Sports
LaLiga Santander is back for 2019/20 and better than ever
- The best players in the world such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Joao Felix, the most advanced broadcast technology and newly-promoted sides Sauna, Granada and Mallorca have kicked off the new season.
BY: Ikenna Oluka
LaLiga Santander, the best league in world football, is back to excite football fans all over the world. With two weeks already in the season, the global stars of world football, high-profile new faces and three freshly-promoted sides have returned to stadiums across Spain and television screens all around the world better equipped than ever to give fans the most thrilling experience possible. In addition, this season will also bring us two new firsts: a whole new sound identity for LaLiga, composed by Emmy Award-winning composer Lucas Vidal; and a new cutting-edge match ball designed by PUMA for both LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, the rebranded second tier.
As with each new season, LaLiga Santander welcomed three new teams into the fold for the 2019/20 campaign in the shape of CA Osasuna, Granada CF and RCD Mallorca. Osasuna return to the topflight following a two-year absence after being crowned LaLiga SmartBank champions in 2018/19.
An academy-driven club steeped in tradition – with centenary celebrations on the horizon for 2020 – the side from Pamplona are a welcome addition for what will be their 38th season in the top division.
Granada CF, with a proud reputation as one of LaLiga’s true ‘giant killer’ clubs, likewise return after a two-year absence, together with their fans, known to be among Spanish football’s most passionate. Last but not least are RCD Mallorca, who embark on their eighth stint in LaLiga Santander.
Owned by a forward-thinking consortium including the likes of former NBA MVP Steve Nash, Mallorca will fly the flag for the Balearic Islands as the only side based outside the Iberian Peninsula in the division in 2019/20.
It’s not just new teams that will be gracing LaLiga Santander this season; we’ll also have a host of exciting new signings to join the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Koke.
Stars of the global game have queued up to join Spanish football among them Eden Hazard and Frenkie de Jong, two of the most blockbuster summer signings in world football, who have joined Real Madrid and FC Barcelona respectively. Over at Atletico de Madrid, Joao Felix became the second-most expensive teenager in football history by joining Diego Simeone’s side while Real Betis beat off competition from Europe’s top sides to secure the signing of French World Cup winner Nabil Fekir.
Notable names heading to pastures new within LaLiga include Uruguayan striker Maxi Gomez, who has joined Valencia CF from RC Celta.
The transfer window closes on September 2nd, giving LaLiga Santander clubs plenty of time to add even more quality to their ranks ahead of the new season.
With the first of 380 nail-biting encounters set played between Athletic Club and Barcelona at San Mames on August 16th, the big games come thick and fast soon after.
The historic Basque and Madrid derbies will be played in September, before El Clasico – the most watched club game in world football – returns in late-October. The historic and always entertaining Seville, Valencia and Barcelona derbies follow in November, December and January, respectively.
LaLiga will continue to offer leading television broadcast technology to millions of fans across the world this season.
State-of-the-art aerial cameras are now operative at 11 different LaLiga stadiums, with Getafe, Eibar and Real Sociedad the latest clubs to adopt the technology, while eight stadiums offer 360° replays.
4K cinematic production is now a permanent feature of LaLiga Santander broadcasts, which last season reached an audience of over 2.7 billion fans around the world. This season will also see the return of VAR (Video Assisted Referee) following a highly successful first season in which the ‘correct decision rate’ in disputed incidents rose from 91.5% to 96.92%.
Both LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank will feature a new match ball designed by PUMA this season while the competition will also debut an all-new soundtrack written by Emmy Award-winner and Hollywood film composer Lucas Vidal.
The composition features the real-life heartbeats of 90 unborn children – the future fans of LaLiga – and will be used in all LaLiga TV broadcasts across the world.
Santander returns as the competition’s title sponsor, while sports-scoring app Livescore, PUMA and Budweiser join EA Sports, Rexona and Clear Men as global sponsors ahead of the 2019/20 season. Regional sponsors in Nigeria include SportPesa, GB Foods and Big Cola.
Nigerian player, Chidozie Awaziem who was recently signed by CD Leganes will join the likes of Azeez Ramon of Granada FC, Kenneth Omeruo of CD Leganes and Samuel Chwukwueze of Villareal to represent Nigeria in the Spanish league.
Commenting on the new season, LaLiga Delegate in Nigeria, Guillermo Perez Castello said, “We are happy to bring to our Nigerian fans another season of exciting football experience. This season, LaLiga plans to reinforce its commitment to the Nigerian market through partnerships such as the LaLiga – NPFL coaching seminar for Nigerian youth coaches, the LaLiga – NPFL U-15 tournament, the MoU signing with the NWFL to bolster women’s sports, the partnership with HiFL and LaLiga’s partnership with Lagos Business School to provide sports business management programmes”.
