that rare. It really makes you appreciate what we humans have going here. SOURCE IO9

Breaking News-Gunmen kill father, son & Almajiri in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI- Vanguard Newspaper Despite the emergency rule and the deployment of over 3000 Joint Taks Force troops in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, some gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect yesterday shot dead provision store dealer, Mr. Bitrus Kwaji and his son (name witheld), while one child suspected to be Almajiri was killed by a stray bullet in Chescon area of Federal low cost of the metropolis. Our Correspondent gathered that the gunmen who ambushed the dealer at his residence around 6:30pm, successfully executed their mission and fled without being arrested. A Neighbour and resident of the slain provision dealer who does not want his name mention in the print for security reasons told our Correspondent that “the gunmen upon arriving at the residence of Mr. Bitrus asked one Almajiri boy to enter the house and told the provision dealer to come out as some people/customers were outside and wanted to buy things from the store, upon responding to the call, Mr. Bitrus, his son and the Almajiri boy were coming out to attend to their customers, not knowing that the people came for a different mission” He said, as they approaches the store located at the frontage of the house, the gunmen opened fire and killed them including the boy they sent to call Mr. Bitrus. Due to the total GSM network black out in Borno, the JTF Spokesman’s number, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa and the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin could not be reached for confirmation as at the time of going to press.

Confirmed: Jim Iyke, Nadia Buari now dating!

After weeks of denial, Nollywood bad boy, Jim Iyke and fair complexioned Ghollywood screen goddess, Nadia Buari have confirmed they are both dating. Helplessly love struck Nadia tweeted Love birds: Jim & Nadia There comes a point in ur life wen u realise who really matters, who never did and who always will. I named him Skittles, he calls me space. It took just a heart beat after and Jim Iyke tweeted his She calls me Skittles. I named her space, D gift of laughter, companionship n trust is incomparable. BFF. Love is a f***ink beautiful thang! The smoke of romance rumour between these two sparked fully into flame when they were both seen together at several engagements before, during and after the controversial Jim Iyke Unscripted episode involving ex-fiance Keturah Hamilton who had issued a statement calling the episode a fake! Jim Iyke and Nadia were together at the Ghana Music Awards and paparazzi couldn’t get enough of them. They’ve both since gone underground to let the news cool off a bit.

Kim Kardashian reacts to pregnancy curves: 'How the f--k did I get like this?

The expectant reality star initially had trouble embracing her changing body. Kim Kardashian wasn't always in love with her pregnancy curves. The expectant reality star, 32, bluntly asks "how the f--k did I get like this?" in a new promo for season 8 of "Keeping up with the Kardashians." Well, Kim, we all know how you got like that. Kardashian will welcome a baby with her beau Kanye West in July, in the middle of the new season of the hit reality show, which chronicles her pregnancy over the past few months. E! Kardashian says she had to accept that she was having a different pregnancy from her sister Kourtney. In another shot, Kardashian incredulously stares at her round belly while trying on lingerie. "It was really hard for me to accept that the body changes, and I was having a different kind of pregnancy than Kourtney did," she told US Weekly in April. "She made it look really easy, but ever since the baby started to kick, I've really embraced it. Now I love being pregnant!" E! Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting their baby in July, coinciding with the new season of the new mom's hit reality show. The E! starlet has faced harsh criticism for her fashion choices and weight gain during her pregnancy, and several celebrities have rushed to her defense. British singer Cheryl Cole, actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Khloe Kardashian-Odom are among those sounding off in defense of Kardashian's changing body. "I can only imagine how tough it is to be heavily pregnant and feeling extremely vulnerable on top of some of the daily criticism you take!" Cole wrote. "I admire your tenacity and send you my best wishes with the rest of your pregnancy."

12-year-old hangs herself and leaves note saying she was cyberbullied at school where 70% of kids say they feel unsafe

