Sports
Hamburg relegated after 55 seasons in Bundesliga
Hamburg were relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time in their history on Saturday, as a 2-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach proved too little too late.
A proud run of 55 season in Germany’s top flight came to an ugly end, as Hamburg fans set off a flurry of fireworks, releasing a cloud of black smoke across the Volksparkstadion, forcing play to be suspended just minutes from time.
The six-time German champions, who won the European Cup in 1983, are the only team to have played in every single Bundesliga season since the league’s inauguration in 1963, earning them the nickname “dinosaur”.
Hamburg had battled to victory over Moenchengladbach, but were doomed to relegation as Wolfsburg beat Cologne 4-1.
The day started disastrously for Hamburg, as Joshua Guilavogui fired Wolfsburg ahead in the opening minute against Cologne.
In Hamburg, Aaron Hunt put the home side ahead before Josip Drmic equalised for ‘Gladbach.
Jonas Hector brought Cologne level just after the half-hour mark with an exquisite chip, but Divock Origi restored the lead for Wolfsburg, edging Hamburg closer to disaster.
Lewis Holtby’s curling strike kept Hamburg’S hopes alive, but when Bobby Wood was sent off 20 minutes from time, their fate seemed sealed.
Minutes later, Robin Knoche headed in Wolfsburg’s third, and when Josip Brekalo added a fourth in stoppage time, Hamburg’s fight was over.
After a 15-minute delay due to crowd trouble, the game was able to end. The famous digital clock in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion, which displays how long the club have been in the top flight, must now finally be switched off.
At the other end of the table, Hoffenheim pipped Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig to fourth place, as they beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1 to secure Champions League football next season.
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki gifted Hoffenheim possession with a dreadful clearance on 26 minutes, allowing Andrej Kramaric to fire the home side in front.
Marco Reus equalised for Dortmund after half-time, but goals from Adam Szalai and Pavel Kaderabek fired Hoffenheim into Europe’s elite.
Bayern party goes flat
Lucas Alario grabbed a brace as Leverkusen eased to a 3-2 win over Hanover, as both they and Leipzig secured a Europa League place.
A brace from Jean-Kevin Augustin and goals from Timo Werner, Dayot Upamecano and Ademola Lookman helped Leipzig to a frantic 5-2 win over Hertha Berlin.
For Bayern Munich, who wrapped up the title last month, Saturday was supposed to be a day of celebration, as they were presented with the Bundesliga trophy for the sixth season in a row.
Bayern, though, were unable to give coach Jupp Heynckes an appropriate send-off in his final home game, as they stumbled to a shock 4-1 defeat to Stuttgart.
Ruthless on the break, the visitors tore through Bayern, as Daniel Ginczek, Anastasios Donis and Chadrac Akolo all found the net on the counter-attack.
Sports
Robinho To Serve A 9 Year Jail Term Over Gang Rape
Former Manchester City and Real Madrid striker Robinho will reportedly serve a nine-year jail sentence for gang rape – Imposed on him by an Italian court — in Brazil, judges in Brasilia has ruled.
The 40-year-old was found guilty in Italy in 2017 and according to Globo, Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (BSCJ), made the ruling on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
The former Premier League player, whose real name is Robson De Souza, was one of six men who were found guilty of a§§aulting an Albanian woman in an Italian nightclub in January 2013.
In January 2022, the Supreme Court in Rome dismissed his final appeal against the conviction, according to the report.
Robinho claims he is innocent and has been living in Brazil for the past seven years. It came after nine of the court’s 15 ministers had voted in favour of the decision to incarcerate the footballer in Brazil.
Globo also claims that the ex-footballer, who also spent time at AC Milan and Real Madrid, will now be arrested in Santos, where he currently resides.
Robinho, who was 28 and was playing for AC Milan at the time, admitted during his appeal to having ‘contact’ with the woman, but the Brazilian insisted it was consensual.
The Milan Court of Appeals found Robinho had ‘belittled’ and ‘br¥tally h¥miliated’ the victim as it upheld his original sentence in December 2020.
Intercepted phone calls between the Brazilian and those allegedly involved in the assault were used as key evidence in his initial conviction.
Sports
Former Tennis Champion, Tania Okpala Returns To Tennis After Rehabilitation
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has revealed that former tennis champion, Tania Okpala, has resumed playing on the courts.
This development follows Soludo’s assurance that she would undergo rehabilitation after a video surfaced online showing her in distress on the streets of Awka, pleading for assistance.
In an update on his social media handle on Thursday, Soludo expressed his satisfaction with Okpala’s return, stating, “Tania Okpala is back on the courts!
“A few months ago, social media was flooded with a viral video showing Ms. Tania in a distressing state on the streets of Awka. I am pleased to report that we have successfully restored Tania to her winning ways.”
Okpala, who hails from Anambra and has a Belarusian mother, represented Nigeria in the 1990s.
Here are pictures of her in the tennis court.
Sports
AFCON: Victor Osimhen Now Cleared To Join The Other Super Eagles Ahead Of Tomorrow’s Game
Good News has it that Victor Osimhen has finally joined the Super Eagles Nigeria team in Bouake, Ivory Coast.
He has been given the clear from the medical team on the abdominal discomfort issue. Earlier it was reported that the player could not join the rest of the team who flew to Ivory Coast ahead of Tomorrow’s football match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
He’s fully fit and ready to play in the Semifinals against South Africa tomorrow.
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