With excitement, passion and unrivalled drama guaranteed on every matchday, you won’t want to miss a single moment of LaLiga Santander 2019/20, which will be available on DSTV on Super Sport 7 or GoTV Max on SS4 all season long. LaLiga matches are currently available on 93 international broadcasters in 183 different countries around the world. Let the games begin!
COVER PHOTO CAPTION
L-r: Ayodeji Adegbenro, Projects and Communications Coordinator LaLiga Nigeria; Prahlad Gangudharan, CEO Big Bottling Company; Olajumoke Okikiolu, Consumer Connections Manager International Breweries Plc ; Guillermo Perez Castello, LaLiga delegate in Nigeria; Tolulope Adedeji, Marketing Manager International Breweries Plc Mutiu Adepoju, LaLiga Ambassador in Nigeria; Perpetual Ohiri, Market &Trade Marketing Manager, Big Bottling Company at the LaLiga 2019/2020 Season Kick-Off Event in Lagos.
Sports
Portugal Football Club Signs on 19-Year-Old Nigerian- born Footballer, Yaqub Usman-Malah
Reporter: Sandra Ani
Brito Sporting Club of Portugal, a football club founded in 1956, has signed an official contract with a United Kingdom-based highly-talented, young Nigeria-born footballer, Yaqub Usman-Malah.
The official unveiling of the young promising footballer was carried out on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
Yaqub, born in Nigeria in 2006, is a budding Nigerian talent with unquantifiable promise and potential.
Prior to his official contract with Brito Sporting Club of Portugal, he was a student and a trainee player with the Brooke College Football Academy in the United Kingdom.
At Brooke College Football Academy, Yaqub had an impressive goal average of 17 goals in 32 matches with no injuries in 116 training days, cumulating into 2, 270 minutes of on-field action.
A clear testimony of his outstanding performance at the Academy was provided by the lead coach of the Under-17B team Yaqub played with.
The lead coach, Tomasz Wasylik, described Yaqub as a ‘well-liked person’ and a role model to his teammates due to his professionalism and unmatched work rate.
The Lead Coach further stated that Yaqub has played in National School Cup competitions against other colleges and programmes in the 2023/2024 session and is a good ‘tactical player’, ‘technically good” and can ‘play in multiple positions on the field’.
It is expected that Yaqub will live to the potential and promise identified by Coach Tomasz Wasylik of the Brooke College Football Academy and achieve greatness in his new club.
“While looking forward to the display of his unarguable skills and boundless stamina, we wish Yaqub a successful career and a place in the halls of football greatness across the globe,” Yaqub’s father, Mr Usman Malah said in a statement issued to the media, on Wednesday 8, 2025.
Man City counts 28 trophies in the last 10 yearsQNET, an Asian direct selling giant and Manchester City, a top Football club in and outside England, are celebrating 10 years of partnership with great results.
The anniversary was part of the 26th V-Malaysia Conference (VCON) at Penang in Malaysia.
The long-standing partnership will see QNET continue as Official Direct Selling Partner for City’s men’s and women’s teams, according to Techeconomy report.
This partnership marked a significant milestone in May 2018 when City welcomed QNET as the first sleeve partner in the Women’s Super League.
Throughout the next phase of this partnership QNET will continue to provide City-led football clinics to communities around the world, as well as engaging with consumers and distributors through this relationship with City.
In a message to the leaders of QNET and the 8,000 VCON participants from over 30 countries, Ferran Soriano, the chief executive officer of Manchester City FC, said they are pleased to achieve great milestones that would not have been possible without the support and the commitment of everybody at QNET, “and every single one of you. I do remember back in 2014 when I met the leadership of QNET for the first time, and we discussed our plans, our ambitions, and we promised a lot.
“We promised that Manchester City would be a great football team, and that they would play beautiful football. Now, 10 years since then, we hold 28 trophies. I have to be honest and say that when we promised we were going to do well, we didn’t think we were going to win 28 trophies.
“We’re excited now we’re starting a new season, and guess what? We want to win again, and if we do, it would be another record. Maybe we can win the fifth Premier League in a row. Obviously, something that hasn’t happened before. I can promise that we will fight for all the trophies like you fight for all your objectives. Manchester City and QNET have the incredible power to engage people from every country, create a sense of community and empower individuals and teams to achieve their aspirations”.
He promised Manchester City’s support to the QNET brand to achieve even more successes in the coming years.
Trevor Kuna, the CEO of QNET said that the partnership with Manchester City has made positive impacts on the business.
QNET’s grass-roots business model enables ordinary people from all walks of life to start their own business with minimal overhead.
With hard work and dedication, QNET distributors, known as Independent Representatives (IRs) have the opportunity to become economically self-sufficient, raising the standard of life for their families and communities.
QNET is driven by two important philosophies: RYTHM (Raise Yourself to Help Mankind) and InService.
Meanwhile, the highlight of the QNET and Manchester City celebration was the presentation of a 10-year partnership anniversary plaque by John Kirton, senior partnership marketing manager, Manchester City Football Club to the QNET team.
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.
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