The devastated parents of Gabrielle Molina said the 12-year-old girl had been tormented by schoolyard bullies for months — and the abuse may be the reason she hanged herself in her Queens home. The tragic tween’s older sister Georgia, 15, found the girl’s body about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in their shared bedroom at their Queens Village house, their sobbing mother Glenda Molina said Thursday. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly confirmed Thursday that Gabby left a suicide note that talked about being bullied. Cops are investigating whether Gabrielle was a victim of online harassment as well as face-to-face abuse. Pals of hers said Gabby got into a fistfight with another girl that was videotaped and posted on YouTube. They also said she had a history of cutting herself and had recently broken up with a boyfriend. “There was information in the suicide note concerning cyber bullying,” Kelly said. “Detectives have taken two computers from the home and they will shortly be analyzed. It's a terrible tragedy.” Gabby’s fellow students at Jean Nuzzi Intermediate School 109 in Queens sent the messages currently under investigation, Kelly said. The girl’s distraught mother said Gabby, a seventh-grader, usually drove to school with a friend’s uncle, but didn’t come downstairs as usual Wednesday morning. “Her sister went to school. The door was locked, but that's not unusual for her privacy,” said Glenda Molina. Gabby’s grandparents knocked on her bedroom door periodically throughout the day but assumed she was sleeping when she didn’t respond. When Georgia got home from school, she forced the door open with her grandmother behind her, and found her younger sister hanging there. “I wasn’t there. I was at work when I got the call. My sister-in-law said, ‘Come quick! Gabby is ...’” said the grief-stricken mother, who couldn’t finish the sentence. Howard Simmons/ New York Daily News Gabrielle Molina, 12, of Queens Village was found hanged at her 220th St. home (above) Wednesday afternoon. Police are investigating the role cyberbullying may have had in the case. Molina, a nurse’s aide, rushed home but it was too late to save her youngest child. She and her husband, George Molina, also have a 21-year-old son, a family member told the Daily News. The parents knew Gabby had been having some trouble with bullies at school, including the fistfight earlier this spring. But the full extent of what she endured came to light only after her suicide. “They called her a slut and a whore. All this she wrote in her journal. I just found out. I didn't touch her journal before (the suicide). That's personal,” the mother said. “Her sister knew. She said, ‘Mom, she asked me to keep it secret,’” Molina said. RELATED: BULLY PUNISHED WITH WEARING THRIFT STORE CLOTHES The mom said she learned about the bullying in conjunction with the fistfight. “I asked how she was. She's very honest, she told me, ‘I got into a fight.’ I asked her: Did you tell the teacher? She said, 'Yes,’” the mother said. “That's when I found out she was being bullied. The girl in the fight, she was a friend. She had come here to work on projects with Gabby. That was her classmate,” she said. A boy took video of the fight and posted it on YouTube, Molina said. It was called “Gabby’s Fight.” According to Gabby’s family, a teacher from IS 109 called the house after the fight and set up an appointment for the family to meet with the guidance counselor and dean. The teacher reported the YouTube video to the school, Molina said, but it wasn’t immediately removed from the Internet. The school guidance counselor was sympathetic to Gabrielle's plight, the mother added, and the two girls who fought made up the next day. Bruce Cotler for New York Daily News Jean Nuzzi Intermediate School in Queens where Molina was a student.. Gabby’s distraught dad was at a loss to explain what happened to his science-loving, ambitious child, who had wanted to join the U.S. Air Force and then study law, he said. “She had a 96 average in a special class. I don't know what happened,” said George Molina. “A classmate in one of her classes kept telling her she was a slut, she's a whore. I don't know why they kept telling that to my daughter,” the girl's father said. “She told me, 'Daddy, I got bullied,’" he said. A friend of Gabby’s said the pretty, dark-haired girl had a compulsive cutting habit — and kids teased her about it and about her recent split with a boyfriend. Her parents refused to comment on the allegation that Gabby had a history of self-harm. “(Gabby) said that she wanted to move schools because she felt uncomfortable. People wanted to jump her and people bothered her,” said schoolmate Samantha Martin, 12. The bullying occurred online and at school, Samantha said. The guidance counselor had been trying to help, she added. “They gave (Gabby) a notebook to write in,”said the 12-year-old. RELATED: BULLIED MIDDLE SCHOOLER HANGS HERSELF “She used to cut herself. People knew she was cutting herself,” Samantha said. Part of the angst stemmed from problems in the Molina household, the girl said. Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News Gabrielle Molina, 12, of Queens Village was found hanged at her home Wednesday afternoon. Police are investigating the role cyberbullying have had in the case. “They had a lot of problems. They fought a lot,” she said. Still, she said, Gabrielle outwardly kept a positive attitude most of the time. “She was always happy. She was smart. She liked science,” Samantha said. Other classmates said they were unaware of Gabrielle’s internal strife — although some students said her sister had posted a photo of her cut arms on Instagram. Photos on that account have since been removed. “I never saw (the picture). She seemed so happy. I can't believe she would do this. I'm very surprised,” said one seventh-grader who declined to give her name. “If something was happening, she should have spoke up.” Police are interviewing Gabrielle’s friends and relatives to learn more about her suicide. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said he’d spoken with Gabrielle's family and offered his condolences. “Any child that takes his life or her life is something that deeply concerns me and hurts me as a parent and not just as a chancellor,” Walcott told the Daily News. “Bullying is something that I feel very strongly about. We are always looking at new ways to work on the issue.” Walcott plans to visit IS 109 Friday, he said. Education officials have refused to comment on allegations of bullying among IS 109 students, citing a police investigation. But the junior high has a history of harassment back to at least 2010, according to the city's annual school surveys of students and parents. IS 109 earned a “C” for its school environment in the city's 2012 progress reports, when 80% of students said there was bullying at the school and just 70% of kids reported that they felt safe in school hallways and bathrooms. In 2011, 84% of kids reported that students threaten or bully other students at school, and in 2010, 78% reported bullying at the school. IS 109 Principal Karleen Adam Comrie declined to comment. Staffers have established a crisis team at the school to offer counseling for students and staff. bchapman@nydailynews.com Author: JOSEPH STEPANSKY, VERA CHINESE, TOM TRACY, BEN CHAPMAN, GINGER ADAMS OTIS

Is Mourinho’s star beginning to fade?

“Football needs him. His contribution to football has been huge, not only for the titles, but also for the way of playing and his quality as a person. The manner in which he celebrated those titles is also important.” – Manuel Pellegrini “What I like the most about him is his way of conducting himself off the pitch, he’s a person whose behaviour can teach you some very valuable things for your own personal life.” – Pepe Mel “I admire what he has done. He’s a young coach with an important impact on the present, and we have to thank him for all that we saw from his team, because I’m convinced it’s the best team we’ve ever seen.” – Diego Simeone Mourinho Mourinho “His departure is a huge loss because his presence has made this sport shine. What he has done is unforgettable.” – Marcelo Bielsa These four tributes came from some of the most respected managers currently plying their trade in Spain. The subject? Not Jose Mourinho, who Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has confirmed will leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season, but Pep Guardiola, following his decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2011/12 season. Such eulogies for Mourinho could yet emerge from the Spanish football fraternity, but don’t bet on it. Since arriving in Spain, Mourinho has scratched, bit and insulted his way to the top – and back down – in an effort to conquer all in his path, but in the end, has he really been successful? On the face of it, a La Liga title with an historic points total, a Copa del Rey win and, on a lesser note, a Spanish Supercup suggests yes, but Mourinho must be judged by his own standards, and those are exceptionally high. After all, this is a man who was made the highest paid manager in football when he joined Real Madrid in 2010, the first ‘Galactico manager’, if you will. At the time, it seemed like a logical decision. Key to Mourinho’s brand was his transposability; put him in any league, with any team (that can afford him) and he guarantees success. Mou arrived at Madrid having just won the Champions League, his second with two different teams in two different countries. Clearly, this was the man to bring Madrid their long coveted decima – 10th European Cup – to end the ‘hegemony’ of Barcelona, and it was only a matter of Florentino Perez paying up. Why wouldn’t he? It couldn’t possibly go wrong. It has. Despite the Madrid President’s attempts to suggest otherwise at his press conference yesterday, this isn’t a happy, mutual separation, but a messy divorce with plenty of collateral damage, the culmination of months of deterioration in their relationship. Most notably, Mourinho has failed in his primary objective, to win the Champions League, falling at the same hurdle on three occasions. The most recent came after a 4-1 drubbing against Dortmund, a side who barely scraped past Malaga in the previous round. The Andalucians are a team Mourinho had once claimed was beneath him. Mourinho’s supporters claim that getting Madrid the semi-final stage on three occasions is a dramatic improvement on the effort Manuel Pellegrini made before him, a last 16 knockout against Lyon. Yet it’s worth remembering that not only did Mourinho inherent the core of a team that racked up an astonishing 96 points in La Liga under Pellegrini, a then record for Real Madrid, but he was also given a degree of control that the Chilean could only dream of during his time at the Bernabeu, and a huge initial backing from the Madrid media to boot. Despite this, the Portuguese coach failed to achieve a key goal not only for the club, but for himself. The target wasn’t only Madrid’s , but a personal one for Mourinho, to become the first manager to win three European Cups in three separate nations. Yet in three years his knockout round scalps included Lyon, Tottenham, CSKA Moscow, APOEL and Galatasaray, with Manchester United being the only former winners he managed to eliminate. By his ‘special’ standards, it simply wasn’t special enough. Not by the standards of the most successful team in European Cup history, either. Then there’s the notion that Mourinho broke Barcelona’s hegemony. Cast your eye over Barcelona’s trophy haul during Mourinho’s time at Madrid and it suggests otherwise: two Spanish Supercups, two La Liga titles, one Champions League and one Copa del Rey. Mourinho’s on the other hand reads as one Copa del Rey, one La Liga title and one Spanish Supercup. This year there has been no trophy. He may have disrupted the hegemony momentarily, but it certainly hasn’t been broken. There is also the sense that Mourinho has stopped being fun. While he was once viewed as mischievous, in Madrid he has largely come across as spiteful, a stark contrast to the man that has come to be his foil in recent years. If Guardiola’s Barcelona will be remembered not only for the beautiful football he masterminded, but for the way he conducted himself, as evidenced by the quotes from Pepe Mel and Manuel Pellegrini above, then Mourinho’s Madrid will perhaps be most remembered for his list of discrepancies. To name but a few, his reading from a piece of paper containing a list of 13 ‘errors’ committed by referee Clos Gomez after his side lost to Sevilla, wild accusations that Barcelona’s success was a consequence of their relationship with UNICEF, claims that he would never coach a team like Malaga as Manuel Pellegrini did, his refusal to turn up at the UEFA Ballon d’Or Gala in 2012 and, above all, his thumb in the eye of Tito Vilanova, followed by claims that he didn’t know who the Barcelona coach was in the first place. As erratic as Mourinho’s behaviour can seem at times, in the past it ultimately meant little when it was backed up by unmatched success. The logic was clear: buy into my methods, warts and all, and I’ll bring you the honours you’ve been dreaming of. At Porto, he overachieved by winning two continental competitions, at Chelsea he delivered the league titles necessary to put them on the map as a genuine force in English football, while at Inter he brought home the European Cup that the club and Moratti family have coveted since 1965. The objectives changed, the teams too, but the success was remarkable. So what if he ruffled a few feathers along the way? ‘It’s all part of the plan’, as the Joker said. This time it’s different, however. This time, Mourinho leaves a beaten man, not a victor, a fundamental shift from his previous departures. His move to Chelsea is the most vital of his recent career, arriving at a pivotal stage for the Mourinho brand. The emergence of young coaches that marry success and beautiful football, with impeccable off-field conduct like Pep Guardiola and, more recently, Jurgen Klopp, has some observers wondering if football is beginning to move on from Jose Mourinho. At the turn of the year, Jorge Mendes put out ‘feelers’ to clubs like Manchester United and City, anticipating Mourinho’s departure this summer, and the response wasn’t to his liking. People at the very top are beginning to look at the Madrid coach, weigh up the pros and the cons, and decide ‘no thanks’, the potential rewards are not worth the long-term damage. And so it seems that the manager who has run out of options must return to the club that has run out of managers to hire. Failure at Chelsea would be disastrous for his image at this pivotal stage. Given the resources at his disposal and the upheaval at Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, that doesn’t look likely. Then again, it didn’t look likely at Madrid either; his arrival in the Spanish capital was met with widespread assumption that the was on the plane with him. The standards at Chelsea have changed in his absence, too. Roman Abramovich has now tasted Champions League success, and will want more. Should Mourinho reach a third European Cup semi-final with the Blues (following defeats to Liverpool in 2005 and 2007), but ultimately fail to progress to the final, do we expect Abramovich to reach for the axe like Perez, or preach contentedness with what is an admirable feat for most managers? History suggests the former rather than the latter. The ball is now in Mourinho’s court to prove them wrong, but doubts now justifiably exist over just how special he really is these days. Your move, Mou.

Jonathan condemns terror attack in Britain

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock at the terrorist attack and killing of a British soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the Woolwich area of London, United Kingdom. In a statement by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President(Media and Publicity) Jonathan conveyed his condolence to British Prime Minister David Cameron and the British people over, what he described as “senseless and barbaric act.” The President noted that a terrorist attack anywhere is an attack on the way of life of all free nations and must be collectively condemned by all persons irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion. “It is in this spirit that the Nigerian government is partnering with the British Government, as well as all other stakeholder sovereigns to stand up to and fight terrorism and extremism in whatever guise or pretense it chooses to present itself.” The statement added that, “President Jonathan recognizes that each environment presents its own unique challenges and peculiarities and actions taken by affected nations may differ, yet the resolve to confront and defeat this threat should never be in doubt.” “Nigerians are collectively resolute about the need to protect the freedoms that define our existence and inter-relationships at home and overseas. Our recent past tells us that when we pull together, this common enemy and threat will eventually be defeated.”